INVERSIONS AFTER NEGATIVE EXPRESSIONS

Study the following examples:

She always visits me.
They sometimes bring their children to the party. He usually met
him at the restaurant.
Mary sometimes accompanied me
My mother never sends me birthday cards. They rarely
celebrate New Year together. There is hardly any food in the
refrigerator. He seldom keeps his patient waiting long.

All sentences above consist of adverbs of frequency. If we want to give emphasis on the adverb,
we can foreground it to the beginning of the sentence. However, there will be different treatment
for the change.

Always, usually, sometimes,

often + subject + verb + complement

seldo
m rarely, scarcely, barely,
hardly
almost + auxi. verbs + subject + verb + comp.
never,
nor
No inversion of subjects and verbs if positive adverbs of frequency are placed at the beginning of
the sentence, but subjects and verbs are inverted after negative adverbs of frequency. Thus, the
sentences above can be restated as follows:

• Always she visits me.

• Sometimes they bring their children to the party.
• Usually he met him at the restaurant.
• Sometimes Mary accompanied me
However, when the negative or almost negative adverbs are foregrounded at the beginning of
the sentence, the inversion (auxiliary verb + Subject + verb) is needed
• Never does my mother send me birthday cards.
• Rarely do they celebrate New Year together.
• Hardly is there any food in the refrigerator.
• Seldom does the doctor keep his patient waiting long.

Inversions are used when negative adverbs are placed at the beginning of a sentence to give
emphasis to the foregrounded expressions. The negative adverbs can relate to (1) frequency
(seldom, rarely, barely, hardly, almost never, never), (2) place (nowhere, ),
time (no longer, not until, no sooner, at no time, under no circumstances, etc.)

Negative/Almost Aux. Subject Verb Complement

Negative Verb
Expression
Seldom do I send her birthday presents
Almost never have I tasted such delicious food.
At no time are the children allowed to play in the forest
Not only does he get drunk, but he also behaves bad.
Here is the list of negative adverbs:
 o Seldom o Almost never o Not until
o Hardly (ever) o Never (again) o No sooner
o Rarely (ever) o No longer o Nowhere
o Barely (ever) o Under no o Not once
circumstance
o Scarcely (ever) o At no time
Examples:
• Never has the world faced so many problems.
• Not only did they go, but they also stayed until the end.
• Rarely were they so sad.
• Almost never did the husband write to his wife.
• At no time does the park allow the visitors to feed the dolphin.
• Not until he spends all his money will the gambler finish gambling
Inversions after Only + Time Expression, Such, So, Little, Few
Inversions are also used after “only + time expressions” such as only once, only after, only at
night, only when …., etc.
Examples’
• Only at night do bats leave the cave.
• Only under certain atmospheric conditions is there a chance of a tornado.
• Only once in my life have I met a ghost.
• Only when there is adequate water can this plant grow well.
Inversions are also used if the sentences begin with little, such, so, few.
Examples:
• Little did she know that she had won the first prize.
• So great was her surprise that she almost fainted.
• Few were her words of praise for her son.
But if the expressions above are followed by a noun, no inversion is used.
Examples:
Such a desire to win is not healthy. Few words of
praise are meaningful.
NOTE: After certain adverbials in initial position, a reversal of subject and verb is optional.
Inverted sentences have a literary effect (Frank, 1985):

• Often did we sit together without saying a word.

• In God alone should we place our trust.
• Loud and clear rang the bell.
INVERSIONS IN CONDITIONAL SENTENCES
In certain Conditional Sentences, subjects and verbs may also be inverted. This can be done if the
auxiliary verbs are should (conditional type I), were (conditional type II), and had (conditional type
III). Inversion in Conditional Sentences and the connector if is omitted (conditional without if). (See
Unit 4 Conditional Sentences on English Grammar 2).
1. Conditional without if with should
The formation of this conditional is by omiting “if” and by putting “should” at the beginning of the
clause. The rest of the clause will be the same.

Examples:
If you should arrive at the airport before 12:00, give me a call
➢ Should you arrive at the airport before 12:00, give me a call.
If she should call, I will invite her.
 ➢ Should she call, I will invite her.
If you should get a letter from your boss, let me know.
➢ Should you get a letter from you boss, let me know.
2. Conditional Sentences Type II
There are two ways of forming the conditional sentences in this type. If the if-clause consists of
“were”, just invert between the subject and were. If the clause consists of “action verb”, the verb
must be restructured into: WERE TO VERB. Examples:
If he were rich, he would have an expensive car.
➢ Were he rich, he would have an expensive car.
If he asked her, she would surely help you.
➢ Were he to ask her, she would surely help you.
If I had the money, I would buy you what you want.
➢ Were I to have the money, I would buy you what you want.

3. Conditional Sentences Type III

Conditional without “if” in this type is constructed by omitting “if” and foregrounding the
auxiliary verb “had”. Examples:
If I had known, I would have come.
➢ Had I known, I would have come.
If you had been here yesterday, you could have seen Pam.
➢ Had you been here yesterday, you could have seen Pam.
If I had known you were sick, I would have made you some soup.
➢ Had I known you were sick, I would have made you some soup.
INVERSIONS IN PLACE EXPRESSIONS
The subject and the verb sometimes invert after ideas expressing places. This can
happen with single words expressing place, such as here, there, or nowhere.
Here is the milkman
There are some books found in the attic. Nowhere have I
seen such a unique culture.

The subject and verb can also be inverted after prepositional phrases expressing places.
In the closet are the clothes that you want. Around the
corner is Sam’s house.
Beyond the mountain lies the town where you will live.

It is important to understand that the subject and verb will invert after place expressions at the
beginning of a sentence only when the place expression is necessary to complete the sentence.
Compare the following sentences:
1. In the classroom were some old desks. (necessary)
2. In the classroom, I studied very hard. (extra)
3. In the forest are many exotic birds. (necessary)
4. In the forest I walked for many hours. (extra)

In the first example the subject some old desks and the verb were are inverted because the
place expression (In the classroom) is needed to complete the idea “Some old desks were ”.
Without the place expression the sentence is meaningless. In
the second example the subject I and the verb studied are not inverted because the idea “I
studied very hard” is complete without the place expression in the classroom. Without the
place expression the sentence is meaningful.