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Question

Difficulty: MediumVerbs, Tenses, and Aspect

Which of the following verb phrases correctly completes the sentence below?

"No sooner _______ than the emergency response team ordered an immediate evacuation of the coastal district."

  1. had the meteorologist detected the stormAnswer
  2. B
    the meteorologist had detected the storm
  3. C
    has the meteorologist detected the storm
  4. D
    did the meteorologist detected the storm

Answer

had the meteorologist detected the storm
The correct option accurately applies subject-auxiliary inversion ('had the meteorologist') alongside the past perfect tense ('detected'). When a sentence begins with the negative adverbial 'No sooner', the auxiliary verb must precede the subject, and the earlier completed past event requires the past perfect tense.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the sentence structure initiated by the negative correlative adverbial 'No sooner'.
Identify that placing 'No sooner' at the beginning of a sentence requires subject-auxiliary inversion.
In formal English, fronted negative or restrictive adverbials necessitate placing the auxiliary verb before the subject.
2
Determine the proper tense sequence for events occurring sequentially in the past.
Establish that the past perfect tense ('had' + past participle) must express the earlier completed action.
The detection of the storm occurred prior to the subsequent past action ('ordered an immediate evacuation').
3
Select the verb phrase satisfying both subject-auxiliary inversion and past perfect tense requirements.
The phrase 'had the meteorologist detected the storm' fulfills both grammatical rules.
It places the auxiliary verb 'had' before the subject 'the meteorologist' and uses the past participle 'detected'.

Key Concept

Inversion and Tense Sequence with Negative Adverbials
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Topics

Verbs, Tenses, and Aspect

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