No sooner....

[Fazzu]

Poor English:" 'No sooner' did we reach the station 'when' the train left".
Standard English: " 'No sooner' did we reach the station 'than' the train left".

I don't get why they have replaced 'when' with 'than'.Explain please.

[Humble]

Hi, Fazzu,
Because it's a set phrase : No sooner... than. Besides, we've got a comparison. Similarily,
The train left ( or had left?) sooner, than we arrived.
Rgs

[Fazzu]

Because it's a set phrase : No sooner... than.

So, 'no sooner' always comes with 'than'?

[Coffa]

Originally Posted by Fazzu

So, 'no sooner' always comes with 'than'?

Yes.

[dihen]

Can I say "No sooner did we reached the station than when the train left"?

[Coffa]

Originally Posted by dihen

Can I say "No sooner did we reached the station than when the train left"?

No .

It's 'did we reach...', and you can't use the construction 'no sooner...than...' in that way. The correct sentence would be: "We did reach the station no earlier than when the train left."

[dihen]

Originally Posted by Coffa

No.
`
It's 'did we reach...', and you can't use the construction 'no sooner...than...' in that way. The correct sentence would be: "We did reach the station no earlier than when the train left."

Can I say these?
`
We reached the station no sooner than the train left.
We reached the station no sooner than when the train left.
No sooner than the train left did we reach the station.
No sooner than when the train left did we reach the station.

[Coffa]

Originally Posted by dihen

Can I say these?
`
We reached the station no sooner than the train left.
We reached the station no sooner than when the train left.
No sooner than the train left did we reach the station.
No sooner than when the train left did we reach the station.

I wouldn't say any of them, no.

What you are trying to say is: "No sooner had we reached the station than the train left."

[dihen]

Originally Posted by Coffa

I wouldn't say any of them, no.
`
What you are trying to say is: "No sooner had we reached the station than the train left."

These?
`
We had reached the station no sooner than the train left.
We had reached the station no sooner than when the train left.
No sooner than the train left had we reached the station.
No sooner than when the train left had we reached the station.

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by Fazzu

Poor English:" 'No sooner' did we reach the station 'when' the train left".

I don't get why they have replaced 'when' with 'than'. Explain please.

Let's look at the other side. Here's the error - or rather, why they have replaced 'than' with 'when'.

no sooner ... than is a literary construction. It's what we read or write. Its spoken variant would be something like, I had (only) just reached the station when the train left. There's your where.

No sooner had I reached the station than the train left.
No sooner had I reached the station when the train left.
I had (only) just reached the station when the train left.