Question

Choose the option that best completes the sentence:
"Hardly had the train arrived ________ the passengers rushed to board."

• A. when
• B. then
• C. after
• D. that

Hint:

For sentences starting with ``Hardly had,'' use ``when'' to connect the immediate subsequent event in inverted constructions.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

The sentence structure in the given question uses an example of inversion typically found with negative adverbials like "hardly," which sets up a specific relationship between the clauses of the sentence. In this context, the sentence adheres to the pattern "Hardly had [action] when [result]." This pattern is used to convey that one action is quickly followed by another.

The sentence, "Hardly had the train arrived ________ the passengers rushed to board," seeks to create this relationship of immediate succession.

Let's evaluate the options:

• when: The correct conjunction for expressing immediacy following the action described by "Hardly." It completes the sentence in a grammatically correct way: "Hardly had the train arrived when the passengers rushed to board."
• then: Incorrect, as it does not function as a conjunction to connect the two events in this context.
• after: Does not fit well in the inversion structure used with "hardly" since it suggests a separation in time.
• that: Grammatically incorrect in this structure, providing no conjunction function typically needed here.

Thus, the correct completion is the word 'when'.