INVERSIONS

Inversions

Most often we speak English this way up.

Occasionally, however, we might feel the need to invert some of the sentence order for effect.

For example, instead of saying:

He had never seen such a small elephant.

We might choose to be more dramatic and say:

Never had he seen such a small elephant.

instead of saying:

As soon as Holmes lit his pipe, a strange event occurred.

We might be more mysterious and say:

No sooner had Holmes lit his pipe

than a strange event occurred.

You could also say:

Hardly

Barelyor

or had Holmes lit his pipe

when a strange event occurred.

Scarcely

instead of saying:

Holmes not only solved mysteries, but he also played the violin.

Just for a change we might say:

Not only did he solve mysteries,

but he also played the violin

instead of saying:

The crocodile did not attack until he reached the shore.

We might be more dramatic and say:

Not until he reached the shore

did the crocodile attack.

You could also say:

Only when

or he reached the shore

did the crocodile attack.

Only after

Look at the Inversions Index overleaf and click on what you want

Inversions Index

• after negative adverbials:Never …

Nowhere …

Not for one minute ...

Not since ...

Not until ...

Never again …

Rarely … etc

• after certain established

sentence patterns:

No sooner ….. than …. .

Hardly ….. when …. .

Barely….. when …. .

Scarcely….. when …. .

Little ...

• after expressions with

‘only’ and ‘no’:

Only after ...

Only when ...

Not only … , but … also ...

At no time ...

Under no circumstances ...

On no account … etc

• in conditionals instead

of ‘if’:

Should ….. , ….. .

Were ….. , ….. .

Had ….. , ….. .

after negative adverbials:

• Never had he seen such a small elephant.

• Nowhere will you find better paellas.

• Not until I got home did I start to feel ill.

• Rarely do you taste such delicious food.

Look what happens to the verbs in the following examples:

Try transforming the following sentences:

1. We have never done inversions before.

Never before …………………………. inversions .

2. They had not come across them anywhere.

Nowhere ……………………………… them .

3. She didn’t meet it until she reached Level 6.

Not until …………………………………… meet it .

4. You rarely encounter such a thought-provoking structure.

Rarely ……………………………… such a thought-provoking structure.

after certain established sentence patterns:

• No sooner had I entered the room than she left.

• Hardly had he finished eating when he fell asleep.

• Barely had they sat down when the chair collapsed.

• Scarcely had he left the saddle when they shot him.

• Little did I suspect his true intentions.

Look what happens to the verbs in the following examples:

Now try these for size:

1. As soon as the teacher arrived, they all stood up.

No sooner ………………………… they all stood up.

2. The moment she sat down, the telephone rang.

Scarcely …………………… the telephone rang.

3. Their mother knew little of their weekend activities.

Little……………….… of their weekend activities

after expressions with ‘only’ and ‘no’

• Not only did he solve mysteries, but he also played the violin.

• Only when I got home did I realise my error.

• At no time did I ever feel alone.

• Under no circumstances should you open that door.

• Only after he had left did she begin to laugh.

• On no account are you to tell your father.

Look what happens to the verbs in the following examples:

Now try these for size:

1. Holmes didn’t let on about his hobby at any time.

At no time …………………… let on about his hobby.

2. You shouldn’t open that box on any account.

On no account………………………. that box.

3. You must not enter the water again under

any circumstances.

Under no circumstances ……………….

………………. again.

in conditionals instead of ‘if’

• Should you require further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

• Were you to find a snake in your bed, what would you do?

• Had I known you were coming, I would have baked a cake.

Look what happens to the verbs in the following examples:

in first conditionals

Should you require further information,

please do not hesitate to contact us.

Look what can happen to the verbs in the following examples:

If you require further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

If you should require further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

in second conditionals

Were you to come across a snake, what would you do?

Look what happens to the verbs in the following examples:

If you came across a snake, what would you do?

If you were to come across a snake, what would you do?

in third conditionals

Had I known you were coming, I would have baked a cake.

Look what happens to the verbs in the following examples:

If I had known you were coming, I would have baked a cake.

1. Holmes didn’t let on about his hobby at any time. At no time …………………… let on about his hobby.

2. You shouldn’t open that box on any account. On no account………………………. that box.

3. You must not enter the water again under any circumstances.

Under no circumstances ………………. ………………. again.