11

GRAMMAR

lnversion
lnversion
The term inversion covers two different grammatical operations:

• Using a ąuestion form of the main verb

Not only did h efail to report the accident, hut also later denied that he h ad been
driving the car.
N ever have I enjoyed m yself morel

• Changing the normal positions of verb and subject

A long the Street catne a strange procession.
See Grammar 12 for an explanation of this example.

lnversion after negative adverbials

• This only occurs when the adverbial occurs at the beginning of a clause.
Ali 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:
N ever have I heard a weaker excuse!
I have never hea rd a w eaker excuse!

• Time expressions: never, rarely, seldom

These are most commonly used with present perfect or past perfect, or with inodals
such as can and could. Sentences of this type often contain comparatives.
Rarely can a m inister have beenfaced with such a problem .
Seldom kas the team given a worse perform a nce.
Rarely had I had so m uch responsibility.

• Time expressions: hardly, barely, scarcely, no sooner

These refer to an event which ąuickly 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.
Scarcely had I entered the room when the p h o n e 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.

• After only
Here only combines with other time expressions and is usually used with past simple.
Only after posting the letter did I remem ber that I h ad forgotten to p u t on a stamp.
Other examples are only if/when, only then, only later.
Note that when only refers to ‘the State of being the only on e, there is no inversion
following it.
Only M ary realized that the door was not locked.

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 GRAMMAR 11 INVERSION

• Phrases containing n o/no t

These include u n d er no circumstances, on no account, at no time, in no way, on no
condition, not until, not only ... (hut also).
On no condition are they to o p en fire without a warning.
Not until I got hom e did I notice that I had the wrong untbrella.

• Little
Little also has a negative or restrictive meaning in this sense.
Little does the government appreciate what the results will be.

lnversion after so/such with that

• This occurs with 50 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.

• Such used with be means ‘so much/so great’.

Such was th efo rce o fth e storm that trees were uprooted.

• As in the examples with such, inversion only occurs if so/such is the first word in the
clause.

Inverted conditionai sentences without If

• Three types of If- sentence can be inverted without If-. This makes the sentences
more formal and makes the event less likely.
I f they were to escape, there would be an outcry.
Were they to escape, there would be an outcry.
I ft h e police h a d fo u n d out, I would have been in trouble.
Were the police to havefound out, I would have been in trouble.
Ify o u should h ear anything, let m e know.
Should you hear anything, let m e know.
I f he has cheated, he will have to be punished.
Should he have cheated, he will have to be punished.
I f l ha d known, I would have protested strongly.
Had I known, I would have protested strongly.

• Inversion after as
This is more common in formal or written language.
We were short ofm on ey, as were most people in our neighbourhood.
I thought, as did my colleagues, that the recession would soon be over

• 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 dorit like meat. B: Neither do I.
See Grammar 12 for ways of giving emphasis without inverting after so.

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ADVANCED LANGUAGE PRACTICE

1 Correct any sentences which are inappropriate in the contexts given.

1 Guest to host: ‘So nice was that pudding, that I would like to have some more.’
............................................ł.?. ...............................................................................
2 Witness to court: ‘No sooner had I turned out the łight, than I heard a noise
outside^.......................................................................................................................................
3 News reader; ‘Such was the force of the earthquake, that whole villages have been
devastated^................................................................................................................................
4 Parent to child: ‘Should you fancy a pizza, let’s order one now.’

5 Friend to friend: ‘Never before have I seen this film.’

6 PoUtician to audience: ‘Seldom has the country faced a greater threat.’

7 Celebrity to interviewer: ‘Were I to have the time, I’d go climbing more often.’

8 Yictim to poUce officer: ‘Scarcely had we been introduced when he punched me

for no reason.’ .......................................................................................................................... ...
9 Printed notice: ‘Under no circumstances is this control panel to be left unattendec

10 Colleague to colleague: ‘Should you change your mind, just let me know.’

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 GRAMMAR11 INVERSION

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 u n til..... ........................................................................... about the meeting,
2 The facts were not all made pubHc at the time.
later
O nly..............................................................................................all made public.
3 The response to our appeal was so great that we had to take on more staff.
response
S uch.........................................................................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 didnt suspect at all that the judge was the murderer.
did
L ittle.................................................................................. as being the murderer.
6 The bus driver cannot be blamed for the accident in any way.
held
I n .............................................................................responsible for the accident.
7 If the government increased taxes, they would lose the election.
raise
W ere..............................................................................taxes, they would lose the
election.
8 As soon as I got home, I realized I’d left my bag in the shop.
had
No sooner.............................................................................I realized I’d left my bag in
the shop.
9 It was only when I asked a passer-by that I realized where I was.
did
Not u n til.............................................................................................where I was.
10 The minister was interrupted just after starting his speech,
when
Hardly.................................................................................... he was interrupted.

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ADVANCED LANGUAGE PRACTICE

3 Complete each sentence with a phrase from the box.

Rarely have No sooner had Under no circumstances are Were you Rarely have
Hardly had Not only did Under no circumstances will as do Little did

1 .....................................we arrived at the hotel, when there was a power cut.

2 members of staff to accept gratuities from clients.
3 Detectiye Dawson realize what she was to discover!
4 ....................................to pay the fuli amount now, there would be a ten per
cent discount.
5 I suppose,................................................ most people, that I will be retiring at 65.
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 theatre before the
interval.
9 one missing child been found, than another three
disappeared.
10 80 many employees taken sick leave at the same time.

4 Complete each sentence with a phrase containing a suitable form of the verb in
brackets.
1 Should (n eed ).............................................. anything, could you let me know?
2 Were the piane (take o f f ) .................................................. everyone in it would have
been killed.
3 Had (study)................................................ harder, I would probably have passed all
my exams.
4 Should (b e )................................................in the neighbourhood, drop in.
5 Had (g o )................................................to the doctor immediately, your daughter
would not be so ill.
6 Never before (spend)................................................ so much money on her daughter s
birthday.
7 Should (feel)................................................hungry, just cali room service, and order a
meal.
8 Were (offer)................................................ her the job, we couldn t be sure that she
would accept.
9 Had (tak e)................................................ the necessary measures, this political crisis
could have been avoided.
10 Scarcely (g e t)................................................home when the police called us with
news of Geoffrey.

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 GRAMMAR11 INVERSION

5 Underline the correct word or phrase in each sentence.

1 Jim promised that he would n ev er/never would he tell anyone else.
2 Not until it was too late I rem em b ered/did I rem em b er to cali Susan.
3 Hardly had we settled down in our seats than/when the lights went out.
4 Only after checking three times I was/was I certain of the answer.
5 At no time I was aware/was I aware of anything out of the ordinary.
6 Only Catherine and SaHy passed/did they pass the finał examination.
7 Only when Pete has arrived/has Pete arrived can we begin the programme.
8 No sooner had it stopped raining than/when the sun came out.

6 Complete the text by writing a word or phrase from the box in each space.

little such not only seldom under no circumstances

along as no sooner scarcely had

Weil, ladies and gentlemen, we’ve done it again - another election victory. The las! four years of office

have been a wonderful time for the party, a tale of adversity overcome. ( 1 ) ........................................

had we come to office than the Stock Market crashed. But we survived that scare, and we came out of

it stronger for the experience. The opposition claimed we were faitering. ( 2 ) .....................................

have I heard such hypocrisy from a party which continued to sguabbie internally for the next four

years. Then ( 3 ) ................................................. came a fellow called David Rew, with his new breakaway

Democratic party - but he didn’t have much success in the opinion polis!

( 4 ) .................................................did he claim he’d become Prime Minister within three years, he aiso

reckoned that this party was now unpopular with younger voters. ( 5 ) ................................................did

he realize that it would be the young voters who gave us an overwhelming vote of confidence in

yesterday’s election. ( 5 ) ................................................. had the first votes rolled in when it was obvious

that we would be re-elected with a huge majority. ( 7 ) ................................................. was the extent of

our victory that the New Democrats obtained a meagre five seats. ( 8 ) .................................................

they known they would perform so poorly, I don’t think they would have been quite so scathing in their

criticism of our economic policy But rest assured, ladies and gentlemen,

( 9 ) ................................................. will we rest on our laurels. There is no room for complacency in this

government. And I am confident, ( 1 0 ) ................................................. I’m sure are most of you, that the

next four years will be a resounding success. Thank you.

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ADVANCED LANGUAGE PRACTICE

7 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 Please never ever interrupt me when Tm in a meeting.
am
On no account when Im in a meeting.
2 Nobody from this school has ever written a better composition.
anyone
N ever..................................................................... written a better composition.
3 Such was the demand for tickets that people ąueued day and night.
great
The demand for tickets............................................that people ąueued day and night
4 The money is not to be paid under any circumstances.
no
U nd er.................................................................................................... to be paid.
5 Three days passed before we arrived at the first oasis.
had
Not u n til..................................................................................... at the first oasis.
6 Little did Brenda know what she was letting herself in for.
no
Brend a...........................................................what she was letting herself in for.
7 It was only when I stopped that I realized something was wrong.
did
O nly...........................................................................that something was wrong.
8 The accused never expressed regret for what he had done.
time
A t.............................................................................regret for what he had done.
9 Exhaustion prevented any of the runners from finishing the race.
were
S o .................................................................................of them finished the race.
10 Its not common for there to be so much rain in March.
see
Seldom .............................................................................so much rain in March.

- SEE ALSO
Grammar 12: Emphasis
Consolidation 3: Units 9-12

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