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(Intermediate English Grammar) Week 12 - Inversion (Part 2)

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(Intermediate English Grammar) Week 12 - Inversion (Part 2)

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Intermediate English Grammar

Chapter 12
Inversion (part 2)

Lecturer: Agnechia Friska Rivalny, S.S., M.Hum.


Jakarta International University, Indonesia
Inversion

Inversion happens when we reverse the normal


word order of a structure, most commonly the
subject-verb word order.
Reversing the normal order of words, or
inversion, can be used for emphasis or a sense of
drama. It is common after certain types of
adverbials.
Inversion after negative adverbials
Inversion after negative adverbials

In formal and literary language in particular, we use negative


adverbials at the beginning of a clause. The subject and first
auxiliary are inverted, and do is used with a simple tense verb after-
→The time adverbials never (before), rarely, seldom, barely/
hardly / scarcely .. when / before; no sooner … than:
• Seldom do we have goods returned to us because they are faulty.
• Hardly had everybody taken their seats when Dr Lee began her
lecture.
Inversion after negative adverbials

→only + at time expression, as in only after, only later,


only if, only once, only then, only when:
• She bought a newspaper and some milk at the shop on the
corner. Only later did she realise that she’d been given the
wrong change.
• Only when she apologises will / speak to her again.
Inversion after negative adverbials

→only + other prepositional phrases beginning only by


..., only in ..., only with ..., etc.:
• Only by chance had Carl discovered where the birds were
nesting.
• Maria had to work in the evenings. Only in this way was she
able to complete the report.
Inversion after negative adverbials

→expressions such as at no time, in no way, on no account, under / in


no circumstance:
• At no time did they actually break the rules of the game.
• Under no circumstances are passengers permitted to open the doors
themselves.

→expressions with not ..., such as not only, not until, not since, not for
one moment and also not a + noun:
• Not until August did the government order an inquiry into the
accident.
• Not a word had she written since the exam had started.
Inversion after negative adverbials

→little with negative meaning:


• Little do they know how lucky they are to live in such a wonderful
house. (= ‘they don’t know’ or ‘they don’t know sufficiently’)

Note that inversion can occur after a clause beginning only after / if /
when or not until:
• Only when the famine gets worse will world governments begin to
act.
• Not until the train pulled into the station did Miguel find that his coat
had gone.
Further Examples
INVERSION AFTER TIME ADVERBIALS
Inversion can be used after time adverbials that are negative or
restrictive, such as “no sooner” and “never before.” This emphasizes
the time at which something happens, or happened.
Exercise
Rewrite the sentences with a similar meaning beginning with a word/phrase from
the box.
only if barely only with rarely at no time little

1. A new film has not often before produced such positive reviews.
2. The public was never in any danger.
3. He only felt entirely relaxed with close friends and family.
4. The match won’t be cancelled unless the pitch is frozen.
5. I didn’t know then that Carmen and I would be married one day.
6. He had only just entered the water when it became clear he couldn’t swim.
Exercise [answer]
Rewrite the sentences with a similar meaning beginning with a word/phrase from
the box.
only if barely only with rarely at no time little

1. Rarely has a new film produced such positive reviews.


2. At no time was the public (ever) in any danger.
3. Only with close friends and family did he feel entirely relaxed.
4. Only if the pitch is frozen will the match be cancelled.
5. Little did I know then that Carmen and I would be married one day.
6. Barely had he entered the water when it became clear he couldn’t swim.
Exercise
Now do the same using these words and phrases.
only once only in on no account hardly not only not for one moment

1. You must not light the fire if you are alone in the house.
2. There was never any rivalry between the three brothers.
3. I wasn’t only wet through, I was freezing cold.
4. I had only ever climbed this high once before.
5. The audience had only just taken their seats when the conductor stepped onto
the stage.
6. He has only been acknowledged to be a great author in the last few years.
Exercise [answer]
Now do the same using these words and phrases.
only once only in on no account hardly not only not for one moment

1. On no account are you to light the fire if you are alone in the house. /
On no account should / must you …
2. Not for one moment was there any rivalry between the three brothers.
3. Not only was I wet through, I was freezing cold.
4. Only once had I ever climbed this high before. / Only once before had I ever
climbed this high.
5. Hardly had the audience taken their seats when the conductor stepped onto the
stage.
6. Only in the last few years has he been acknowledged to be a great author.
Inversion after so + adjective … that;
such + be … that; neither … / nor …
We can use so + adjective at the beginning of a clause to
emphasise the adjective. When we do this, the subject
and first auxiliary are inverted, and do is used with a
simple tense verb:
• So successful was her business, that Lana was able to retire at
the age of 50.
• So dangerous did weather conditions become, that all mountain
roads were closed.
Inversion after so + adjective … that;
such + be … that; neither … / nor …
We can use such + be at the beginning of a clause to emphasise the extent
or degree of something.
• Such is the popularity of the play that the theatre is likely to be full every
night.
We use inversion after neither and nor when these words begin a clause to
introduce a negative addition to a previous negative clause or sentence:
• For some time after the explosion Jack couldn’t hear, and neither could
he see.
• The council never wanted the new supermarket to be build, nor did local
residents.
Exercise
Correct any mistakes in this news article.

TOWN EVACUATED AS FOREST FIRES APPROACH


The people of Sawston were evacuated yesterday as forest fire headed towards the town. Such the heat
was of oncoming inferno that trees more than 100 meters ahead began to smoulder. Only once in recent
years, during 2004, a town of this size has had to be evacuated because of forest fires. A fleet of coaches
and lorries arrived in the town in the early morning. Into these vehicles the sick and elderly climbed,
before they headed off to safety across the river. Residents with cars left by mid morning, as all non-
essential police officers did.
Hardly the evacuation had been completed when the wind changed direction and it became clear that
the fire would leave Sawston untouched. Soon after that were heard complaints from some residents. ‘At
no time the fires posed a real threat.’ said one local man. ‘I didn’t want to leave my home, and nor most
of my neighbours did.’ So upset some elderly residents are that they are threatening to complain to their
MP. But Chief Fire Officer Jones replied, ‘Hadn’t we taken this action, lives would have been put at risk.
Only when the fires have moved well away from the town residents will be allowed to return to their
homes.’
Exercise [answer]
Correct any mistakes in this news article.

TOWN EVACUATED AS FOREST FIRES APPROACH


The people of Sawston were evacuated yesterday as forest fire headed towards the town. Such was the
heat of oncoming inferno that trees more than 100 meters ahead began to smoulder. Only once in recent
years, during 2004, has a town of this size (inversion is likely in this written context) had to be evacuated
because of forest fires. A fleet of coaches and lorries arrived in the town in the early morning. Into these
vehicles climbed the sick and elderly (inversion is likely in this written context), before they headed off to
safety across the river. Residents with cars left by mid morning, as did all non-essential police officers.

Hardly had the evacuation been completed when the wind changed direction and it became clear that
the fire would leave Sawston untouched. Soon after that complaints were heard from some residents. ‘At
no time did the fires pose a real threat.’ said one local man. ‘I didn’t want to leave my home, and nor did
most of my neighbours.’ So upset are some elderly residents that they are threatening to complain to
their MP. But Chief Fire Officer Jones replied, ‘Had we not taken this action, lives would have been put at
risk. Only when the fires have moved well away from the town will residents be allowed to return to their
homes.’
Thank you!
REFERENCES

Murphy, Raymond & Smalzer, William. Grammar in use,


Intermediate. Cambridge U. Press, 2019.
DK. English for Everyone – English Grammar Guide. Dorling
Kindersley Limited, 2016.

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