Few grammar questions on usage of "the","as soon as","only just"and"no sooner".

[sudipadcary]

Hello,Everybody!This is my first time in this community.

I have few questions regarding grammar so please answer me.I have made a numbered step-wise questions below:


1. Which one is correct :
'the best and the most' or 'the best and most' ?
Do i need to repeat 'the' even after 'and' or a single 'the' would work ?
Example:
He is the best and the most intelligent person. or
He is the best and most intelligent person.

2. Could You Please tell me the rules involved in making "Events in Rapid Succession" for 'No sooner' and 'only just'?Should we remove words like 'immediately' in such case:
1."We had the washing machine repaired and it instantly broke down again."
2."We had the washing machine repaired and immediately it broke down again."
What would be the most correct answer for the above two questions?
Should we remove "instantly" and "immediately" when building a "No sooner"/"only just" sentences?

3. Which one is correct: 'had only just been' or 'had been only just' and'no sooner had we been' or 'no sooner had been we'

4. And the Last question :
Please change the sentences below using either 'as soon as+past' or 'as soon as+past perfect':
( a. They saw the house and immediately fell in love with it.
b. The train passed and immediately the crossing barrier went up. )

Request:These are not my homeworks and I'm not trying to ask someone to do my exercises.I'm just trying to better understand the grammar.So please help me on this

[Rover_KE]

Welcome to the forums, sudipadcary.

Please ask unrelated questions in separate threads. For one thing, you'll get quicker answers that way.

Here's my answer to #1:

They are both correct and there's little, if any, difference between them.

* * *

Ask#2 under the title Events in rapid succession, and #3 with Had only just been, with sample sentences.

* * *

As English is your native language you should be able to make a reasonable attempt at #4 yourself. Have a try and we will comment. Suggested title: As soon as+past/past perfect.


​Rover

[sudipadcary]

These are my conclusions for usage of 'the' :

the best(as noun) and the worst(as noun) >because here are two nouns.

but The best(adjective) and most intelligent(adjective) man(noun) >single 'the' for two adjectives describing a single noun.

Please correct me if my conclusions are wrong

[sudipadcary]

As English is your native language you should be able to make a reasonable attempt at #4 yourself. Have a try and we will comment. Suggested title: As soon as+past/past perfect.

Thanks for ur reply I was just trying to understand the relation of 'as soon as' with words like 'immediately' and 'again'.
Here are my answers. Please tell me which one does justice to each question(gramatically,with meaning and without losing words from question) :

a. They saw the house and immediately fell in love with it.
ans1:As soon as they saw the house they fell in love with it.
ans2:As soon as they saw the house immediately they fell in love with it.
ans3:As soon as they saw the house they immediately fell in love with it.

b. The train passed and immediately the crossing barrier went up.
ans1:As soon as the train had passed immediately the crossing barrier went up.
ans2:As soon as the train had passed the crossing barrier went up.

c. He got married again immediately after his wife's death.
ans1:He got married again immediately as soon as his wife had died.
ans2:He got married again as soon as his wife had died.
ans3:He got married as soon as his wife had died.

d.I put the phone down and it rang again.
ans1:As soon as I had put the phone down it rang again.
ans2:As soon as I had put the phone down it rang.

[5jj]

a. They saw the house and immediately fell in love with it.
ans1:As soon as they saw the house they fell in love with it. Fine
ans2:As soon as they saw the house immediately they fell in love with it. Unnatural
ans3:As soon as they saw the house they immediately fell in love with it. Unnecessary duplication

b. The train passed and immediately the crossing barrier went up.
ans1:As soon as the train had passed immediately the crossing barrier went up. Unnatural
ans2:As soon as the train had passed the crossing barrier went up. Fine

c. He got married again immediately after his wife's death.
ans1:He got married again immediately as soon as his wife had died. Unnatural
ans2:He got married again as soon as his wife had died. Fine
ans3:He got married as soon as his wife had died. It's better with 'again'.

d.I put the phone down and it rang again.
ans1:As soon as I had put the phone down it rang again. Fine
ans2:As soon as I had put the phone down it rang. It's better with 'again'.

5

[sudipadcary]

5

Sorry I forgot to mention question number e. plz comment on this,too.


e. I wrote the letter and posted it straight away.
ans1:As soon as I had written the letter I posted it straight away.
ans2:As soon as I had written the letter I posted it.

[Barb_D]

Sorry I forgot to mention question number e. plz comment on this,too.


e. I wrote the letter and posted it straight away.
ans1:As soon as I had written the letter I posted it straight away.
ans2:As soon as I had written the letter I posted it.

As with all the ones with "immediately" adding "straight away" is redundant when you use "As soon as."

[sudipadcary]

These are my conclusions for usage of 'the' :

the best(as noun) and the worst(as noun) >because here are two nouns.

but The best(adjective) and most intelligent(adjective) man(noun) >single 'the' for two adjectives describing a single noun.

Please correct me if my conclusions are wrong

Still I didn't get response for this part

Anyway,Thanks everybody

[Barb_D]

Start a new thread. This one has become about "as soon as." Further conversation on another topic will be confusing. That's why we ask people to ask separate questions in separate threads.

[sudipadcary]

Yes ma'am