No sooner

USAGE SUMMARY

"No sooner" is an acceptable and commonly used phrase in written English.
It is an adverbial phrase meaning "immediately after". For example, "No sooner had she arrived at the park than it started to rain."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

57 human-written examples

"No sooner than 2070," he said.

The New Yorker

No sooner had he been sworn in (Oct.

Encyclopedia Britannica

No sooner was Williams signed than the legal battles began.

The New York Times

No sooner had I hung up than it rang again.

The New York Times - Food

No sooner would one problem be resolved than another materialized.

The New Yorker

No sooner does one threat fade than another looms.

The Economist

"No sooner had I landed than I proved his point".

The New York Times

No sooner had the celebrations ceased than war broke out.

The Guardian - Sport

No sooner was sympathy quickened than it ebbed again.

The Guardian

No sooner did she get home when the phone rang.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

No sooner had they finished than a wolf answered.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In formal writing, avoid splitting the "had/was/did" auxiliary verb and the past participle with adverbs, maintaining a concise and professional tone.

Common error

A common mistake is to use "when" instead of "than" after "no sooner". Always use "than" to maintain the correct grammatical structure.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "No sooner" functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying the verb and indicating the timing of an action. It introduces a situation that is quickly followed by another, as confirmed by Ludwig.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

74%

Encyclopedias

13%

Science

4%

Less common in

Wiki

2%

Formal & Business

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "No sooner" is a grammatically correct and frequently used adverbial phrase that indicates an event occurring immediately after another. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is typically followed by "than" to create a clear cause-and-effect relationship. While versatile, paying attention to formal tone in professional contexts helps prevent common errors like substituting "than" with "when". Its prevalence in news and media underscores its effectiveness in conveying immediacy and surprise in various situations. Example sentences from Ludwig show the breadth of use from news reporting to encyclopedic descriptions.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Immediately after

This phrase is a direct substitute, emphasizing the immediate succession of events.

As soon as

This alternative highlights the temporal proximity of the two events.

Just after

This phrase indicates that the second event happened very shortly after the first.

The moment that

This option underscores the instantaneous nature of the sequence.

Hardly when

This emphasizes the lack of delay between the occurrences.

Scarcely when

Similar to 'hardly when', this phrase stresses the minimal time gap.

Directly following

This alternative highlights the sequential order of the occurrences.

Upon

This option introduces the second event as a consequence of the first.

Right after

This phrase suggests that the second action followed quickly.

In the wake of

This alternative emphasizes that the second event happens as a consequence of the first one.

FAQs

How to use "No sooner" in a sentence?

"No sooner" is used to indicate that something happens immediately after something else. For example, "No sooner had I arrived than it started raining."

What can I say instead of "No sooner"?

You can use alternatives like "immediately after", "as soon as", or "just after" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "No sooner...than" or "No sooner...when"?

The correct structure is "No sooner...than". Using "when" instead of "than" is a common grammatical error. Always pair "No sooner" with "than".

What is the difference between "No sooner" and "Immediately after"?

"No sooner" is a more formal and emphatic way of saying "immediately after". Both express a sequence of events, but "No sooner" adds a sense of immediacy and sometimes surprise.