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Expression: sooner than



 
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ESL Forum | English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
Use of myself/himself/itself | Does the sentence have a grammar problem?
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Expression: sooner than #1 (permalink) Mon Nov 13, 2006 3:35 am   Expression: sooner than		  
which is correct? If nothing is right, please tell me the rule.

No sooner had I arrived home when it began to rain.
No sooner had I arrived home than it began to rain.
No sooner than I arrived home when it began to rain.

I'm confused. Any explanation? Any rule? Thanks...
Planetypus
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Expression: sooner than #2 (permalink) Mon Nov 13, 2006 4:48 am   Expression: sooner than		  
The second one is correct. However, this is very strange grammar that I don't think you should waste time trying to understand.
It means As soon as I came home it began to rain, and that is what I suggest you say.
Canadian45
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No sooner #3 (permalink) Mon Nov 13, 2006 9:35 am   No sooner		  
Hi Planetypus,

Since you have asked the question about

Quote:
No sooner had I arrived home than it began to rain

then I am sure you do want to understand the grammar in this construction. Apart from the use in questions the standard word order is subject-verb but if you start a sentence with certain words or phrases, the process of inversion ( verb - subject) takes place. In your sentence this becomes had I. The idea behind the sentence is that immediately after you had arrived home, it began to rain. You also invert the subject and verb with other similar words like hardly/sacrcely which have a similar meaning to 'no sooner' as in:

Hardly had I finished eating, when the phone rang
Scarcely had I finsihed talking on the phone, when someone knocked on the door.

Of your three sentences I would choose 2 as the correct one.

Alan
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Expression: sooner than #4 (permalink) Mon Nov 13, 2006 11:38 am   Expression: sooner than		  
Thanks a lot, Alan. I got good information from you.
Planetypus
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Joined: 16 Oct 2006
Posts: 25
Location: South Korea
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Use of myself/himself/itself | Does the sentence have a grammar problem?
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