5. The electricity won’t be switched on until all the overdue bills have been paid.

The moment ………………………………………………………………………...

6. I keep the keys in my hand all the time to avoid losing them. (IN CASE)
……………………………………………………………………………………….
7. The day was windy and cold, but the holidaymakers went to the beach.
Even though ………………………………………………………………………...
8. He put the muzzle on the dog’s mouth because he didn’t want it to bite anybody.
(SO THAT)
………………………………………………………………………………………
9. Gina was tired, but she didn’t lose her concentration.
However …………………………………………………………………………….
10. Although she didn’t love the man, she agreed to marry him.
In spite of …………………………………………………………………………...

18. Inwersja - Inversion

Pojęcie inwersji dotyczy sytuacji, w której podmiot zdania twierdzącego oraz jego
orzeczenie zostają zamienione miejscami. Budowa takiego zdania przypomina
strukturę pytania, choć nie wyraża znaczenia pytającego. Inwersja czasownika jest
niezbędna w sytuacji, gdy na początku zdania umieszczony jest przysłówek lub zwrot
przysłówkowy o znaczeniu negującym. Zdania z inwersją stosowane są dla
wzmocnienia informacji, którą przekazują lub dla nadania jej większego dramatyzmu.
Zdania takie mają wydźwięk formalny. Przysłówki oraz zwroty przysłówkowe, po
których stosowana jest inwersja to:

at no time nor only then/when

hardly ever not for one moment on no account
hardly … when not only on no condition
in few cases not till/until rarely
in no circumstances nowhere scarcely ever
little only after scarcely … when
neither only by seldom
never before/again only if so (… that)
no longer only in this way such (… that)
no sooner … than only later under no circumstances

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 I didn’t think of giving up climbing at any time. à
At no time did I think of giving up climbing.

They hardly ever consult their decisions with me. à

Hardly ever do they consult their decisions with me.

She knows very little about what has happened. à

Little does she know about what has happened.

I haven’t ever listened to music like this before. à

Never before have I listened to music like this.

She had no sooner gone out than it started to rain. à

No sooner had she gone out than it started to rain.

Mick not only travelled in England; he also learned the language. à

Not only did Mick travel in England; he also learned the language.

It wasn’t until she came closer that I recognized her. à

Not until she came closer did I recognize her.

You will not find so hospitable people as here anywhere. à

Nowhere will you find so hospitable people as here.

You can’t leave the camp on any account. à

On no account can you leave the camp.

Elks are rarely seen in this part of the continent. à

Rarely are elks seen in this part of the continent.

Inwersja czasownika jest także stosowana po przysłówkach:

so + ‘przymiotnik’ + ... that oraz such + be + ... that

The peace in the region is so frail that an outbreak of fighting seems inevitable. à
So frail is the peace in the region that an outbreak of fighting seems inevitable.

The collaboration is so strong that nothing can weaken it. à

Such is the strength of the collaboration that nothing can weaken it.

Inwersja czasownika występuje także w konstrukcji formalnej trybu warunkowego

typu I, II oraz III np.

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 If a storm should strike, you are advised to sail back to the coast. à
Should a storm strike, you are advised to sail back to the coast.

If I were in your place, I wouldn’t deposit so much money in the bank. à

Were I in your place, I wouldn’t deposit so much money in the bank.

If the competitor had observed the rules, he wouldn’t have been disqualified. à
Had the competitor observed the rules, he wouldn’t have been disqualified.

W języku potocznym można także zastosować inwersję czasownika po przyimkach as

oraz than w zdaniach typu:

She was clever, as was her brother lub as her brother was.

Mr McAllister has expelled more students from school,

than did his predecessor lub than his predecessor did.

W języku literackim lub w konstrukcjach formalnych inwersja może także pojawić się
po wyrażeniach przysłówkowych, wskazujących na miejsce lub kierunek,
umieszczonych na początku zdania np.

Across the bridge marched a small unit of the allied soldiers.

On the window sill was (lub there was) a clay flower pot.

Inwersja występuje także po przysłówkach here, now i there oraz po przyimkach typu
down, in, off, up, round jeżeli zajmują one miejsce na początku zdania np.

Here comes the birthday cake.

Now goes the whole story.
Off went the pursuers.
Down fell the coin.

EXERCISE BANK

I. Choose one correct answer.

1. On no condition ………………… about our strategy with our rivals.

a) you may talk b) may you talk
2. ………………… the door when I heard a knock.
a) I had hardly locked b) Hardly I had locked

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 3. ………………… the danger zone in any circumstances.
a) You shouldn’t enter b) Shouldn’t you enter
4. Johnny didn’t win the first place, nor ………………… the world record.
a) he didn’t beat b) did he beat
5. Only when the lights went on ………………… the boy tampering with the door
lock.
a) did I see b) I saw
6. None of us had realized how bad his condition was until ………………… .
a) was he operated on b) he was operated on
7. Not only ………………… the terrorists but she also helped them plan their next
attack.
a) did the woman hide b) the woman hid
8. Such ………………… that he remained speechless for about two minutes.
a) David’s amazement was b) was David’s amazement
9. It wasn’t until yesterday that ………………… the whole truth.
a) she revealed b) did she reveal
10. Never ………………… something like that before.
a) have I experienced b) I have experienced

II. Put the verbs in the correct tense form.

1. Hardly ………………… (the concert/begin) when the lights ………………… (go

off). Unfortunately, it had to be called off.
2. Seldom ………………… (Harry/travel) by plane. He’s afraid of flying.
3. The authorities called on the police to escort the football fans. Only in this way
………………… (they/can/prevent) further riots.
4. Not till I ………………… (take) my glasses out of the case …………………
(I/see) they were broken.
5. Michael is rather indifferent to our problems. Little ………………… (he/care)
about them.
6. At no time ………………… (Monica/consider) giving up her studies. She was
really determined to become a lawyer.
7. I hadn’t heard of a substance like this before, nor ………………… (I/realize) how
dangerous it could be.
8. Only after ………………… (Mrs Wiggs/threaten) to take the matter to court,
………………… (she/receive) the money she had deposited.
9. No longer ………………… (Mr Andrews/work) for us. He was sacked when it
turned out he had been trading the company confidential information.

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10. In few cases ………………… (the bacteria/cause) serious gastric complications so
far and that’s why it’s not considered particularly dangerous.

III. Complete each gap with one correct word.

1. Not ………………… they saw dry land, did the sailors believe their lives were
saved.
2. Scarcely had the film started ………………… our TV set broke down.
3. Under no ………………… are you allowed to bathe in the river.
4. Pamela didn’t want talk to me, ………………… did she take the flowers I brought
her.
5. ………………… by tying the man’s hands and legs were the policemen able to
make him stop struggling.
6. No ………………… had one fallen tree been removed from the road than another
was knocked down by the wind.
7. ………………… badly was my nose blocked that I could hardly breathe.
8. On no ………………… must you leave the baby unattended.
9. I had ………………… swallowed the pill when I felt the pain was disappearing.
10. ………………… was the children’s excitement that they didn’t notice Santa
Clause was wearing their father’s shoes and glasses.

IV. Rewrite the sentences using the prompts so the meaning remains the same.

1. We do not rent rooms any more.

No longer ……………………………………………………………………………
2. We only realized we had crossed the border when we met the villagers.
Only when …………………………………………………………………………..
3. It was the first time that I played in a casino.
Never before ………………………………………………………………………...
4. If Tina doesn’t undergo the treatment, she won’t combat the infection.
Only if ……………………………………………………………………………...
5. You won’t see such wonderful landscapes anywhere else.
Nowhere else ………………………………………………………………………..
6. We couldn’t understand what the woman was saying until she calmed down.
Not till ………………………………………………………………………………
7. Let me know if you should come across that old album.
Should ………………………………………………………………………………

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 8. I had only just gone to bed when the doorbell rang.
No sooner …………………………………………………………………………...
9. The information may not be leaked to the press in any circumstances.
In no circumstances …………………………………………………………………
10. Whales are not often seen in this part of the world.
Seldom ……………………………………………………………………………...
11. I didn’t think of resigning for one moment.
Not for one moment ………………………………………………………………...
12. The temperature was really low, so the mountaineers had to wear face masks.
So …………………………………………………………………………………...
13. The negotiations would have collapsed if it hadn’t been for your involvement.
Hadn’t ……………………………………………………………………………….
14. As soon as he was released from prison, he committed another crime.
Hardly ……………………………………………………………………………….
15. It wasn’t until last month that we learned our daughter was pregnant.
Not until …………………………………………………………………………….
16. His career has never been exposed to a greater danger.
At no time …………………………………………………………………………..
17. The politician was so embarrassed that he didn’t know what to say.
Such …………………………………………………………………………………
18. If I were to sign the agreement, I would discuss its conditions with my lawyer first.
Were ………………………………………………………………………………..
19. We could only save the company by selling it to a larger corporation.
Only by ……………………………………………………………………………...
20. The vault may not be left unlocked on any account.
On no account ………………………………………………………………………

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