Inversion (1)

A In statements it is usual for the verb to follow the subject. Sometimes, however, this word order
is reversed. We can refer to this as INVERSION. Compare:
• Her father stood in the doorway. —* In the doorway stood her father.
• He had rarely seen such a sunset. —• Rarely had he seen such a sunset.
• He showed me his ID card. I only let him in then. —• Only then did / let him in.
Notice how the subject comes after the verb (e.g. stood) or an auxiliary (e.g. had, did). Units 119
and 120 study the circumstances in which inversion takes place. Some of these are also looked at
in earlier units and brought together here.

D Inversion after adverbial phrases of direction and place

When we put an adverbial phrase, especially of direction or place, at the beginning of a sentence,
we sometimes put an intransitive verb in front of its subject. This kind of inversion is found
particularly in formal or literary styles:
• Dave began to open the three parcels. Inside the first was a book of crosswords from his
Aunt Alice, (or, less formally Inside the first there was a book of crosswords...)
With the verb be we always use inversion in sentences like this, and inversion is usual with
certain verbs of place and movement, such as climb, come, fly, go, hang, lie, run, sit, stand:
Sf • Above the fireplace was a portrait of the Duke, (not ...a portrait of the Duke was.)
• • In an armchair sat his mother, (rather than ...his mother sat.)
Inversion doesn't usually occur with other verbs. We don't invert subject and verb when the
subject is a pronoun. So, for example, we don't say 'In an armchair sat she.'

P In speech, inversion often occurs after here and there, and adverbs such as back, down, in, off,
oup, round, etc.:
• • Here comes Sandra's car. • I lit the fuse and after a few seconds up went the rocket.

n Inversion in conditional sentences

We can use clauses with inversion instead of certain kinds of z/-clauses. (See Unit 100.) Compare:

• It would be a serious setback, if the talks • It would be a serious setback, were the
were to fail. talks to fail.
• If you should need more information, • Should you need more information please
please telephone our main office. telephone our main office.
• If Alex had asked, I would have been able • Had Alex asked, I would have been able
to help. to help.

The sentences with inversion are rather more formal than those with 'if. Notice that in negative
clauses with inversion, we don't use contracted forms:
• Had he not resigned, we would have been forced to sack him. (not Hadn't he...)

Inversion in comparisons with 'as' and 'than'

• The cake was excellent, as was the coffee, (or ...as the coffee was.)
• I believed, as did my colleagues, that the plan would work, (or ...as my colleagues did...)
• Research shows that children living in villages watch more television than do their
counterparts in inner city areas, (or ...than their counterparts do...)
We prefer to use inversion after as and than in formal written language. Notice that we don't
invert subject and verb when the subject is a pronoun.

Adverbials of direction and place = Conditionals: Inversion (2) =

 UNIT
EXERCISES

119.1 Rewrite these sentences with the adverbial phrase(s) of direction or place at the front of the
clause. Use inversion where possible. (B & C)
1 The people dived for cover as the bullets flew over their heads. .. .as over their heads -flew
the bullets.
2 That night, just as John had predicted, a heavy snowfall came down.
3 The two men were talking in front of the station.
4 A line of police officers was behind the protesters.
5 A small stream ran at the end of the street. There was an overgrown garden across the
stream.
6 She could hear the sound of the tractor and suddenly it came round the corner.
7 A white pillar was in front of them and a small, marble statue stood on top of it.
8 The teacher blew a whistle and the children ran off.

119.2 Match the most likely sentence halves and then make new sentences beginning Were...,
Should..., or Had.... (D)

1 If the government were forced into another a you will be expected to start work
election,... on 1st April,
2 If you should wish to make an appointment to b a large area of the sea would be
see Dr Simons,... contaminated.
3 If she had become a lawyer, as her parents c I would have been held responsible,
wished,... d it would be the favourite to win.
4 If the chemicals were to leak,... e she would have earned a large
5 If you should have further problems with your salary,
printer,... f she is available between 9.00 and
6 If Germany were to beat Romania,... 11.00.
7 If anything had gone wrong with my plan,... g contact your dealer for advice,
8 If you should decide to accept the post,... h they would face Italy in the final.

Example: 1 + (<L) Were the government to be -forced Into another election, It would be the
•favourite to win.

119.3 Write new sentences from these situations using as or than + be or do. (E)
1 She loved staying in the cottage. Her friends who visited her there loved it, too.
She loved staying in the cottage, as did her -friends who visited Her there-.
2 Compared to France, Germany has more company-cars on its roads.
Germany...
3 The European Union is in economic difficulties, together with the USA and Japan.
TVie European Union...
4 Compared with ten years ago we now know a lot more about the Universe.
We now know...
5 My sister knows something about computers, but I know a lot more.
I...
6 After forty years the hotel is still there. The man who first ran it is there, too.
After -forty years,...

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 Key to exercises

115.4 4 It is expected that around It's no good/use or There's no

2 There being only one train a 100,000 will attend the rally. point in
week to Mount Isa, I decided 5 It is believed that the men
to fly. escaped through a broken
3 There being no objections to window. UNIT 118
the proposal, we moved on to 6 It is not yet understood how
the next agenda item. the accident happened. 118.1
4 There being no demand for 2 ...it's in the Queen Mary
116.4 Hospital (that/where) she's
their products, the company
was forced to close. Example answers: having the operation.
2 It takes considerable patience 3 ...it was because they wanted
to teach small children. to watch TV (that) they came
3 It takes courage to go bungee to visit us.
UNIT 116 jumping. 4 ...it's because he's working so
116.1 4 It takes a lot of application to hard (that) he's feeling unwell.
2 It was a miracle that she wasn't learn a foreign language.
118.2
hurt in the fall.
2 No, what I meant was that I
3X
will/would lend you the money
4 It was far from clear where the UNIT 1.17
until next week.
light was coming from.
117,1 3 No, what I thought was that he
5X
2 noticed was going on his own. (or
6 It is obvious that you already
3 enjoyed it would be going)
know my secret.
4 leave it 5 No, what I did was (to) repair
7 It will be surprising if the two
5 owe it the old one. (or (to) get the old
countries don't reach an
6 love it one repaired.)
agreement soon.
7 remembered 6 No, what I did was (to) phone
8X
8 consider it the managing director directly.
(In spoken English we might say:
7 No, what I did was (to) invite
3 It was a serious drawback, their 117.2
him to my house instead.
decision.; 5 It's to be made this 1 Other possible answers: I see it
evening, the announcement.; as necessary to perform the 118.3
8 It's arrived, the parcel I was operation... / ...that we should 2 No, not exactly; the place
expecting. However, these are perform the operation... (where/that) Nick lives is called
unlikely in written English.) 2 I take it as a good sign that Broomfield.
Alan is now able to get out of 3 Yes, in fact the reason
116.2 bed. (why/that) we moved house
Most likely answers: 3 I take it as an indication of the was that we wanted a bigger
2 + d It seemed to be the case success of the treatment that he garden.
that Beckman had a wrist can already walk again. 4 If you ask me, somebody
injury for most of the match.
4 I view it as important that he who/that takes excellent
3 + e It emerged after the
returns to work... / ...that he photographs is David Diskin.
concert that this was to be the
should return to work... /
band's last world tour.
...that he return to work as
4 + a It transpired during the soon as possible.
trial that Jacobs possessed UNITIfi
5 I regard it as remarkable that
three handguns. 119.1
he has made a complete
5 + b It follows from the results 2 ...down came a heavy snowfall.
recovery.
of the survey that people are 3 In front of the station, the two
(For more information about the
happy with the quality of men were talking, (no
alternative answers in 1 and 4, see
supermarket food. inversion)
Unit 48.)
(These sentences would be more 4 Behind the protesters was a line
likely in written than in spoken 117.3 of police officers.
English.) 1 There's no need 5 At the end of the street ran a
2 It's no surprise small stream. Across the stream
116.3
3 There's no chance/hope/ (there) was an overgrown
2 It is planned to hold the
question garden.
competition again next year.
4 it's no longer 6 ...and suddenly round the
3 It is not known why the
5 There's no doubt corner it came, (no inversion)
robbery was not reported
6 there's no point
earlier.
7 It's no secret

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Key to exercises

7 In front of them was a white 5 I know a lot more about 120.2

pillar, and on top of it stood a computers than my sister does, Suggested answers:
small, marble statue. ('than my sister.' would be 2 was the force of the wind
8 ...and off ran the children. ambiguous here. It could mean 3 is the demand for the book
'I know a lot more about 4 unlikely did his story sound
119.2 computers than I know about 5 confident was he of passing
Most likely answers: my sister.') Inversion in this 6 serious was the famine
1 + d ('Should the government case - 'than does my sister.' -
be forced into another election' would be rather formal and 120.3
is also possible.) less appropriate in this context. Corrections are given in the
2 + f Should you wish to make underlined sections.
6 After forty years, the hotel is
an appointment to see Dr The people of Sawston were
still there, as is the man who
Simons, she is available evacuated yesterday as forest fires
first ran it.
between 9.00 and 11.00. headed towards the town. Such
3 + e Had she become a lawyer, was the heat of the oncoming
as her parents wished, she inferno that trees more than 100
would have earned a large UNIT 120 metres ahead began to smoulder.
salary. 120.1 Only once in recent years, during
4 + b Were the chemicals to leak 2 Never before had the race 1994, has a town of this size had
(or Should the chemicals leak), been won by a European to be evacuated because of forest
a large area of the sea would be athlete. fires. A fleet of coaches and lorries
contaminated. 3 Scarcely had the plane taken arrived in the town in the early
5 + g Should you have further off when smoke began to morning. Into these vehicles
problems with your printer, appear in the cabin. climbed the sick and elderly
contact your dealer for advice. 4 Not a sound did she make as (inversion is more likely in this
6 + h Were Germany to beat she crept upstairs. written context), before they
Romania {or Should Germany 5 On no account must this headed off to safety across the
beat Romania), they would window be unlocked without river. Residents with cars were
face Italy in the final. prior permission. ordered to leave by mid morning.
7 + c Had anything gone wrong, Later in the day, as the wind
6 Not until he retired did he
I would have been held changed direction and it became
think about having a holiday
responsible. clear that the fire would leave
abroad.
8 + a Should you decide to Sawston untouched, complaints
7 Barely had he left the office
accept the post, you will be were heard from some residents.
when/before the telephone
expected to start work on 1st "At no time did the fires pose a
started ringing, (or No sooner
April. real threat," said one local man.
had he left the office than...)
"I didn't want to leave my home,
119.3
8 Seldom is the interior of the and nor did most of mv
2 Germany has more company- island visited by tourists. neighbours." But Chief Fire
cars on its roads than does 9 No sooner had I stepped Officer Jones replied, "Had we
France, ('than France.' would through the door than Judith not taken this action, lives would
also be possible.) started asking me questions. have been put at risk. Only when
3 The European Union is in (or Barely had I stepped the fires have moved well away
economic difficulties, as are the through the door when/ from the town will residents be
USA and Japan. before...) allowed to return to their
4 We now know a lot more 10 Only after they had finished homes."
about the Universe than we did eating did they get round to
ten years ago. ('than ten years business. (Notice where the
ago' would also be possible.) inversion occurs.)
Note that inversion is not 11 In no way is the existence of
possible here - not 'than did extraterrestrial life confirmed
we ten years ago.' - as the by the report.
subject is a pronoun ('we'). 12 Little did she realise what
would happen to her next.

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