Question

Fill in the blank with a suitable option:
Hardly had he uttered the words __________________.

• A. Than we left the room
• B. When he began laughing
• C. As soon as everybody sat down
• D. The manager came in

Answer 1

The correct option is B When he began laughing

'Hardly' is used at the beginning of a sentence before an auxiliary to say that one thing happens very soon after another thing. 'Hardly' is followed by 'when' in the second clause.

'Than' is used to compare things in the sentence.

'As soon as' is used to show that something happens immediately, i.e. ‘at the very moment another action is completed’, or ‘shortly after another action is completed’.

Thus, option B is the correct answer.