Hardly & Scarcely

Hardly & Scarcely

Ø Senthil has sat down and begun to edit new post in his blog again.

Ø The friends started clicking like.

Ø As soon as Senthil has sat down and begun to edit new post in his blog again, the friends started clicking like.

Ø The friends started clicking like as soon as Senthil has sat down and begun to edit new post in his blog again.

Ø As Senthil has sat down and begun to edit new post in his blog again, the friends started clicking like.

Ø No sooner has Senthil sat down and begun to begun to edit new post in his blog again than the friends started clicking like.

Ø Hardly has Senthil sat down and begun to begun to edit new post in his blog again when the friends started clicking like.

Ø Scarcely has Senthil sat down and begun to begun to edit new post in his blog again when the friends started clicking like.

Time Related Compound Subordinating Conjunctions

As soon as

No sooner …. Than

Hardly ….. when

Scarcely …. When

These four phrases have overlapping meanings but are not exactly synonymous.

No sooner ... than can generally be replaced by as soon as, but as soon as cannot always be replaced by no sooner ... than.

No sooner is always followed by than and emphasises that one thing happened immediately after another. It is normally used in the past tense. For example:

'No sooner had I finished my meal than the doorbell rang.'
'No sooner did it stop raining than I found my umbrella.'

(Note that the subject/verb order in the no sooner ... clause must be reversed: 'had I finished', not 'I had finished'; 'did it stop', not 'it stopped'.)

As soon as can be used instead, but it is less emphatic than no sooner ... than:

'As soon as I had finished my meal, the doorbell rang.'
'As soon as it stopped raining, I found my umbrella.'

As soon as can also be used with the present and future tenses, unlike no sooner ... than:

'As soon as it stops raining, I'll go to the shops.'
'He will send you the book as soon as you send him the money.'

Hardly is always followed by when and emphasises that one thing happened immediately after another.

Scarcely is always followed by when and emphasises that one thing happened immediately after another.

Present tense:

They vacate the flat.

We will occupy it.

These two simple sentences are combined by Time Related Compound Subordinating Conjunctions in this way:

As soon as they vacate the flat, we will occupy it.

We will occupy it as soon as they vacate the flat.

As they vacate the flat, we will occupy it.

No sooner do they vacate the flat than we will occupy it.

Hardly do they vacate the flat when we will occupy it.

Scarcely do they vacate the flat when we will occupy it.

Past tense

The bell rang.

The students rushed out of the class.

These two simple sentences are combined by Time Related Compound Subordinating Conjunctions in this way:

As soon as the bell rang, the students rushed out of the class.

The students rushed out of the class as soon as the bell rang.

As the bell rang, the students rushed out of the class.

No sooner did the bell ring, than the students rushed out of the class.

Hardly had the bell rung, when the students rushed out of the class.

Scarcely had the bell rung, when the students rushed out of the class.

Past tense

The referee blew the whistle.

The match stared.

These two simple sentences are combined by Time Related Compound Subordinating Conjunctions in this way:

As soon as the referee blew the whistle, the match started.

The match started as soon as the referee blew the whistle.

As the referee blew the whistle, the match started.

No sooner did the referee blow the whistle than the match started.

Hardly did the referee blow the whistle when the match started.

Scarcely did the referee blow the whistle when the match started.

Past tense (present perfect tense)

I have sat down and begun to read my book again.

I was startled by the cry.

These two simple sentences are combined by Time Related Compound Subordinating Conjunctions into a complex sentence in this way:

As soon as I have sat down and begun to read my book again, I was startled by cry.

I was startled by cry as soon as I have sat down and begun to read my book again.

As I have sat down and begun to read my book again, I was startled by cry.

No sooner have I sat down and begun to read my book again than I was startled by the cry.

Hardly have I sat down and begun to read my book again, when I was startled by the cry.

Scarcely have I sat down and begun to read my book again, when I was startled by the cry.

Past tense (past perfect tense)

We had gone some distance.

We saw a tiger.

These two simple sentences are combined by Time Related Compound Subordinating Conjunctions into a complex sentence in this way:

As soon as we had gone some distance, we saw a tiger.

We saw a tiger as soon as we had gone some distance.

As we had gone some distance, we saw a tiger.

No sooner had we gone some distance than we saw a tiger.

Hardly had we gone some distance when we saw a tiger.

Scarcely had we gone some distance when we saw a tiger.

Past tense

The guard waved the flag.

The train started.         

These two simple sentences are combined by Time Related Compound Subordinating Conjunctions into a complex sentence in this way:

As soon as the guard waved the flag, the train started.

The train started as soon as the guard waved the flag.

As the guard waved the flag, the train stared.

No sooner did the guard wave the flag, than the train started.

Hardly did the guard wave the flag, when the train started.

Scarcely did the guard wave the flag, when the train started.

Future tense

He will get to school.

The class will begin.

These two simple sentences are combined by Time Related Compound Subordinating Conjunctions into a complex sentence in this way:

As soon as he will get to school, the class will begin.

He will get to school as soon as the class will begin.

As he will get to school, the class will begin.

No sooner will he get to school than the class will begin.

He will hardly get to school when the class will begin.

Hardly will he get to school when the class will begin.

Scarcely will he get to school when the class will begin.

Future tense

The function will begin.

The guest comes.

These two simple sentences are combined by Time Related Compound Subordinating Conjunctions into a complex sentence in this way:

As soon as the guest comes, the function will begin.

The function will begin as soon as the guest comes.

As the guest comes, the function will begin.

No sooner does the guest come than the function will begin.

Hardly does the guest come when the class will begin.

Scarcely does the guest come when the class will begin.

Imperative sentence:

Please let the dog out.

Please you get home.
These two simple sentences are combined by Time Related Compound Subordinating Conjunctions into a complex sentence in this way:

As soon as you get home please let the dog out.
Please let the dog out as soon as you get home.
As you get home please let the dog out.

No sooner do you get home please let the dog out.

Hardly do you get home when please let the dog out.

Scarcely do you get home when please let the dog out.

Modal:

Could you ask her to return my call?

Could you possible?

These two simple sentences are combined by Time Related Compound Subordinating Conjunctions into a complex sentence in this way:

As soon as possible could you ask her to return my call?

Could you ask her to return my call as soon as possible?

As possible could you ask her to return my call?

No possible- no sense: No sooner could you possible ask her to return my call.

No possible- no sense: Hardly could you possible when please ask her to return my call. (Knock! Knock! Any one is there to say this is wrong?)

Don’t confuse with this hardly and this hardly:                

One hardly knows what to do.

I need hardly take his help.

I can hardly believe it.

I could hardly (= scarcely) recognize him.

He has hardly any chance of succeeding.

He is so old he can hardly walk.

Your attempt can hardly be called successful: for it has had no good results.

He is hardly the boy to do credit to the school.

This hardly is adverb of frequency, which answer the question ‘How often?

Some other adverbs of frequency are: always, never,often, rarely, usually, generally, nearly, just, quite.