Inversions

María Eugenia Catania

 In English, the normal word order
for a sentences is :

Subject + verb

She is laughing.

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 • But in certain cases we can change the word order to
Verb + Subject and this is called INVERSION

Emphasis

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 Negative adverbs and conjunctions

• Look at these sentences . . .

Seldom have I worked so hard in all my life.

Never have I experienced such cold weather.

Rarely do we start work before 9 in the

morning.

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 A negative adverb comes first in each
sentence.

• The subject appears after the auxiliary

verb.

Rarely do we start work before 9 in the

morning.

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 The ‘normal’ word order in each of
these sentences is . . .

I have seldom worked so hard in all my life.

Seldom have I worked so hard in all my life.

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 I have never experienced such cold weather.
weather .

Never have I experienced such cold weather.

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 We rarely start work before 9 in the morning.

Rarely do we start work before 9 in the morning.

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 Inversion is required in negative sentences
beginning with the following negative adverbs and
adverbial phrases:

Time expressions: never, rarely, seldom

I have never been more insulted!

Never have I been more insulted!

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 Inversion is required in negative sentences
beginning with the following negative adverbs and
adverbial phrases:

Time expressions: hardly, barely,

no sooner, or scarcely
As soon as he had finished dinner, she walked in the door.

No sooner had he finished dinner, when she walked in the door.

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 Inversion is required in negative sentences
beginning with the following negative adverbs and
adverbial phrases:

After 'Only‘:
Expressions such as 'only after',
'only when', 'only then'

I only understood the problem then.

Only then did I understand the problem.

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 Inversion is required in negative sentences
beginning with the following negative adverbs and
adverbial phrases:

After hardly, scarcely or little

used in a negative sense.

He understood the situation very little.

Little did he understand the situation.

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 Inversion is required in negative sentences
beginning with the following negative adverbs and
adverbial phrases:

After so … that and such … that

The situation was so strange that I couldn’t

sleep.

So strange was the situation that I couldn't

sleep.

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 Inversion is required in negative sentences
beginning with the following negative adverbs and
adverbial phrases:

Combined phrases such as:

• Hardly/Barely/Scarcely...........when...
• No sooner....................................than...
• Not only........................but...also..............

He not only spilled coffee everywhere, but he

also broke my favorite vase.

Not only did he spill coffee everywhere, but he

also broke my favorite vase.

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 Finish the sentences using the new
beginnings.

We have never faced such a challenge.

Never before have we faced

such a challenge.

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 There has rarely been so much speculation
about the future.

Rarely has there been

so much speculation about the future.

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 She didn't really understand what the
conversation was about.

Little did she understand

what the conversation was about.

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 He has seldom seen anything stranger.

Seldom has he seen anything stranger.

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 He has seldom seen anything stranger.

Seldom has he seen anything stranger.

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 The moment is such that everything else
does not count.

Such is the moment that everything

else does not
count.

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 The teacher only makes a comment after
understanding the situation.

Only after understanding the situation

does the teacher make a comment.

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 I have read little concerning nanotechnology.

Little have I read concerning nanotechnology.

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 The test is so difficult that students need
three months to prepare.

So difficult is the test that students need

three months to
prepare.

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 The test is so difficult that students need
three months to prepare.

So difficult is the test that students need

three months to
prepare.

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 The matter could be explained in no other
way.

In no other way could the matter be

explained.

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 I have seldom heard such beautiful singing.

Seldom have I heard such beautiful singing.

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 I have never seen such a terrible performance
of Hamlet before.

Never before have I seen such a terrible

performance of Hamlet.

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 The new park was hardly finished when
vandals destroyed the flowerbeds.

Hardly was the new park finished

when vandals destroyed the flowerbeds.

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 I have rarely seen such a magnificent view.

Rarely have I seen such a magnificent view.

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 WELL DONE!

María Eugenia Catania