No Sooner, Hardly, and Scarcely Exercises
C1 Level
English Exercises is teacher-led by Charlie. About the teacher · How content is made
These structures are not just decorative word order; they show timing very precisely. The opening phrase means "almost as soon as", so the first action was barely complete before the next one happened. A common mistake is pairing the wrong connector, such as "Hardly...than", or forgetting inversion after the opening phrase. Another frequent error is using past simple in the first clause: write "Hardly had she sat down when...", not "Hardly did she sit down when...". Practise choosing both the connector and the past participle.
Quick Rule
No sooner + had + subject + past participle + than + past simple clause | Hardly / Scarcely + had + subject + past participle + when + past simple clause
- 1.No sooner had I arrived than the rain started.
- 2.Hardly had she sat down when the phone rang.
- 3.Scarcely had we begun the meeting when the alarm sounded.
- 4.No sooner had they signed the contract than the company collapsed.
- 5.Hardly had Liam opened the file when he noticed it had not saved properly.
All 20 questions
Rewrite the sentence using the correlative structure provided. Your answer should begin after the prompt and include the full structure.
I had just arrived when it started raining. (No sooner...)
No sooner
She had just sat down when the phone rang. (Hardly...)
Hardly
He had just left when his boss called. (Scarcely...)
Scarcely
They had just finished eating when the guests arrived. (No sooner...)
No sooner
I had just closed my eyes when the alarm went off. (Hardly...)
Hardly
We had just begun the meeting when the fire alarm sounded. (Scarcely...)
Scarcely
She had just entered the room when everyone applauded. (No sooner...)
No sooner
I had just fallen asleep when the dog barked. (Hardly...)
Hardly
He had just started his speech when the microphone failed. (Scarcely...)
Scarcely
They had just taken off when turbulence hit. (No sooner...)
No sooner
I had just put the baby to sleep when the doorbell rang. (Hardly...)
Hardly
She had just finished her report when the deadline was extended. (Scarcely...)
Scarcely
We had just paid the bill when they offered us a discount. (No sooner...)
No sooner
He had just recovered from the flu when he caught a cold. (Hardly...)
Hardly
I had just sent the email when I noticed the mistake. (Scarcely...)
Scarcely
They had just signed the contract when the company collapsed. (No sooner...)
No sooner
She had just opened her mouth when he interrupted. (Hardly...)
Hardly
We had just left home when it started snowing. (Scarcely...)
Scarcely
I had just bought a new umbrella when I lost it. (No sooner...)
No sooner
He had just got home when the storm began. (Hardly...)
Hardly
Continue Practising
Continue practising with these related exercises
Negative Adverbials (Easy)
MediumPractise Never, Rarely, and Seldom inversions
20 questions
Only Expressions (Basic)
MediumUse Only then, Only when, and Only after with correct inversion
20 questions
Not Only...But Also
MediumTransform sentences with the Not only...but also correlative pattern
20 questions
-ed vs -ing Adjectives
EasyPractise bored/boring, interested/interesting, and other feeling adjective pairs
60 questions
Conditionals
MediumMaster all types of conditional sentences (zero to third)
330 questions
Present Perfect
MediumLearn to talk about experiences and unfinished time
240 questions