Inversion

Inversion & Emphasis Inversion - Explanations:
Inversion – The term inversion covers two different grammatical operations.

a. Using a question form of the main verb Not only did he fail to report the accident but also later
denied that he had been driving the car. Never have I enjoyed myself more!
b. Changing the normal positions of verb and subject Along the street came a strange procession.
Inversion after negative adverbials
a. This only occurs when the adverbial occurs at the beginning of a clause. All the examples below are
used in formal language, usually for rhetorical effect, such as in political speeches. They are not usual
in everyday spoken language.
Compare: Never have I heard a weaker excuse! I have never heard a weaker excuse!
b. Time expressions: never, rarely, seldom These are most commonly used with present perfect or past
perfect or with modals such as can or could.
Sentences of this type often contain comparatives.
Rarely have a minister been faced with such a problem.
Seldom has the team given a worse performance.
Rarely had I had so much responsibility.
c. Time expressions: 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 by past simple. Note the
words used in the contrasting clause.
Hardly had the train left the station when there was an explosion.
Hardly had I entered the room when the phone rang.
No sooner had I reached the door than I realized it was locked.
No sooner was the team back on the pitch than it started raining.
d. After only Here only combines with other time expressions and is usually used with past simple.
Only after posting the letter did I remember that I had forgotten to put on a stamp.
Other examples are only of/when, only then, only later. Note that when only refers to ‘the state of being
the only one’, there is no inversion following it.
Only Mary realized that the door was not locked.
e. 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)
On no condition are they to open fire without warning.
Not until I got home did I notice that I had the wrong umbrella.
f. Little
Little also has a negative or restrictive meaning in this sense.
Little does the government appreciate what the results will be. Inversion after so/such with that a. This
occurs with so and adjectives when the main verb is be. It is used for emphasis and is more common
than the example with such.
So devastating were the floods that some areas may never recover.
b. Such used with be means so much/so great. Such was the force of the storm that trees were
uprooted. c. As in the examples with such, inversion only occurs if so/such is the first word in the
clause. Inverted conditional sentences without If
a. Three types of If-sentence can be inverted without If-. This makes the sentences more formal and
makes the events less likely. Inversion & Emphasis Adapted from “Advanced Language Practice” by
Michael Vince
2 If they were to escape, there would be an outcry. Were they to escape, there would be an outcry. If
the police had found out, I would have been in trouble.
Were the police to have found out, I would have been in trouble. If you should hear anything, let me
know.
Should you hear anything, let me know. If he has cheated, he will have to be punished.
Should he have cheated, he will have to be punished. I
f I had known, I would have protested strongly. Had I known, I would have protested strongly.
b. Inversion after as This is more common in formal or written language. We were short of money, as
were most people in our neighborhood. I thought, as did my colleagues, that the recession would soon
be over.
c. Inversion after so, neither and nor These are used in ‘echoing’ statements, agreeing or disagreeing.
A: I am going home. B: So am I.
A: I don’t like meat. B: Neither do I.
Exercise 1 Complete each sentence by using the phrases from the box.
Rarely have No sooner had Under no circumstances are Not only did as did Under no circumstances
will Were you Hardly had Little did
Rarely have 1. __________________ we arrived at the hotel when there was a power cut. 2.
__________________ members of staff to accept gratuities from clients. 3. __________________
Detective Dawson realize what she was to discover. 4. __________________ to pay full amount now,
there would be a ten per cent discount. 5. I supposed, __________________ most people, that I would
be retiring at 60. 6. __________________ the doctors seen a more difficult case. 7.
__________________ Jean win first prize but she was also offered a promotion. 8. __________________
late arrivals be admitted to the theater before the interval. 9. __________________ one missing child
been found that another three disappeared. 10. __________________ so many employees taken sick
leave at the same time.
Exercise 2 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 ________________________________________________________________________
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 the
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 realized I’d left my bag in the shops. had No sooner
_______________________________________________________ I realized I’d left my bad in the
shops.
9. It was only when I asked a passer-by that I realized where I was. did Not until
_____________________________________________________________________________ where I
was.
10. The minister was interrupted just after starting his speech. when Hardly
__________________________________________________________________________ he was
interrupted.
Inversion – Explanations:
Changing word order to change focus
a. Passive
Passive constructions vary the way information is given in a sentence, putting more emphasis
on what comes first.
All roads to the north have been blocked by snow.
b. Fronting and inversion
Inversion here refers to changing the normal order in the sentence so that a prepositional
phrase is emphasized before the verb. This also involves putting the verb before the subject.
Suddenly down came the rain!
Up in the air went the balloon.
Fronting involves changing the order of clauses in a sentence and putting first for emphasis a
clause that would usually not be first.
I don’t know where the money is coming from. Where the money is coming from, I don’t know.
Time phrases can vary in position and are often put first because the time reference is
important.
At six o’clock Monica decided to phone the police.
May clauses
There is a type of may clause introduced by although which can be inverted. It is a highly formal
expression.
Although it may seem/be difficult, it is not impossible.

Difficult as/though it may seem/be, it is not impossible.
c. Cleft and pseudo cleft sentences
These are sentences introduced by it is/it was or by a clause beginning what.
Different parts of the sentence can be emphasized in this way. In speech, stress and intonation
also identify the emphasis.
With it is/was Sue borrowed my bike last night. It was Sue who borrowed my bike.
It was last night that Sue borrowed by bike. It was my bike that Sue borrowed.
Sentences with because are also possible. It was because I felt ill that I left.
Modal auxiliaries are also possible. You can’t have read the same book. It can’t have been the
same book that you read.
What clauses
These are common with verbs such as need, want, like, hate.
I hate rainy weather. What I hate is rainy weather.
You need a holiday. What you need is a holiday.
It is also possible to emphasize events using auxiliary do/did.
Peter left the window unlocked. What Peter did was (to) leave the window unlocked.
They are destroying the environment. What they are doing is destroying the environment.
Clauses beginning all emphasize ‘the only thing’.
I only need another $5. All I need is another $5.
Exercise
Complete each sentence with a suitable phrase from the box.
the least bit/ waited and waited /by no means/ what we did /not at all /as it may seem/ can’t
have been/ none at all /do think/ time and time again
1. I know you’re busy but I _______________ you could have helped me with the decorating.
2. It’s _______________ certain that the president will be re-elected.
3. You may have lots of restaurants where you live but there are _______________ in this part of
town.
. I told you _______________ about the leaking pipes but you wouldn’t listen.
5. You don’t seem _______________ interested in my problem.
6. Strange _______________, the bus is actually faster that the train.
7. In the end _______________ was to call a plumber.
8. We _______________ all Day but Chris never turned up.
9. Pauline was _______________ bothered by our turning up so late.
10. It _______________ Jim that you saw; he is in Germany at the moment.
Exercise 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. The car doesn’t need anything else except new tires. Needs
All____________________________________________________________________________
_________ new tires.
2. Brenda didn’t worry at all about her exams. bit
Brenda wasn’t the________________________________________________________________
about her exams.
3. The person who told me about the hotel was Keith. who
It________________________________________________________________________ told me
about the hotel.
4. I had spent every last penny of my money. Absolutely
Ihad_____________________________________________________________________________
_____ whatsoever.
5. Although the ticket may seem expensive, it is good value for money. though
Expensive__________________________________________________________ the ticket is
good value for money.
6. I really hate lukewarm food. stand
WhatI____________________________________________________________________________
__ lukewarm food.

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Inversion & Emphasis Inversion - Explanations:

Inversion – The term inversion covers two different grammatical operations.

Although it may seem/be difficult, it is not impossible.

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