appropriate structure

Question

hardly had the bell rang----------the students ran out

Vsuresh · Accepted Answer

Hardly had the bell rung, than the students ran out

Enoon · Answer

hardly had the bell rung than the students ran out

Corfu lingua · Answer

enoonhardly had the bell rung than the students ran out

hardly had the bell rung, then the students ran out.

Rover_KE · Answer

Hardly had the bell rung than the students ran out.

Hardly had the bell rung, ~~then~~ than the students ran out.

Corfu lingua · Answer

Rover_KEHardly had the bell rung than the students ran out.Hardly had the bell rung, then than the students ran out.

I agree with your suggestion for 'ran out'. Your choice for 'than' instead of 'then' I cannot understand.
Isn't 'than' used for constructions with comparisons? In my view, a comparison is not given with 'hardly', but rather with 'sooner than', 'no later than', and others.
I think 'then' is correct in the sentence, if it starts with 'Hardly had the bell rung'.
Please advise. Thanks!

Corfu lingua · Answer

Let me correct my own answer I have just submitted and which is not even showing yet. In my example the word "then" actually should read "when".

Hardly had the bell rung when the students ran out.
No sooner had the bell rung than the students ran out.

In a web dictionary I found the answer that 'than' can also replace the word 'when'.

Than

1. Used after a comparative adjective or adverb to introduce the second element or clause of an unequal comparison:
She is a better athlete than I.
2. Used to introduce the second element after certain words indicating difference: He draws quite differently than she does.
3. When. Used especially after hardly and scarcely: I had scarcely walked in the door than the commotion started.

Thus,

'Hardly had the bell rung than the students ran out.' must be correct.

Sorry, Rover_KE, I didn't know about usage number 3.

CalifJim · Answer

corfu linguaHardly had the bell rung when the students ran out.No sooner had the bell rung than the students ran out.

There are the ones I use. Not "Hardly had ... than ...".

corfu lingua3. When. Used especially after hardly and scarcely: I had scarcely walked in the door than the commotion started.

This is news to me. Thanks for posting it.

"Hardly had ... than ..." may be correct, but it still sounds weird to me.

CJ

appropriate structure

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions