Select the most appropriate option to improve the bold part of the sentence.
Scarcely had I left when it was starting to rain.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Explanation
The sentence uses the correlative conjunction phrase "Scarcely... when" (or "Hardly... when"). This structure is used to describe two actions where the second happens almost immediately after the first.
The Rule: When a sentence begins with "Scarcely" or "Hardly," the first part of the sentence uses the past perfect tense (had + past participle) in inverted form. The second part of the sentence, which follows the word "when," must be in the simple past tense.
Application:
First action (Past Perfect): "Scarcely had I left..."
Second action (Simple Past): "...when it started to rain."
Correct Sentence: Scarcely had I left when it started to rain.