Select the correct option:
No sooner _____ the articles about the findings published than critics began questioning their legitimacy.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
The correct answer is option 2 i.e. had.
Introduction: This is a question based on the structure of the correlative expression “No sooner…than”.
Context: The sentence describes that the moment articles were published, critics immediately began questioning them.
Analysis of the given options:
-
was: Incorrect; “No sooner” requires inversion with had + past participle.
-
had: Correct; follows the structure No sooner had + subject + past participle.
-
been: Incorrect; incomplete structure without auxiliary.
-
have: Incorrect; “No sooner” never pairs with present perfect in this way.
Correct word: had
Reason:
- The standard grammatical structure is:
- No sooner had + subject + past participle + than…
- Therefore, “No sooner had the articles been published…” is the only correct form.
Final Sentence: No sooner had the articles about the findings published than critics began questioning their legitimacy.
Hence, the chosen option is correct.