No sooner

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RonBee

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I think it is because than serves as an adverb in that sentence. However, then would be a conjunction.

Or not.

:wink:
 

RonBee

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italianbrother said:
wouldn't be "then" for time??? the bloke had arrived then, after his arrival, etc.. etc..????
thanks

It is a common error to confuse then and than. We would use then like this:

  • I arrived. Then I noticed what was wrong.

:)
 

RonBee

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Casiopea said:
tdol said:

set phrase: no sooner...than

'-er' is a comparative marker that takes 'than'

big
bigger than
no bigger than

:D

funnage

I didn't think of the comparative marker thing.

:wink:
 

Casiopea

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I didn't think of the comparative marker thing :wink:

Naw, but you're the one who got the '..pay..when..' thingamajig.

Still da masta, RonBee. Still da masta ":D" (That's me bowing)

:D
 

Tdol

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italianbrother said:
wouldn't be "then" for time??? the bloke had arrived then, after his arrival, etc.. etc..????
thanks

I seriously think it's time to strip you of your Proficiency certificate. ;-)
 
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Thank you Cassiopea:)

i quite like the way you explained it:

"set phrase: no sooner...than"

some one else also has, also, tried ittime after time but...
promise will remember it from now on.
 

RonBee

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italianbrother said:
Thank you Cassiopea:)

i quite like the way you explained it:

"set phrase: no sooner...than"

some one else also has tried many time but...;-)
promise will remember from now on.

Don't forget the comparative marker thing. :wink:

Welcome to our friendly forum!

:hi:
 

Tdol

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italianbrother said:
I seriously think it's time to strip you of your Proficiency certificate. ;-)

Errr... How would you like me to send it to ya??? Via attachment??;-))
You Are right though, promise know i learned it!![/quote]

I'll trust you to tear it up and throw it in the bin. ;-)
 

Tdol

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Have you? Like your Avatar, BTW. ;-)
 
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nicolas

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Dear All,

>No sooner had I arrived than I noticed what was wrong.

:?:
Does the action "I noticed what was wrong" happen before "I had arrived" ?
 

Tdol

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No, which is why the past perfect is used to show that the arrival was just before the realisation. ;-)
 
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nicolas

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Dear tdol,

>No sooner had I left the house than it started raining.

So it means:
I was outside the house at that time ?

no.1
|----- leave the house ---|
-------------------------------->|--- start raining ---|

no.2
no.1
|----- leave the house ---|
------------------------->|--- start raining ---|

:?:
So no. 1 is right?
 

RonBee

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The situation:

  • You are inside the house. While you are inside the house it is not raining. You step outside the house, and immediately afterwards it starts raining.

Later, you tell somebody, "No sooner had I left the house than it started raining."

(Number one is right.)

:)
 
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