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inversion of order

The document explains the concept of inversion in English grammar, where the normal word order of Subject-Verb can be altered to Verb-Subject for emphasis or dramatic effect. It highlights various scenarios such as using negative adverbs and conjunctions that necessitate inversion, along with examples and practice exercises. Additionally, it covers other forms of inversion in short answers and conditional sentences.

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Sandra Sans
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8 views

inversion of order

The document explains the concept of inversion in English grammar, where the normal word order of Subject-Verb can be altered to Verb-Subject for emphasis or dramatic effect. It highlights various scenarios such as using negative adverbs and conjunctions that necessitate inversion, along with examples and practice exercises. Additionally, it covers other forms of inversion in short answers and conditional sentences.

Uploaded by

Sandra Sans
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Inversion
Introduction
• The normal word order for English sentences
is :

Subject+verb Example : ‘She is laughing .’



• We cannot change the word order .
• We cannot say : ‘Laughing she is’ nor ‘Is she laughing’ (at
least not in an affirmative sentence)
Introduction
• But in certain cases we can change the word order to
Verb+Subject
and this is called
INVERSION


‘Off walked the dragon into the sunset’
->The normal word order is : ‘The dragon walked off into the sunset’

‘Never have I heard such a ridiculous story’


->The normal word order is : ‘I have never heard such a ridiculous
story’
Introduction
When do we use inversion?
• For emphasis
• To make the sentence more dramatic

• In literary or formal language (especially
negative sentences)

In the cartoon, why did the little angels


use inversion?
Introduction


Emphasis
Dramatizing in a story

alan murray & ana fernández


Examples of inversion :
COMPLEMENT+’TO BE’+SUBJECT

Examples :

• The night is tender .



-> ‘Tender is the night’ (poetic)

• His real plan is to take over the world.


-> ‘To take over the world is his real plan .’
Inversion :
Negative adverbs and conjunctions
• Look at these sentences

1. Seldom have I worked so hard in all my life.


2. Never have I experienced such cold weather .

1.Rarely do we start work before 9 in the
morning.
• What kind of word comes first in each sentence?
• Are all the words at the beginning of the sentences
negative?
• Where is the subject?
• What is the ‘normal’ word order in each of the
sentences ?
Answers
• What kind of word comes first in each sentence?
 An adverb

• Are all the words at the beginning of the sentences


negative?
 Well , yes . A word like ‘rarely’ has a ‘restrictive’ meaning and is


in a way negative .

• Where is the subject?


 After the auxiliary verb

• What is the ‘normal’ word order in each of these


sentences ?

1. I have seldom worked so hard...


2. I have never experienced such cold weather .
3. We rarely start work before 9 in the morning
Inversion :
Negative adverbs and conjunctions
• Words we use for negative inversion.

• Never..... / Rarely-Seldom.... / Little....

E.G. Little does he know who is waiting for him.

• Phrases we use for negative inversion.

• 
Hardly/Barely/Scarcely...........when...
• No sooner....................................than...
• Not only........................but...also..............
• On no account........... / Under no circumstances......
• At no time/point...
• On no other day.....
• Only (now, then, occasionally, in the last few
days......)

E.G. Under no circumstances must you talk to him about it .


Inversion :
Negative adverbs and conjunctions
• Now try and correct these sentences (if
they are wrong!)

•
•

At no point we were asked our opinion.
Little they knew he was a spy.
• Seldom we see each other .
• On no other day would the weather be so
good .

alan murray & ana fernández


Inversion : Answers
• At no point were we asked our opinion.
• Little did they knew he was a spy.
• Seldom do/did we see each other .
• On no other day would the weather be so
good .(CORRECT) 
Inversion :
Negative adverbs and conjunctions
• Not until & only
Examples :

• Not until the sun came up did we stop drinking



notice that the auxiliary is in the middle of the sentence.
Why?

• Only in Mataró do they have such traffic


problems .
 Is ‘only’ a negative word?
Inversion : Answers
• Not until the sun came up did we stop drinking

notice that the auxiliary is in the middle of the sentence.


Why?

Because ‘Not until’ first needs a complement .


It cannot stand on its own . So ‘Not until the
sun came up’ is like an adverb – an adverbial phrase.

• Only in Mataró do they have such traffic problems.

 Is ’only’ a negative word?

Well , ‘only’ excludes other possibilities . Only this ,


not that or the other one . So it is , in a sense , negative .
Inversion :
Negative adverbs and conjunctions
• Join these sentences using the words in
brackets .


• He saw the photographs . He realised
what had happened (Only)
• The police came . She stopped screaming
. (Not until)
• You will give up smoking . You will feel
better . (Not until)
Answers
• Only when saw the photographs did he
realise what had happened
• Not until the police came did she stop
screaming . 
• Not until you give up smoking will you feel
better .
Other inversions
• In short answers and other similar structures
using SO, NEITHER / NOR
“I’m a plumber”. “Really? So am I”
“I don’t like sushi” “Nor/Neither do I”

• After SO and SUCH 


“So late was it that there was no one in the office”
“Such was the force of the wind that trees were
uprooted”
• In conditional sentences, we can
use SHOULD, WERE and HAD
instead of IF (it suggests the event
is less likely to happen).
LET’S PRACTISE!
LET’S PRACTISE!
https://
wordwall.net/resource/4694222/inver
sion-practice
https://
wordwall.net/resource/1420319/cae-in
version
https://
wordwall.net/resource/790516/inversio
ns/complete-inversion

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