Fill in the blank with the most appropriate option:
Hardly ______ the pressure cooker on the stove when the gas cylinder ran out.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → had Mother put
“Hardly ... when”:
- Its form is Hardly + had + subject + past participle (V3) ... when + simple past.
- It shows that one past action happened just after another.
- When a sentence opens with “Hardly”, “had” comes before the subject.
- Clue word: “Hardly” at the start, and “when ... ran out” in the simple past.
- Complete sentence: Hardly had Mother put the pressure cooker on the stove when the gas cylinder ran out.