Here comes the

most enjoyable
topic!
INVERSION
(questIon
word order)
 Inversionis used to give emphasis or
to be rhetorical in more formal
situations, in political speeches, on
the news, and also in literature.
Some native speakers may also use
them occasionally in day-to-day
conversation.
 When a sentence starts with
some prepositional phrases,
negative adverbs or certain
adverbial constructions,
inversion is obligatory.
 The term inversion covers two
grammatical operations:
 1.Using a question form of the main verb
 Never have I enjoyed myself more!

 2.Changing the normal positions of verb

and subject
 Along the street came a strange
procession.
 PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES
SHOWING LOCATION:

 The
fields lay beyond him.
Beyond him lay the fields.
 Themain gardens are to the north.
To the north are the main gardens.
A
house is among the trees.
Among the trees is a house
Prepositional phrase+verb+subject
 NEGATIVE ADVERBS:

Ihave never seen such terrible

poetry.
Never have I seen such terrible
poetry.
Ihad hardly left the house when I
heard an explosion.

Hardly had I left the house when I

heard an explosion
Ihad no sooner gone out than it
began to rain.

 Nosooner had I gone out than it

began to rain.
 Sally
rarely watches television at
night.

 Rarely does Sally watch television at

night.
Ihad scarcely turned on the TV
when the lights went off.

 Scarcely
had I turned on the TV
when the lights turned off.
I have hardly ever seen such a good
film.

 Hardly ever have I seen such a

good film.
Iwill no longer work at the
weekends.

 Nolonger will I work at the

weekends.
Ididn’t remember that I had an
appointment with her until I phoned
her to ask how she was.

 Not until ( only when ) I phoned

her to ask how she was did I
remember that I had an appointment
with her.
 Youshouldn’t let the dog out under
any circumstances.

 Under no circumstances should

you let the dog out.
 Youare not supposed to open this
safe on any condition.

 On no condition are you supposed

to open this safe.
 Mike went bankrupt and also lost his
wife.

 Notonly did Mike go bankrupt but

also he lost his wife.
 They won’t help you in any way.

 In no way will they help you.

 We little knew that he was a
foreigner.

 Littledid we know that he was a

foreigner.
 Time expressions
Hardly,Barely,Scarcely, No sooner
These refer to an event which quickly
follows another event in the past.
They are usually used with the past
perfect, although No sooner can be
followed by past simple.
 Time expressions
never,rarely,seldom
 These are most commonly used with
present or past perfect,or with
modals such as can or could.
 After “only”;
 Here “only” combines with other time
expressions and is usually used with past
simple.
 Only after/when/then/later
 ADVERBIAL CLAUSES OF
RESULT:
 She is so famous that everybody
knows her.
So famous is she that everybody
knows her.
 Her beauty is such that everybody
admires her.
Such is her beauty that everybody
admires her.
 CONDITIOnALS:
 If you should need any help, you
can tell me.
Should you need any help, you can
call me.
 If I had known that you were ill, I
would have visited you.
Had I known that you were ill, I
would have visited you.
 Ifhe were here now, he would help
us.
Were he here now, he would help us.
 If he said yes,I would be so happy.

Were he to say yes,I would be so

happy.
 Negatıve adverbs,whıch requıre
ınversıon ın ınıtıal posıtıon are
lısted below:
 Barely  Not until…
 Nowhere
 Hardly ever  Only
 Hardly…when  On no account
 Little  Rarely
 Neither  Scarcely
 Never  Seldom
 No…sooner than  Under no
 Nor circumstances
 Not only…but also
 Not once
 NOW IT’S YOUR TURN!
 1.I have never read such an interesting
book.(never)
 ________________________________ .
 2.He seldom listens to other people’s
advice.(does)
 _________________________________ .
 3.He lost both his passport and money.
(only)
 ________________________________ .
 4.Sue rarely goes out without her
husband.(go)
 _______________________________ .
 5.They little know about our future
plans(do)
 ________________________________ .
 6.I didn’t understand him until he started
speaking English.(did)
 ________________________________ .
 7.I had no sooner slept than I heard a loud
noise coming from upstairs.(sooner)
 _________________________________ .
 8.We were at no time allowed to smoke in
his office.(no)
 ________________________________ .
 9.As soon as I started the engine the car
burst into flames.(sooner)
 ________________________________ .
 10.If I had listened to the weather
forecast,I wouldn’t have set off yesterday
afternoon.(had)
 ________________________________ .
 11.If I were you, I would buy that blue
dress.(were)
 ________________________________ .
 12.If I won the lottery,I would go there(win)
 ________________________________ .
 13.If you should arrive early in the
morning,call me at home.(should)
 ________________________________ .
 14.You shouldn’t cheat in the exam under
any circumstances.(no)
 ________________________________ .
 15.The exam was so easy that all the
students passed it without difficulty.(so)
 _________________________________ .
 16.I have seldom seen such clever
students.(seen)
 _________________________________ .
 17.She has never been to the theatre
before.(been)
 _________________________________ .
 18.The professor fell down just after he
finished his lecture.( Barely)
 _________________________________ .
 ANSWERS:
 1.Never have I read such an interesting
book.
 2.Seldom does he listen to other people’s
advice.
 3.Not only did he lose his passport but
also he lost his wife.
 4.Rarely does Sue go out without her
husband.
 5.Little do they know about our future plans.
 6.Not until he started speaking English did I
understand him.
 7.No sooner had I slept than I heard a noise
coming from upstairs.
 8.At no time were we allowed to smoke in his
room.
 9.No sooner had I started the engine than it
burst into flames.
 10.Had I listened to the weather forecast,I wouldn’t have
set off yesterday afternoon.

 11.Were I you,I would buy that blue dress.

 12.Were I to win the lottery,I would go there.

 13.Should you arrive early in the morning,call me at

home.

 14.Under no circumstances should you cheat in the

exam.
 15.So easy was the exam that all the students
passed it without difficulty.

 16.Seldom have I seen such clever students.

 17.Never has she been to the theatre before.

 18.Barely had the professor finished his lecture

when he fell down.