Scribd
Upload
13 views

Inversion

Inversion

Uploaded by

Andrei Marin
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
13 views

Inversion

Inversion

Uploaded by

Andrei Marin
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

Inversion

Back to Index
Inversion involves putting an auxiliary verb before the subject of a clause. We do this in a number of different situations:
Questions
The most common use of inversion is in the forming of questions. We use the auxiliary verbs be (for progressive and
passive forms), have (for perfect forms) and do (for most other forms). Modal verbs can also be inverted to form
questions:

Were they ready when you arrived?


Where was it made?
Have you ever visited France?
Where do you live?
What should we do now?

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/internet-grammar/function/subjinv.htm
Negative and restrictive adverbs
In formal English, it is quite common to use inversion after negative adverbial expressions and restrictive words such as
only, never, hardly and little.
At no time did he get permission for what he was doing.

Not until the next morning did she realise how serious it was.
Only later did they learn his terrible secret.
Never before have I seen such awful behaviour.
Hardly had we walked in the door when the phone started ringing.
Little do you know how much trouble you are in.

http://www.fortunecity.com/bally/durrus/153/gramch24.html#2g2
http://www3.telus.net/linguisticsissues/Inversion.htm
http://www.edufind.com/english/grammar/ADVERBS7.cfm
So, nor and neither
Inversion is common when using these words to expression agreement or disagreement.
I'm from Turkey. So am I.

I don't like monsters! Nor/Neither do I.

See our archive.


Conditional clauses
In formal English, the if clause in conditional sentences can be rephrased through inversion:
Were you to win the election, what's the first thing you'd do? = If you won the election

Had we known what the weather would be like, we wouldn't have come = If we had known what

http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/conditional.htm
May
When we are making wishes, we can use inversion:
May you both live happily ever after!
Exclamations
We can use inversion to make exclamations:
Aren't you a silly girl!

Isn't it a lovely day!

For more information about inversion, see the following web sites:

General
http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/subjects.htm#inversion
http://www.bartleby.com/116/303.html
Quizzes
http://www3.telus.net/linguisticsissues/Inversion1.htm
http://www3.telus.net/linguisticsissues/Inversion2.htm
http://www3.telus.net/linguisticsissues/Inversion3.htm
http://www3.telus.net/linguisticsissues/Inversion4.htm
http://www.cityu.edu.hk/elc/quiz/inverse.htm

Top

Produced in the United Kingdom by The British Council 2000. The British Council is the United Kingdom's international
organisation for educational and cultural relations. Registered in England as a Charity.

You might also like