Language 3 - Morning Shift - Teacher: Liliana Lacour - Profesorado de Inglés

 

In statements, it is usual for the verb to follow the subject, but sometimes this word
order is reversed. We can refer to this as ​inversion​.
This term covers ​two​ different grammar operations:

1. ​Using the question form of the main verb. 2. Changing the normal position of the main verb and
Eg: Never have I enjoyed myself more! the subject.
Eg: Along the street came a strange procession.

​do we use it?  

We use inversion when we move a negative adverb (never, nowhere, not only, etc.) to the beginning of a
sentence. We do this because we want to emphasise the meaning of the adverb.

Inversion after negative adverbials 

1. ​ADVERBIAL AT THE BEGINNING OF A CLAUSE ​- Used in formal language, usually for

rhetorical effect for example in political speeches. They are not usual in everyday spoken language.
Eg: Never have I heard a weaker excuse!

2. ​NEVER, RARELY, SELDOM -​ Commonly used with present perfect, past perfect, can and could.
Eg: Seldom has the team given a worse performance.

3.​ HARDLY, BARELY, SCARCELY, NO SOONER​ - These refer to an event which quickly follows
another in the past. They are usually used with past perfect, although ​NO SOONER can be followed
past simple.
Eg: No sooner had I reached the door than I realized it was locked.

No sooner … + than
Hardly/Scarcely… + when

 
Casalot, Jessica - Farías, Natalia - Geraghty Fleming, Catalina ​- ​Leiria, Hernán - Pueyrredón, Micaela 
 
  
Language 3 - Morning Shift - Teacher: Liliana Lacour - Profesorado de Inglés
 
4. After time phrases that use ONLY. ​Other examples are ​ONLY IF, ONLY WHEN, ONLY THEN,
ONLY LATER.
Eg: Only after posting the letter did I remember that I had forgotten to put on a stamp.

When ONLY refers to “the same state of being the only one”, there is NO INVERSION.
Eg: Only Mary realized the door was not locked.

5.​ Phrases containing NO/NOT

These include UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES, ON NO ACCOUNT, AT NO TIME, IN NO WAY,
ON NO CONDITION, NOT UNTIL, NOT ONLY… BUT ALSO​.
Eg: On no condition are they to open fire without a warning.
Not until I got home did I notice that I had the wrong umbrella. ​[delayed inversion] 

6. LITTLE​. ​It has a negative meaning.

Eg: Little does the government appreciate what the results will be.

Inversion after so/such with that  

7. SO or SUCH with THAT​ ​- This occurs with ​SO​ and adjectives when the main verb is the verb to ​be​. It
is used for emphasis.
Eg: So devastating were the floods that some areas may never recover.

SUCH​ used with ​“be”​ means ​SO MUCH/SO GREAT.

Eg: Such was the force of the storm that the trees were uprooted.
 
Inversion only occurs if so/such is the ​first word​ in the clause.  

Inverted conditional sentences without IF 

8. CONDITIONAL SENTENCES WITHOUT IF ​- Three types of if-sentences can be inverted without

the if. The inversion makes the sentence more formal and the event less likely.
Eg: Had I known, I would have protested strongly.
Were they to escape, there would be an outcry.
Were the police to have found out, I would have been in trouble.
Should you hear anything, let me know.

9. After AS ​- Common in formal or written language.

Eg: I thought, as did my colleagues, that the recession would soon be over.
We were short of money, as were most people in our neighborhood.

 
Casalot, Jessica - Farías, Natalia - Geraghty Fleming, Catalina ​- ​Leiria, Hernán - Pueyrredón, Micaela 
 
  
Language 3 - Morning Shift - Teacher: Liliana Lacour - Profesorado de Inglés
 
The cake was excellent, as was the coffee.

1​ 0. After SO, NEITHER, NOR​ - Used in echoing sentences, agreeing or disagreeing.

Eg: A: I am going home. B: So am I.
A: I don’t like meat. B: Neither do I.
*​NOT  ONLY  …..  BUT  ALSO  ​Eg​: Not only did I pass
the test, but I also graduated.

*​NO  SOONER  …...  THAN (+ Past Participle OR Past

Simple) ​Eg​: No sooner was the team back on the
pitch than it started raining.

*​ONLY  AFTER  +  NOUN  /  GERUND  +  INVERSION  OF  *​HARDLY  /  SCARCELY  /  BARELY  …….  WHEN  ​Eg​:
ORDER  ​Eg​: Only after the holidays did I call Hardly had the train left the station when there
him.// Only after sending the email did I remember was an explosion.
that I had forgotten to write my name.

Inversion ​brings about​ Fronting 

Inversion ​is the complete or partial reversal of the normal subject-predicate structure of a sentence.
Eg: Little does he know about football.

Fronting brings any element of the sentence to the front for emphasis, not necessarily breaking the
normal subject - predicate structure.
Eg: At six o’clock she decided to phone me! (She decided to phone me at six o’clock!)

In conversation we use ​Here comes + noun ​and There goes + noun, ​with inversion of verb and subject, to
talk about things and people moving towards or away from the speaker.
Eg: Here comes the sun. // Here comes the bus.// There goes Bruce Willis, the actor.

Here comes ​is also used to say something is going to happen soon.
Eg: Here comes lunch.

We also put the verb before the subject when we use ​adverbs expressing ​direction of movement​, such as
along, away, back, down, in, off, out, up with verbs such as come, fly, go.
Eg: The door opened and in came the doctor.// Up went the balloon.

 
 

 
Casalot, Jessica - Farías, Natalia - Geraghty Fleming, Catalina ​- ​Leiria, Hernán - Pueyrredón, Micaela 
 
  
Language 3 - Morning Shift - Teacher: Liliana Lacour - Profesorado de Inglés
 
 
Adverbs of place and direction

Adverbs of place and direction usually go in end position, but we can put them in front position to
emphasise the location. This order is found mainly in formal descriptive writing and reports.
Eg: The police searched the house. ​Under the floorboards ​they found a body. (They found a body under
the floorboards.)

If an adverb of place is placed in front position, the subject is put after the verb ​be​.
Eg: Next to the bookshelf​ was​ a fireplace.

We can also put the subject after the verb with intransitive verbs (eg:​hang, live, sit, stand; come, fly, go,
march, roll, run, swim, walk​) used to indicate being in a position or movement to a position (​not with a
pronoun subject).
Eg: Beyond the houses ​lay ​open fields. (Beyond the houses ​they​ ​lay-> ​not...​lay​ they)
Through the town ​marched​ the band.

However, we do not usually put the subject after the verb when we talk about actions: if one of these
intransitive verbs is followed by an ​adverb of manner​; with ​other intransitive verbs​; or with ​transitive
verbs:
Eg:
-Through the waves the boy ​swam​ ​powerfully ​ (rather than...swam the boy powerfully).
-Outside the church the choir ​sang​ (rather than...sang the choir)
-In the garden Nick ​built​ a playhouse for the children (not...in the garden built Nick)

adverbs of indefinite frequency and time 

 
When we put certain adverbs of time in front position the subject must come after ​an ​auxiliary verb ​or a
main verb ​be​:
Eg:
-​At no time​ would he admit that his team played badly. (not… At no time he would admit…)
-​Not once​ was she at home when I phoned. (not… Not once she was…)

If the main verb is not ​be and there is no auxiliary, we use ​do​, although inversion is not necessary in this
case:
Eg: Only later ​did​ she realise how much damage had been caused. (or… Only later she realised…)

 
Casalot, Jessica - Farías, Natalia - Geraghty Fleming, Catalina ​- ​Leiria, Hernán - Pueyrredón, Micaela 
 
  
Language 3 - Morning Shift - Teacher: Liliana Lacour - Profesorado de Inglés
 
 
Let’s practise

A. Write new sentences with a similar meaning beginning with one of these words and phrases.
only if  barely  only with  rarely  at no time  little 
only once  only in  on no account  hardly  not only  not for the moment 

1. A new film has not often before produced such positive reviews.
​Rarely has a new film produced such positive records.  
2. The public was never in any danger.
_______________________________________________________________________________
3. He only felt entirely relaxed with close friends and family.
_______________________________________________________________________________
4. The match won’t be cancelled unless the pitch is frozen.
_______________________________________________________________________________
5. I didn’t know then that Carmen and I would be married one day.
_______________________________________________________________________________
6. He had only just entered the water when it became clear he couldn’t swim.
_______________________________________________________________________________
7. You must not light the fire if you are alone in the house.
_______________________________________________________________________________
8. There was never any competitiveness between the three brothers.
_______________________________________________________________________________
9. I wasn’t only wet through, I was freezing cold.
_______________________________________________________________________________
10. I had only ever climbed this high one before.
_______________________________________________________________________________
11. The audience has only just taken their seats when the conductor stepped on to the stage.
_______________________________________________________________________________
12. He has only been acknowledged to be a greater author in the last few years.
_______________________________________________________________________________

 
Casalot, Jessica - Farías, Natalia - Geraghty Fleming, Catalina ​- ​Leiria, Hernán - Pueyrredón, Micaela 
 
  
Language 3 - Morning Shift - Teacher: Liliana Lacour - Profesorado de Inglés
 
B. Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word
given. Do not change the word given.

1. It was only when the office phoned me that I found out about the meeting.
find
Not until​ the office phoned me did I find out ​about the meeting
2. The facts were not all made public at the time.
later
Only _____________________________________________________________all made public.
3. The response to our appeal was so great that we had to take on more staff.
response
Such ____________________________________ to our appeal that we had to take on more staff.
4. Harry broke his leg, and also injured his shoulder.
but
Not only ___________________________________________________ also injured his
shoulder.
5. The police didn’t suspect at all that the judge was the murderer.
did
Little _________________________________________________________ as being murderer.
6. The bus driver cannot be blamed for the accident in any way.
held
In ____________________________________________________ responsible for the accident.
7. If the government raised interest rates, they would lose the election.
raise
Were _______________________________________ interest rates, they would lose the election.
8. As soon as I got home, I realised I’d left my bag in the shops.
had
No sooner _____________________________________ I realised I’d left my bag in the shops.
9. It was only when I asked a passer-by that I realised where I was
did
Not until ________________________________________________________ where I was.

 
Casalot, Jessica - Farías, Natalia - Geraghty Fleming, Catalina ​- ​Leiria, Hernán - Pueyrredón, Micaela 
 
  
Language 3 - Morning Shift - Teacher: Liliana Lacour - Profesorado de Inglés
 

10. The minister was interrupted just after starting his speech.
when
Hardly ______________________________________________________ he was interrupted.

C. Correct any mistakes you find in this newspaper article.

D. Fill each blank with a suitable word.

Memo to teaching staff
We have a problem. Rarely (1) _____________________ we had a student population like this one. (2)
___________ since the 1980s can I remember so many troublesome students in our school at any one
time. Not only (3) _____________ some of them treat the staff with absolute scorn, (4) _____________
they are also clearly (5) _______________________ on causing as much trouble as possible among
their peers.
No (6) __________________________ has one broken a window been repaired (7) _______________
another is mindlessly smashed. (8) _________________ has our handyman painted over one piece of
graffiti (9) _______________ another appears. On (10) __________ account can such behaviour be
(11) ________ to continue. And not for one (12) _______________ should the ringleaders think they
will not be punished. Only (13) ______________ such punishment is carried out will confidence return
to the student body and (14) ______________ then will school life return to some kind of normality.
Under no (15) __________________ will we allow the present state of affairs to continue.

 
Casalot, Jessica - Farías, Natalia - Geraghty Fleming, Catalina ​- ​Leiria, Hernán - Pueyrredón, Micaela 
 
  
Language 3 - Morning Shift - Teacher: Liliana Lacour - Profesorado de Inglés
 

E. Rewrite the sentences with the underlined adverbs of place or direction at the front of the clause. If
possible, invert the order of subject and verb.

1. A dark wood was ​at the bottom of the garden.

At the bottom of the garden was a dark wood

2. The car stopped suddenly an Nick jumped ​out.

___________________________________________________.

3.Two small children stood ​outside the door.

___________________________________________________.

4.The boys were playing cricket ​in the park​, despite the muddy conditions.
___________________________________________________.

5. The choir was singing one of my favourite carols ​inside the church.
___________________________________________________.

6. A jade necklace hung ​around her neck,

___________________________________________________.

7. The horse ran ​down the hill​ quickly

___________________________________________________.

8. The man released the monkey and it climbed ​up the tree​.
___________________________________________________.

 
Casalot, Jessica - Farías, Natalia - Geraghty Fleming, Catalina ​- ​Leiria, Hernán - Pueyrredón, Micaela 
 
  
Language 3 - Morning Shift - Teacher: Liliana Lacour - Profesorado de Inglés
 

Sources

Bache, C., & Davidsen-Nielsen, N. (1997). Mastering English: An advanced grammar for non-native and
native speakers (Vol. 22). Walter de Gruyter.

Hewings, M. (1999). Advanced Grammar in Use-A self-study reference and practice book for advanced
learners of english with answer. Cambridge University Press.

Side, R., & Wellman, G. (1999). Grammar and vocabulary for Cambridge advanced and proficiency.
Pearson Education Limited.

Vince, M., & Barnes-Murphy, R. (1994). Advanced language practice. Heinemann.

 
Casalot, Jessica - Farías, Natalia - Geraghty Fleming, Catalina ​- ​Leiria, Hernán - Pueyrredón, Micaela