Identify the sentence that correctly utilizes the inversion of subject and auxiliary verb after a negative adverbial:
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Scarcely had the keynote speaker commenced his address when the power failed
- Step 1: Negative adverbials at the front of a sentence (scarcely, hardly, barely) require subject-auxiliary inversion.
- Step 2: The correlative pair for 'scarcely / hardly' is 'when' (not 'than', which belongs to 'no sooner').
- Step 3: 'Scarcely had + subject + V3 ... when' is the correct formulation.
Answer
Scarcely had the keynote speaker commenced his address when the power failed.
Why not the others: Option 2 lacks inversion; Option 3 incorrectly pairs with 'than'; Option 4 pairs 'did' with past tense.
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