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 #2 (permalink) Mon Nov 13, 2006 4:48 am Expression: sooner than |
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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. |
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Canadian45
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Joined: 08 Oct 2006
Posts: 184
Location: Canada
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| #3 (permalink) Mon Nov 13, 2006 9:35 am No sooner |
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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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English as a Second Language
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Alan
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| #4 (permalink) Mon Nov 13, 2006 11:38 am Expression: sooner than |
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| Thanks a lot, Alan. I got good information from you. |
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Planetypus
I'm new here and I like it ;-)
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? |
