No sooner had we set off … it started to rain

Analyze the question The sentence is "No sooner had we set off ....... it started to rain." We need the word that correctly completes the structure "No sooner...".

Explain the concept "No sooner" is a comparative expression, so it is always followed by than, never "when" or "that".

• Correct: No sooner had she arrived than the meeting began.
• "Hardly/Scarcely... when" is the other pair. Hardly had she arrived when the meeting began.

Notice also the inverted word order after "No sooner" (had we set off, not "we had set off"). This is typical of negative adverbials at the start of a sentence, and the sentence already follows it.

Step-by-step solution

1. Spot the clue phrase: "No sooner had..."
2. Recall the pair: No sooner... than
3. Check the options: • A. that: wrong, not paired with "no sooner" • B. when: this pairs with "hardly" or "scarcely", not "no sooner" • C. than: correct • D. as: wrong in this structure
4. Completed sentence: No sooner had we set off than it started to rain.

Exam tip Remember the memory trick: "No sooner THAN; Hardly WHEN." Both "sooner" and "than" are comparatives (sooner = more soon), so they go together. WASSCE, NECO and JAMB repeat this pattern often, so you can pick up an easy mark.