INVERSION WITH 'HARDLY ?WHEN'
EGP #783 | C2 | PAST / past perfect simple Can invert the subject and affirmative auxiliary verb with 'hardly ? when' to talk about something that happened immediately before something else, in formal contexts. Lexical range: N/A
他刚坐下电话就响了。
___Hardly had he sat down when the phone rang.
音乐会刚开始就停电了。
___Hardly had the concert begun when the power went out.
他们刚到达山顶暴风雨就来了。
___Hardly had they reached the summit when a storm rolled in.
客人们刚到主人就宣布了消息。
___Hardly had the guests arrived when the host made the announcement.
太阳刚出来他们就开始干活了。
___Hardly had the sun come up when they started working.