Question

Identify the correct version of the given sentence:
No sooner I had looked away but she fell down.

• A. No sooner I had looked away than she fell down.
• B. No sooner had I looked away but she fell down.
• C. No sooner had I looked away than she fell down.
• D. No change

Answer 1

Answer: (C)

No sooner had I looked away than she fell down.

If the second event occurs immediately after the first, no sooner...than is used to express such situations. In such a structure, no sooner introduces the event that occurred first. No sooner is followed with the past tense. Option C is correct as no sooner is followed by 'had'. Options A is grammatically wrong. Option B is wrong as 'but' cannot be used with no sooner.