Learn to use "No sooner ------ than" correctly

No sooner ------ than

  • Conjunction 'No sooner ---- than' is also used to denote simultaneous actions.
  • It is the negative of 'As soon as'.

Let us see some examples of this conjunction in actual sentences.

Example:

1) No sooner does he see other children than he becomes playful.

Remember the simple trick shown below:

No sooner(does/do/did)Subject1stActionThanSubject2nd Action
No soonerDoeshesee other childrenThanbecomes playful.

Present: No sooner does he see other children than he becomes playful.
Present : No sooner do I see other children than I become playful.
Past : No sooner did he see other children, than he became playful.

From the above 3 examples we deduce that:

1) The conjunction 'No sooner ----- than' is used in Present and Past tenses.
2) It can be used only in a sentence in which two actions take place.
3) 'No sooner' should never be followed by the word 'when'.
5) Do/Does/Did are followed by the first form of the verb. The word 'had' can also be used in the place of 'did' at time.

Examples:

1. Incorrect: No sooner we came out of the house, it started raining.
   Correct: No sooner did we come out of the house than it started raining.