Question

Change the given sentence using 'no sooner than':
As soon as I reached the docks, the ship left.

• A. No sooner had I reach the docks the ship left.
• B. No sooner does he reached the docks than the ship left.
• C. No sooner had I reached the docks than the ship left.
• D. No sooner I reached the docks than the ship left.

Answer 1

Answer: (C)

No sooner had I reached the docks than the ship left.

• No sooner is a phrasal verb which is always complemented with than. It is equivalent to the phrase as soon as. Both these phrasal verbs are used in sentences which talk about two activities happening simultaneously. For instance, in the given sentence:

1. I reached the dock
   
2. The ship left
   In the given question, the sentence the statement needs to be transformed using no sooner than. In this kind of transformation, no sooner is placed on the portion of the sentence describing the first event and the latter part of the event must be followed by than.
   

One should also be careful about the tense while transforming the sentence. Here the sentence is in the the past tense, therefore, the sentence can be transformed in two ways:

1. Simple past: No sooner did I reach the docks than the ship left.
   
2. Past perfect: No sooner had I reached the docks than the ship left.
   

Since the sentence has been transformed as the one given in the second part, option C is correct. In the other sentences, the tenses have been used inappropriately.