Question

Identify the correct version of the sentence:
"Hardly had he entered the room when he was hearing the explosion."

• A. Hardly had he entered the room when he heard the explosion.
• B. Hardly he had entered the room when he heard the explosion.
• C. He hardly entered the room when he was hearing the explosion.
• D. No correction needed.

Hint:

\textbf{Tip:} In correlative structures like "Hardly...when", use past perfect for the first part and simple past for the second.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

This sentence checks if the verb tenses and word order are used correctly.

Explanation:

1. Correct Verb Tense: The sentence starts with "Hardly had he entered," which is in the past perfect tense. So, the next action should be in the simple past tense — "heard," not "was hearing."

So, we say: "Hardly had he entered the room when he heard the explosion."

2. Word Order: The sentence uses an inverted structure because it starts with the word "Hardly." This is normal in English for emphasis, especially after words like "Hardly" or "No sooner."

Correct Version: "Hardly had he entered the room when he heard the explosion."

Answer 2

The sentence in question requires correction based on proper grammatical usage and sentence structure. The sentence "Hardly had he entered the room when he was hearing the explosion." is intended to convey two actions, where the hearing of the explosion occurs almost immediately after entering the room. Here are the steps to identify and correct the sentence:

1. Understanding "Hardly...when" Structure: This grammatical structure emphasizes that one event happened shortly after another. The correct tense should express a completed action at the point when the second action occurs.
2. Correct Tense Usage: The verb following "hardly" should be in the past perfect tense, whereas the following event should use the simple past tense for completed actions. Therefore, "was hearing" should be changed to "heard."
3. Subject-Verb Inversion: In sentences starting with "hardly," the auxiliary verb should precede the subject. Thus, "had he entered" is the correct order.

Applying these principles, the grammatically correct sentence is:

Hardly had he entered the room when he heard the explosion.