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Hardly had the speech ended when the audience erupted in applause.
C1Sentence
Hardly had the speech ended when the audience erupted in applause.
Study notes
How to use in different contexts
Narrating an Event
The moment the speaker finished, the crowd burst into thunderous applause.
Emphasizing Immediacy
No sooner had the speech concluded than the audience erupted in cheers.
Describing a Reaction
The audience's response was immediate and enthusiastic; applause followed the speech without delay.
Comparing Reactions
Unlike the previous speaker, this one received an immediate and overwhelming show of appreciation.
Rephrased versions
Formal
The conclusion of the speech was immediately followed by enthusiastic applause from the audience.
Casual
As soon as the speech was over, everyone started clapping like crazy.
Simpler English
The speech ended, and then the audience clapped.
Phrases to learn
Hardly had...when...
Used to emphasize the immediacy of one event following another.
erupted in applause
To suddenly and enthusiastically break into applause.