hardly

1.hardly除了在跟其他以ly结尾的副词用在一起的场合以外，最好不用作“艰难地”解，如It is hardly and honestly earned里因为有honestly而用hardly，但It is hard earned里用hard比用hardly好。注意下面各句里都用hard，不用hardly：

• He always tries hard. It froze hard.
• Superstitions die hard. There is a well hard by.

2.注意下面各句里都用when：

• I had hardly entered the room when he left it.
• Hardly had I entered the room when he left it.
• I was hardly shown into the room when he left it.
• Hardly was I shown into the room when he left it.

不用when而用before也可以，但现在不很普通。不用when而用than，那是英美人常有的错误。注意假使把hardly用在主语的前面，便该把助动词也用在主语前，如用had I和was I，不用I had和I was。