I

2015
1

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REVISO 2012

Inversions%
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Inversion!involves!putting!an!auxiliary!verb!before!the!subject!of!a!clause,!making!an!affirmative!sentence!
have!a!question!structure!in!it.!This!makes!the!sentences!more!formal!or!poetic.!Here!are!the!most!
common!situations:!
3
May3
May!God!bless!you!!
May!you!pass!the!CAT!!
%
Exclamations3
Aren't!you!a!silly!girl!!
Isnt!it!a!lovely!day!!
!
OR IS IT? OR DOES HE?
!

3
m She%loves%cake%m%or2does2she?
Negative3and3restrictive3adverbs3at3the3beginning3of3sentences:3
m You%went%there%m%or2did2you?
!!
We%use%the%auxiliary%according%to%
Never!do!I!sleep.!
the%verb%tense%of%the%statement%and%
Only3at!night!can!I!study.!
to%the%person.
Only3then!did!I!understand!the!problem.!!!
Only3after!understanding!the!situation!did!the!teacher!make!a!comment.!
In3no3way!could!I!help!you!with!your!grammar!question.!I!think!that!only3rarely!will!I!need!your!help.!
Not3until!I!got!home!did!I!realize!that!my!shoes!were!untied.!
Seldom3has!he!seen!anything!stranger.!
Hardly3ever!does!she!cook.!
Barely!did!she!touch!her!food!
Scarcely3had!I!got!out!of!bed!when!the!doorbell!rang.!
No3sooner!had!he!finished!dinner,!when!she!walked!in!the!door.!
Little!did!he!understand!the!situation.!
!
Important:!when!we!use!the!auxiliaries!DO/DOES/DID,!the!verb!stays!in!its!base!form!!
She!never!burps!!>>>!Never!does%she%BURP!

A%common%inverted%construction%is%NOT2ONLY...2BUT2ALSO.
Ex:%NOT2ONLY2has&she&gotten&the&prize,&BUT2ALSO2an&invitation&to&parade&for&DKNY.

teacher.mauricio@hotmail.com

Mauricio Silveira

We%use%this%structure%to%put%a%
statement%in%doubt:

Professor

%
So3&3Neither3
I!like!fish.!So!does!he.!
I!dont!drink.!Neither!do!I.!
%
Formal3Conditional3clauses3
Were!I!a!car,!I!would!be!a!Ferrari.!
Had!she!not!been!smart,!shed!have!been!killed.!
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