Inversion
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Inversion with Adverbials
• Inversion: a movement operation by which the order of
two expressions is reversed
➔ subject-verb inversion
He will come by at 8 o’clock.
Will he come by at 8 o’clock?
Three cases
• Inversion after adverbials of location/ position
• Inversion after adverbials of movement Adv of Place
• Inversion after negative adverbials/phrases
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Inversion with Adverbials
• Adverbials of location
o At the apple tree sat the boy.
o At the apple tree he sat.
• Adverbials of movement
o Down the hill ran the bus.
o Down the hill it ran.
• Negative adverbials/phrases
o Little does she know about that incident.
o Under no circumstances can this story be discussed
with others.
3
Inversion with Adverbials
• Adverbials of location (full verb before subject)
o The boy sat at the apple tree.
o At the apple tree sat the boy. Switch S-V, S as N
o He sat at the apple tree.
o At the apple tree he sat. No inversion, S as Pron
o The boy was sitting at the apple tree.
o At the apple tree was sitting the boy.
o At the gate the car came to a stop.
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Inversion with Adverbials
• Adverbials of movement (full verb before subject)
o The bus ran down the hill. Switch S-V, S as N
o Down the hill ran the bus.
o Down the hill it ran. No inversion, S as Pron
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Inversion with Adverbials
• Negative adverbials/phrases
o She knows little about that incident.
o Little does she know about that incident.
o This story cannot be discussed with others under any
circumstances.
o Under no circumstances can this story be discussed
with others.
Using auxiliaries
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Negative Expressions
• Under no circumstances • Only then …
… • Only after …
• At no time … • Only when …
• Not until (much later) … • Not only … but also …
• Never … • Not …
• Seldom … • (Not far and Not long =>
• Little … no inversion)
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Negative Expressions
• Hardly … when …
• Barely … when …
• Scarcely … when …
• No sooner … than …
First clause: past perfect
Second clause: past simple
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• She hasn’t ever heard of this before.
• She hasn’t ever heard of this before.
=> Never has she heard of this before.
9
SO/SUCH … THAT
• Burglary is so rare here that many people don’t bother
to lock their doors.
=> So rare is burglary here that many people don’t
bother to lock their doors.
• There was so much public interest in the story that it
was on the front pages of the newspapers.
=> Such was public interest in the story that it was on
the front pages of the newspapers.
SUCH be = SO GREAT / SO MUCH
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AS / THAN
• She was very religious, as were most of her friends.
… as most of her friends were.
• City dwellers have a higher death rate than do country
people.
… than country people (do).
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Prepositions
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Some confusing prepositions
ABOVE vs. OVER
• When something at a higher level exactly vertically
• The company started in an o ce above/over a shop.
• Above: when one thing not directly over the other
• They lived in a village in the mountains above the
lake.
• Over: covering and touching
• They put a blanket over him.
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ffi
Some confusing prepositions
BELOW vs. UNDER
• When something at a lower level exactly vertically
• There’s a railway line below/under the building.
• Below: when one thing not directly under the other
• Her head was below the level of the table so nobody
noticed her.
• Under: covering and touching
• She hid a present under the blanket.
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Some confusing prepositions
ACROSS vs. OVER
• A position on the other side of, moving to the other side
of (a road, river, etc.)
• Antonio lives in the house across/over the road from
ours.
• Across: sth as a at surface
• He suddenly saw Eva across the room.
• Over: reaching the other side of sth that is high, or higher
• He jumped over the fence into the garden.
• He jumped across the river.
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fl
1. I don’t know how you could even contemplate to allow /
allowing Vicky to go on holiday with her friends.
2. The interviewer somehow managed to get / getting the
politician to admit his mistake.
3. Did you mention to have / having to book the restaurant
when you saw Angie?
4. We missed our flight so we ended up to sleep /
sleeping on the floor in the airport.
5. The woman demanded to know / knowing who was in
charge.
6. I can’t help to feel / feeling that I’ve forgotten
something.
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7. The board of directors opted to apply / applying to the
bank for a loan.
8. What happened when Sandra applied to join / joining
the army?
9. We don’t foresee to need / needing to employ anyone
to replace Amy when she’s on maternity leave.
10.I really wasn’t expecting to bump / bumping into Ken
in Birmingham.
11.I’m beginning to wish I hadn’t volunteered to help /
helping Sandra move house.
[Link] don’t hesitate to contact / contacting me if you
require further information.
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K: Erm… hello. You must be Preston.
P: Yes, I am. Kathy, isn’t it? I have to admit to be / to being a bit
nervous. This is the first blind date I’ve been on.
K: Me, too. I almost didn’t come to see / seeing you, actually. But
then you just have to risk to meet / meeting someone you don’t
like, don’t you?
P: Er… yeah. Do you mind to sit / sitting by the window?
K: No, that’s fine. It was my sister, Jane, who suggested to meet /
meeting you.
P: Right. Did she happen to tell / telling you anything about me?
K: She said you work together, but she refused to say / saying
anything else.
P: Oh. Well, I’ve been looking forward to meet / to meeting you.
Erm… do you feel like to order / ordering? I’m starving.
K: Okay. I think I fancy to have / having seafood. What about
you?
P: Seafood sounds good. Can you see our waiter? 18
1. You deserve to be given a medal for all the work you did
when you volunteered to help Alan finish to clear out the
attic. clearing
2. The company has resolved to improve performance in the
coming months and plans resisting being forced to close
any offices. to resist
3. Being married involves to make a lot of compromises and
making
being prepared to learn to live with other people’s faults.
4. Alec often appears to want to join in discussions but he
needs to avoid to be so shy or he’ll never manage to get
being
his opinion across.
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5. Health experts recommend taking up a sport, so
consider joining a team or, if you can’t face to exercise in
exercising
front of so many people, plan to go running with a friend.
6. I detest being kept waiting, and it tends happening at this
to happen
hotel more than any other, so stop giving me excuses.
7. What prompted me applying to join the police force was
to apply
that my parents expected me to find a job which
promised to offer security and good prospects.
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8. Many young people yearn to get involved in making
films, but few are prepared to endure to work for years to
working
perfect their acting skills.
9. I dislike having to pretend getting on with someone when
to get
they don’t attempt to get to know me
[Link] you are considering applying to become a student at
Central University, we recommend you to contact the
secretary, who needs knowing which course you are
planning to follow. to know
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