This document discusses the grammar concept of construction shift. Construction shift involves recreating a sentence while maintaining the overall meaning. It helps improve English skills like paraphrasing. Sometimes construction shift can be challenging, such as when beginning a sentence with "No sooner...". The document provides examples of sentences using "No sooner..." to express that one event immediately followed another. It provides practice examples for the reader to rewrite sentences beginning with "No sooner..." without changing the overall meaning.

1. Grammar
Construction Shift

2. Objectives
● Explain the term construction shift.
● Reconstruct sentences while conveying the
same meaning.
● Observe carefully the instruction given by
the question and respond accordingly.
● Develop competence in written and spoken
English.

3. Construction Shift is when you recreate
a sentence or shift phrases in the
sentence based on the instructions given
by the question; however, you should not
change the overall meaning of the
sentence.

4. Construction shift is a useful activity
because it helps you to improve your use
of English and paraphrasing skills.
Through this activity, we are afforded a
fresh look at writing.

5. Sometimes we find construction
shift to be a challenge. This
happens especially when we are
required to begin a sentence using
the phrase “No sooner.”
So Let Us Practice!

6. No sooner…than
PRINCIPLE/RULE:
No sooner…than is used to express the idea that one event occurred immediately after another.
Note #1:
In the following sentence, ‘no sooner’ is used to present the first event and ‘than’ is used to present the
second event.
• No sooner had we heard the noise than we rushed to the
spot.
Here’s another example:
• No sooner had I closed my eyes than I fell asleep.
Note #2: ‘No sooner had’ is followed by a pronoun (sometimes a noun).

7. It’s your turn!
How can you express the idea of this sentence in a different way?
As soon as I arrived at the station, the train came.
Directions: Revise the following sentence. Do not change the meaning of the original sentence.
Begin with: No sooner
Suggested Answer:
No sooner had I arrived at the station than the train came.

8. In the following sentences, ‘no sooner’ is used to present the first
event and ‘than’ is used to present the second event.
‘No sooner had’ is followed by a noun or pronoun in each
sentence below.
No sooner had we seen the dog than it rushed to greet us.
No sooner had Jenny turned on the lights than they surprised her.

9. Note Carefully
If the second event occurs immediately after
the first, we can express that idea using the
structure ‘no sooner … than’.
Note that in this structure, ‘no sooner’ intro-
duces the event that occurred first.

10. Examples
❏ No sooner had the burglar opened the door than the alarm
went off.
❏ No sooner had the teacher finished marking the scripts than
she called the principal.
❏ No sooner had I closed my eyes than I fell asleep.

11. Let us say these differently.
Begin your new sentence with: No sooner
● As soon as I arrived at the door the principal looked
up.
● As soon as the car crashed we rushed outside to
look.
● As soon as they entered the building they were
greeted by the manager.

12. Answers
No sooner had I arrived at the principal’s office than
she looked up.
No sooner had the car crashed than we rushed outside
to look.
No sooner had they entered the building than they were
greeted by the manager.

13. Practice

14. Examples
1. When Annie saw the teacher she sat quietly in her seat
Begin the sentence with: “No sooner”
1. The principal heard the explosion and rushed outside to see what
was happening.
Begin the sentence with : “No sooner”
No sooner had Annie seen the teacher than she sat quietly in her seat.
No sooner had the principal heard the explosion than he rushed
outside to see what was happening.

15. 1. As soon as the cricketers walked onto the pitch in Guyana,
the spectators started cheering loudly.
Begin the sentence with: No sooner
1. When the principal read the letter she became very angry.
Begin the sentence with : No sooner
1. After the athletes learnt of the loss, they all became
frustrated.
Begin the sentence with: No sooner

16. Graded Classwork
You will receive a graded
classwork assignment on Friday,
January 20, 2023.

17. A Deeper Look at Construction Shift