Inversion – theory / emphasise
I. PHRASES USED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SENTENCE + INVERSION
Never (before), Not for one moment, Not even once, Little, Rarely, Seldom, In/Under no circumstances,
In no way, On no account, On no occasion, Only in this way, Only then, Nowhere, Nor/Neither,
e.g.
I have never been to the UK before. = Never before have I been to the UK.
He rarely visits us. = Rarely does he visit us.
I won’t join his firm under any circumstances. = Under no circumstances will I join his firm.
II. PHRASES USED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SENTENCE + INVERSION + EXTRA WORD(s)
Scarcely …(inversion)… when …
Hardly/Barely …(Past Perfect inversion)… when …(Past Simple)…
No sooner …(Past Perfect inversion)… than …(Past Simple)…
Not only …(inversion)… but also …
e.g.
I came to his office as soon as I completed my task. = No sooner had I completed my task than I came to his office.
The moment he hit me, I screamed in pain. = Hardly had he hit me when I screamed in pain.
He enjoys a lot of popularity and earns a fortune. = Not only does he enjoy a lot of popularity but he also earns a fortune.
III. PHRASES USED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SENTENCE and their continuation + INVERSION in the main clause
Only after, Only by, Only if, Only when, Not since, Not until/till,
e.g.
You will realise how much he has suffered only when you see him. = Only when you see him will you realise how much he has suffered.
They managed to get our attention only by shouting and waving their arms. = Only by shouting and waving their arms did they manage to
get our attention.
IV. SO & SUCH + INVERSION
So + adj + inversion …
Such + (adj) + noun + inversion …
Such + inversion with ‘to be’ + noun … Such was the mess that we couldn’t find anything.
e.g.
He works so hard that he will soon be promoted. = So hard does he work that he will soon be promoted.
He took such a long holiday that he forgot how to do his job. = Such a long holiday did he take that he forgot how to do his job.
V. INVERSION in CONDITIONALS (Omitting ‘If’)
1st conditional - Should inversion
2nd conditional – Were sb to + infinitive or Were sb someone else …
3rd conditional – Past Perfect inversion
e.g.
Type 1 – If he drives so fast, he will have an accident. = Should he drive so fast, he will have an accident.
Type 2 – If he drove carefully, he wouldn’t have so many accidents. = Were he to drive carefully, he wouldn’t have so many accidents.
If I were you, I wouldn’t smoke. = Were I you, I wouldn’t smoke.
Type 3 – If he hadn’t driven so fast, he wouldn’t have had an accident. = Had he not driven so fast, he wouldn’t have had an accident.
VI. INVERSION after ADVERBIALS OF PLACE ( different word order)
There, Here, etc
e.g. There goes the bus. (but: There it goes.)
Here is your pen. (but: Here it is.)
VII. NOR/ NEITHER & SO + INVERSION to express agreement
e.g. I don’t like puppies. – Neither/Nor do I.
She ran very fast. – So did I.
I. Fill in the missing word.
[Link] sooner had the execution ended …............... the crowd 7. …………… I you, I wouldn’t buy his house.
dispersed. 8. …………… after I understood the complexity
2. ……………. no account will I step down. of the situation did I resolve to voice my concerns.
3. …….………….. you smile more often, people will smile 9. Had Mary stayed little longer, she ………...
back at you. have met her favourite writer.
4. Seldom …………… he play the saxophone, so today is a 10. -I can’t stand working early mornings.
special day – enjoy the moment. -………. can I.
5. ……….. ambiguous were the questions that nobody 11. …………. comes the sun! It’s going to be a
knew how to approach them. beautiful day.
6. Hardly ………… they realized it was time to run away 12. ………. even once has he asked me about my
when it was too late. mental condition.
II. Transform the sentence so that its meaning stays the same.
1. I left the room after I heard the terrible news. BARELY
………………………..……………………….……………………………. I left the room.
2. I couldn’t find her anywhere. NOWHERE
……………………………………………….……………………..……….. her.
3. If I smoked less, I wouldn’t have this awful cough. WERE
……………………………………..……………………………. I wouldn’t have this awful cough.
4. I love sports just like my sister. DOES
I love sports and …………………………………………………..…………………. sister.
5. Mick is a brilliant dancer. He can also ski very well. ONLY
Not ……………………………………………………..…………………… ski very well.
6. As the exams were difficult, many students complained. SO
…………………………………………………………………..…that many students complained.
7. If he had overslept, he would have probably lost his job. HAD
……………………………………………………………………………have probably lost his job.
8. I couldn’t find the answer in any way. NO
In……………………………………………………………………..………………… the answer.
9. I kept on wandering in the forest without finding my way back home till I used a map. UNTIL
Not ……………………………………………………did I find my way back home.
10. He was so astonished that he nearly fainted. SUCH
……………………………………………………………….……… that he nearly fainted.
