Inversion
Inversion
Inversion
PAGE 113
Subjectverb
inversionin
English is a type of inversion where
the subject and verb switch their
established order of appearance,
so that the subject follows the
verb.
Example:
a.Jim satunderthetree.
b.Underthetreesat Jim.-Subject-verbinversion
c.*Underthetreesat he.-Subject-verbinversionimpossiblewithweakdefinitesubjectpronoun
a.The dog camedownthestairs.
b.Downthestairscame the dog.-Subject-verbinversion
c.*Downthestairscame it.-Subject-verbinversionimpossiblewithweakdefinitesubjectpronoun
a.Flowers areagoodgift.
b.Agoodgiftare flowers.-Subject-verbinversionwiththecopula
c.*Agoodgiftare they.-Subject-verbinversionimpossiblewithweakdefinitesubjectpronoun
a.Bill said"Iamhungry".
b."Iamhungry",said Bill.-Subject-verbinversion
c.*"Iamhungry",said he.-Subject-verbinversionimpossiblewithweakdefinitesubjectpronoun
LOCATIVE INVERSION
a.A lamp layinthecorner.
b.Inthecornerlay a lamp.-Locativeinversion
c.*Inthecornerlay it.-Locativeinversionimpossiblewithaweakpronounsubject
a.Only Larry sleepsunderthattree.
b.Underthattreesleeps only Larry.-Locativeinversion
c.*Underthattreesleeps he.-Locativeinversionimpossiblewithaweakpronounsubject
The fronted expression that evokes locative inversion is anadjunct of
location.
DIRECTIVE INVERSION
Directive inversion is closely related to
locative inversion insofar as the pre-verb
expression denotes a location, the only
difference being that the verb is now a verb of
movement. Typical verbs that allow directive
inversion in English arecome,go,run, etc
COPULAR INVERSION
a.Bill isourrepresentative.
b.Ourrepresentativeis Bill.-Copularinversion
c.*Ourrepresentativeis he.-Copularinversionimpossible
withweakpronounsubject
QUOTATIVE INVERSION
In literature, subject-verb inversion occurs with verbs of speaking. The speech
being reported is produced in its direct form, usually with quotation marks:
a. "We are going to win", Bill said.
b. "We are going to win", said Bill. - Quotative inversion
c. ?"We are going to win", said he. - Quotative inversion less likely with weak
subject pronoun
a. "What was the problem?", Larry asked.
b. "What was the problem?", asked Larry. - Quotative inversion
c. ?"What was the problem?", asked he. - Quotative inversion less likely with
weak subject pronoun
This sort of inversion is absent from everyday speech. It occurs almost
exclusively in literary contexts.