ENGLISH TIME WITH ANA

 INVERSION IN ENGLISH

What is an inversion?

 Certain words and phrases can be put at the beginning of a sentence. When this happens, inversion is used, which means placing the verb before the subject. In cases where the tense does not use an auxiliary verb in the affirmative, such as the present simple or the past simple, one must be added. 

Why do we use an inversion?

 To give emphasis or literary or dramatic effect in formal writing and speech.

 When do we use an inversion?

 1. Inversion after negative adverbs and adverbs expressions:

         Never, rarely, seldom, hardly ever, not once (These are most commonly used with present perfect        or past perfect, or with modals such as can and could.

 

Never have I felt better

Rarely had his father been more helpful.

 

 Hardly…when, barely…when, scarcely…when, no sooner….than  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.

 

Hardly had I arrived home when the phone rang.

No sooner was she back home than she realized her mistake.

 

-                  Expressions containing the word no: Under no circumstances, On no account, At no time, In              no way.

Under no circumstances can customers pay in cash.

In no way do I agree with you.

     Not since, not until, only after, only then, only if, only when, only once, only by (+ verb-ing): in       these expressions, the inversion comes in the second part of the sentence

 

Only when we arrived home did I realize I had lost my purse

Only by working hard, did he get the job.

 

-                In Not only…….. but also inversion is used.

 

Not only did we lose our money, but also we had an accident.

 

     little with a negative meaning

 

Little do they know how lucky they are to live in such a wonderful house.

 2. Conditional clauses in which, if is replaced

   First conditional: replace if with should

Should he call, please tell me.

-          Second conditional: replace if with were and verb in infinitive with to

Were I to meet the Queen of England, I would be delighted.

-          Third conditional: delete if and invert the subject and the auxiliary verb.

Had I my alarm clock worked, I would not have missed the flight.

 

3. Inversion with so/such ……that

       - so+ adjective/little/few/much/many

                        So little did he know about her that he didn't know her name.

                        So exhausted was she that she fell asleep on the couch.

      - such + noun

                        Such was the film's popularity that the cinema was full every day.

EXERCISES:  1   / 2   / 3   / 4   / 5   /