Multiple choice option (scarcely)

[sb70012]

The couple …….. the house when they ……… to quarrel.

a)had scarcely entered /begun
b)scarcely entered/had begun
c)scarcely entered/began (Answer Key)
d)had scarcely entered/had begun

Hello teachers,
I found this test in a PDF in my computer. Unfortunately I don't have the source, I think it was once written in
one of my textbooks. I have some doubt on other options. I mean it's a little tricky test. Can a, b, or d fits well in
the test or not?

(I searched for it in the forum but
Couldn't find a thread related to my question.)
No source
Many thanks in advance

 

[bhaisahab]

The couple …….. the house when they ……… to quarrel.

a)had scarcely entered /begun
b)scarcely entered/had begun
c)scarcely entered/began (Answer Key)
d)had scarcely entered/had begun

Hello teachers,
I found this test in a PDF in my computer. Unfortunately I don't have the source, I think it was once written in
one of my textbooks. I have some doubt on other options. I mean it's a little tricky test. Can a, b, or d fits well in
the test or not?

(I searched for it in the forum but
Couldn't find a thread related to my question.)
No source
Many thanks in advance

I don't think any of the options are very natural, although a case could be made for d). I would prefer, "The couple had scarcely entered the house when they began to quarrel".

 

[sb70012]

Thank you. This is my last question: The pronoun "they" refers to "the couple" or "neighbors"?

 

[5jj]

No neighbours (BrE) have been mentioned.

 

[sb70012]

Hello again dear all,
A few minutes ago, in another forum I asked the same question but they told me that the all options are incorrect.
He/she told me: "Any sentence which says "They scarcely entered..." without the verb 'to have' is wrong. One cannot 'scarsely' do anything. 'They had scarcely entered..." is correct, but it has to be followed by 'began' - you cannot say 'they begun', it has to be 'they began'.
If you click here you will see his response: Multiple choice option (scarcely) - WordReference Forums

Do you agree with him?

Thank you very much.

 

[Rover_KE]

Yes. Bhai's version is best (post #2).

 

[sb70012]

Now I got it.

 

[sb70012]

But I found an example in Longman Dictionary which has used "Scarcely" without "to have."
But he said "scarcely" is used with "to have"

This is the sentence: He scarcely ever left the region. (Longman Dictionary)
So why in Longman Dictionary "Scarcely" has been used without "to have"?
Isn't it incorrect?

Thank you.

 

[5jj]

That is not 'he scarcely left'. It's 'He scarcely ever left'.

 

[sb70012]

That is not 'he scarcely left'. It's 'He scarcely ever left'.

Thank you very much 5JJ. Now I completely understood it.
So, "Scarcely" by itself can not be used alone. Right?
Have look at my self made examples please:

I scarcely understood the issue.
I scarcely overcame the problem.

So, my self made examples are incorrect. Right?

Thank you very much.

 

[sb70012]

I scarcely understood/overcame....

I scarcely understood the issue.
I scarcely overcame the problem.

Hello teachers,
Are these two correct?


Thank you.

(sb, I have merged this question with the thread where you had already asked it. Please don't start separate threads with identical questions - 5jj)

 

[emsr2d2]

Hello again dear all,
A few minutes ago, in another forum I asked the same question but they told me that the all options are incorrect.
He/she told me: "Any sentence which says "They scarcely entered..." without the verb 'to have' is wrong. One cannot 'scarsely' do anything. 'They had scarcely entered..." is correct, but it has to be followed by 'began' - you cannot say 'they begun', it has to be 'they began'.
If you click here you will see his response: Multiple choice option (scarcely) - WordReference Forums

Do you agree with him?

Thank you very much.

I agree with the people in the other forum. I find all those options to be incorrect. I would expect to see "had scarcely entered/began" as an option.

 

[Rover_KE]

Re: I scarcely understood/overcame....

I scarcely understood the issue.
I scarcely overcame the problem.

Hello teachers,
Are these two correct?

Yes.

Several of the 2,945 examples here use that construction.

Rover