Hardly/Scarcely - Learn correct usage with rules, examples and exercises
Q. Hardly had she (1) / seen her aunt (2) / than she stopped (3) / fighting. (4) / No Error (5)- Published on 06 Jan 17a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. 4
e. 5
ANSWER: 3
'
Hardly' is
always followed by
'when'.
'
When'
cannot be replaced by any other word.
Formula| Hardly/Scarcely + | Had + | Subject + | 1st Action + | When + | Subject + | 2nd Action |
|---|
| Hardly | had | he | seen his mother | when | he | stopped dancing. |
| Scarcely | had | he | seen his uncle | when | he | ran away. |
'Hardly/Scarcely...when' is used to denote simultaneous action.
The correct sentence should be:
Hardly had she seen her aunt
when she stopped fighting.
