Today we will have a look at “no sooner......than” and “as
soon as”. Do these both mean the same? Are they interchangeable? Come on guys
this is English so we know there is not going to be a simple yes/no answer
don’t we!
However if we break it down and look at both phrases
individually I hope that it will all become clearer. Let’s start by looking at
examples of when to use “no sooner... than”.
Example 1.
No sooner had I found my umbrella than the rain stopped.
Example 2.
No sooner had I closed my eyes than the phone rang.
Example 3.
No sooner had I arrived at the bus station than the bus
arrived.
You will notice that all these statements are describing
something that has already happened, “no sooner... than”, tends to be used to
describe the past tense. You may also notice that the actions are listed in
chronological order, the first action or event that is described is the one
that happened first. In example 1, I had found my umbrella just before the rain
stopped.
A common mistake is for people to use “when” instead of
“than”. For example you may see written “No sooner had I closed my eyes when I
fell asleep.” This is wrong....”no sooner” always, always is followed in a
sentence with “than”, never “when”.
In the examples we have given it would be equally correct to
use “as soon as.” We could just as easily state:
Example 4.
As soon as I found my umbrella the rain stopped.
Example 5.
As soon as I closed my eyes the phone rang.
Example 6.
As soon as I arrived at the bus station the bus arrived.
However, “no sooner than” tends to emphasise the very small
amount of time between the two events occurring. The two things happen almost
immediately.
Just to confuse things a little, when talking in the past
tense we can often substitute “hardly”, “scarcely” or “barely” with the same
effect.
Example 7.
I had scarcely found my umbrella when the rain stopped.
Example 8.
I had hardly closed my eyes when the phone rang.
Example 9.
I had barely arrived at the bus station when the bus
arrived.
All nine statement examples show the correct use of the
English language.
However “as soon as” can be seen as more flexible than “no
sooner.. than” as it can also be used to
describe something in the present or future tense.
Example 10.
As soon as I have finished this telephone call I will email
you the report.
Example 11.
As soon as he has received your cheque he will post out your
order.
Example 12.
Today, as soon as I get home from work, I will eat a huge
slice of cake!
I hope this has helped clarify the use of “no sooner...than”
and “as soon as”, but if you have any questions please get in touch.
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