0
Ryanbuxton2008 Posted 20 years ago
Grammar
Than Or When?
He had no sooner sat down ___ the phone rang.
Than? or When?
I've been trying to figure this out for a while and I just don't know. I've asked my English teacher and she is unsure as well.
Can anyone help out with the answer and the rule why?
Than? or When?
I've been trying to figure this out for a while and I just don't know. I've asked my English teacher and she is unsure as well.
Can anyone help out with the answer and the rule why?
Top answer
Hello Ryan The choice is "than". You use "than" to introduce the second item in a comparison: 1. I 'm bigger than her .
- Hello Ryan The choice is "than".
- You use "than" to introduce the second item in a comparison: 1.
- I 'm bigger than her .
- 2.
- It 's much better than you'd think .
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
4 Answers
0
Hello Ryan
The choice is "than".
You use "than" to introduce the second item in a comparison:
1. I'm bigger than her.
2. It's much better than you'd think.
In this case, it's a comparison in terms of time between two events: 1) sitting down 2) the phone ringing, i.e.
3. He had no sooner sat down
The choice is "than".
You use "than" to introduce the second item in a comparison:
1. I'm bigger than her.
2. It's much better than you'd think.
In this case, it's a comparison in terms of time between two events: 1) sitting down 2) the phone ringing, i.e.
3. He had no sooner sat down
00
0
0
MrPedanticBut the idiomatic meaning of the "...no sooner...than..." structure is that the second item in the comparison happened immediately after the first item. So here, the sentence means "he sat down, and the phone rang immediately".
MrP
Is it synonymous with "as soon as he had sat down..."
0
Related Questions