Inversion

INVERSION
(inverted subject-verb)
SUBJECT & VERB IN SENTENCES
Normally, subject will come first and then followed by the verb, especially in affirmative and
negative sentences or in dependent clauses:
We need more experts in agriculture and micro-economy.
Tigers have not been seen for years for years in this forest.
Where the plant will be build is still subject of debate.
Interrogative sentences, however, the verb (in the form of auxiliaries) come before the subjects:
Have you finished the report?
Why can’t we cash a check in this bank?
How did they mange to arrive before us?
 Sentence Constructions consisting of a verb
or an auxiliary verb placed before the
subject of the sentence.
 Previous Inversions you have learned:
 Questions (Do you speak English? Where do you
live?)
 Ellipsis (So do I; Neither can she, …)
 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.
always
usually
sometimes Subject + verb + complement
often
seldom
rarely, scarcely,
barely, hardly Auxiliary Verb + Subject + main verb +
almost never complement
never, nor
Certain Expression + Aux. verb + Subject + Comp.
Examples:
 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 he keep his patient waiting
long.
Negative
Adverbs
Conditional Only +
without Time
“if” Expressions
INVERSIONS
Place So, such,

Expressions little
 Theadverbs can be negative adverbs of
time, frequency, place …
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
 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
Only once Only after
Only at night Only under …
Only when …
 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.
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.
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.
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)
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.
An inverted order is also used when a passive verb
is split and the main verb begins the sentence.
Examples:
 Held at Senggigi Square is an exhibition of
Lombok craft.
 Discovered at the bottom of the sea were the
ruins of the Titanic.
 Founded in a small village in a remote area was
a hospital for drug users.
 Featured at ARMA Museum is Ubud Writer’s
Festival on October every year.
EXERCISES
1. We can find such massive metal structure nowhere in the world.
2. The oldest desert stretches five hundred miles to the North and across the border of neighboring countries.
3. On the city square every Sunday people sell various traditional food and crafts.
4. The fountain provides clean water, but also it becomes the icon of the area. (Not only)
5. She had rarely gone out to town until she was married.
6. I barely had a chance to react to what was happening.
7. He gave the information only after he was severely beaten by the interrogating officers.
8. The Teachers’ Association will not attend the forum. The Parents’ Association will not attend the forum (neither).
9. She had not written the term paper. She had not completed other assignments. (nor)
10. I had known little about the history of this place.
11. The village was so remote and secluded that we had to travel forty miles to buy supplies.
12. The team would not have underperformed if it had had sufficient time to recover .
13. If it had not been an emergency situation, we could have delivered the aid earlier.
14. We would be able to proceed if the machinery were not in trouble.
15. If you should see him after work, please tell him to return the report immediately.
16. His last album is much more impressive than his three previous albums
ANSWERS
1. Nowhere in the world can we find such massive metal structure.
2. Five hundred miles to the North and across the border of neighboring countries stretches oldest desert.
3. On the city square every Sunday people sell various traditional food and crafts.
4. Not only does the fountain provide clean water, but also it becomes the icon of the area.
5. Rarely had she gone out to town until she was married.
6. Barely did I have a chance to react to what was happening.
7. Only after he was severely beaten by the interrogating officers did he give the information.
8. The Teachers’ Association will not attend the forum, neither will The Parents’ Association.
9. She had not written the term paper, nor had she completed other assignments.
10. Little had I known about the history of this place.
11. So remote and secluded was the village that we had to travel forty miles to buy supplies.
12. The team would not have underperformed had it had sufficient time to recover .
13. Had it not been an emergency situation, we could have delivered the aid earlier.
14. We would be able to proceed were the machinery were not in trouble.
15. Should you see him after work, please tell him to return the report immediately.
16. His last album is much more impressive than were his three previous albums

Inversion

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INVERSION

 My mother never sends me birthday cards.

Place So, such,

o Seldom o Almost never o Not until

But if the expressions above are followed by a noun, no

1. In the classroom were some old desks.

3. In the forest are many exotic birds.

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