Select the correct option:
No sooner _________ the findings published than critics began questioning their legitimacy.

Correct option is B

The correct option to fill in the blank is (b) had.
The correlative structure is No sooner + had + subject + past participle + than… This is a fixed pattern showing that one action happened immediately after another. Therefore, “No sooner had the findings been published than…” is the correct form. (Hindi meaning: जैसे ही…वैसे ही)
Example: No sooner had I reached home than it started raining.
Explain why other options are incorrect:
· (a) was: does not fit the required inversion structure with “No sooner.” (Hindi: था/थी)
· (c) were: plural form also doesn’t fit the standard No sooner had structure. (Hindi: थे/थीं)
· (d) have: present perfect does not match the past-time sequence and fixed pattern. (Hindi: हैं/हूँ)