11 GRAMMAR Inversion Inversion The term inversion covers two different grammatical operations: © Using a question form of the main verb Not onl did he fail to report the accid it also later denied th he had been | driving the ca Never have L enjoyed inyself more! © Changing the normal positions of verb and subject, Along the strect came a strange procession. | See Grammar 12 for an explanation of this example. Inversion after negative adverbials | @ This only occurs when the adverbial occurs at she beginning of a clause. All the examples below are used in formal language, usually for rhetorical effect, such as in political speeches. They are not usual in everyday spoken language. Compare Never have I heard a weaker excuse! Thave never heard a weaker excuse! @ Time expressions: ever, rarely, seldont These are most commonly used with present perfect or past perfect, or with modals suich as can and could. Sentences of this type often contain comparatives, Rarely can « minister have been faced with such a problem. Seldom has the tean given a worse performance Rarely had I had so nnich re onsibility © Time expressions: hardly, barely; scarcely, no sooner These refer to an event which quickly follows another in the past. They aze usually used with past perfect, although no sooner can be followed by past simple, Note the words used in the contrasting clause. Hardly had the train left the station, when Scarcely had E entered the room wheu the phone rang, No sooner had I reached the door than I realized it was locked, No sooner was the team back on the pitch than it started raining. here was ant explosion © After only Here only combines with other time expressions and is usually used with past simple. Only after posting the letter did I remember thot I had forgotten to put on a stamp. Other examples are only if’when, only then, enty later Note that when omth- refers to ‘the state of being the only one’, there is no inversion following it. Only Mary realized that the door was not lockGRAMMAR 11 INVERSION © Phrases containing no/not These include under no circumstance condition, not until, not only... (but also) On no condition are they to open fire without a warning Not until I got home did I notice that I kad th on no account, at no time, in no way, on no verong umbrella, © Little Litile also has a negative or restrictive meaning in this sense Little does the government appreciate what the results Inversion after so/such with that © This occurs with so and adjectives when the main verb is be. tis used for and is more common than the example with such, So devastating were the flood phasis that some areas ma never recover. © Such used with be means So much/so great, Such was the force of the storm that trees were uprooted s in the examples with such, inversion only occurs if so/such is the first word in the clause, Inverted conditional sentences without /f © Three types of /f- sentence can be inverted + likely there would be an outcry: ‘out Jf. This makes the senten more formal and makes the event le If they were to escape, Wore they to escape, Ifthe police had j Were the police to have found out, I would hc If you should hear any here would be an o utery: und out, I would have & been in trouble. 5 hing, let me know Should you hear anything, let me knov If he has cheated, he will have to be Should he have cheated, h If Thad known, I would have protested sti Had known, I would have prot nished, will have to be punished. gly ed strongly © Inversion after as This is more common in formal or written language. We were short of money, as were most people in our neighbourkocd. ought, as did my colleagues, that the recession would soon be over © Inversion after so, neither and nor These are used in ‘echoing’ statements, agreeing or disagreeing A: Tam going home. B: So am I A: I don't like meat. B: Neither do I See Grammar 12 for ways of giving emphasis without inverting after soADVANCED LANGUAGE PRACTICE 1 Correct any sentences which are inappropriate in the contexts given, 1 10 so Guest to host; ‘So nice was that pudding, that I would like to have some more? That, pudding was, $0.4 shat, able Witness to court: ‘No sooner had I turned out the light, than I heard a noise outside’ ., o vs vs News reader: ‘Such was the force of the earthquake, that whole villages have been devastated, Parent to child: ‘Should you fancy a pizza, let's order one now: Friend to triend: ‘Never before have I seen this film Politician to audience: Seldom has the country faced 4 greater threat? Celebrity to interviewer: ‘Were Ito have the time, 1d go climbing more ofter Victim to police officer: Scarcely had we been int ‘oduced when he punched me for no reason. Printed notice: ‘Under no circumstances is this control panel to be left unattended? Colleague to colleague: Should you change your mind, just let me knowGRAMMAR 11 INVERSION 2 Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. 1 was only when the office phoned me that [found out about the meeting find th cBhentd mt dd | find ont. about the meeting 2. The facts were not all made public atthe time later Only sa : all made public. 3 The response to our appeal was so great that we had to take on more staff response SUCH ann to our appeal that we had to take on more staff. larry broke his leg, and also injured his shoulder, but Not only 5 also injured his shoulder, 5 The police didn't suspect at all that the judge was the murderer, did Little enn as being the murderer, 6 The bus driver cannot be blamed for the accident in any way held In responsible for the accident. 7 Ifthe government increased taxes, they would lose the election. raise Were , taxes, they would lose i election. 8 Assoon as I got home, I realized Ta left my bag in the shops had No sooner wn. crow T realized Pd left my bag in the shops. 9 It was only when I asked a passer-by that I realized where I was did Not until evn where I was 10. The minister was interrupted just after starting his speech, when Hardly : he was interrupted.ADVANCED LANGUAGE PRACTICE 3 Complete each sentence with a phrase from the box. Rarely have No sooner had Under no circumstances are Were you. Rarely have Hardiy-had Not only did Under no circumstances will as do Little did 1 Hardly had cent discount 1 suppose, promotion. interval. disappeared 10 4 Complete each sentence with a phrase containing a suitable form of the verb in brackets. 1 Should (need) 2. Were the plane (take of been killed, 3. Had (study) my exams 4 Should (be) Had (go) would not be so il. 6 Never before (spend)... birthday Should (feel) meal. 8 Were (offer) would accept. 9 Had (take) could have been avoided. carcely (get) news of Geoffrey: -» We arrived at the hotel, when there was a power cut. irom clients, members of staff to accept gratuite: Detective Dawson realize what she was to discover! to pay the full amount now, there would be a ten per most people, that 1 will be retiring at 63 the doctors seen a more difficult case Jean win first prize, but she was also offered a late arrivals be admitted to the theatre before the cone missing child been found, than another three so many employees taken sick leave at the same time. .-anything, could you let me know? , everyone in it would have harder, I would probably have passed all i in the neighbourhood, drop in, to the doctor immediately. your daughter -» 80 much money on her daughter's _» hungry, just call room service, and order a her the job, we couldn't be sure that she the necessary measures, this political crisis home when the police called us withGRAMMAR 11 INVERSION 5 Underline the correct word or phrase in each sentence. ed that he 1 Tim pro never/never would he tell anyone else rn id I remember to call Susan, haw when the lights went out Not until it was too late I remembere Hardly had we settled down in our seats Onlly after checking three times Iwasa 2 3 4 3 Ato time was awcare/was J aware of anything out of the ordinary 6 8 I certain of the answer, Only Catherine and s ey’ pass the final examination, Only when Pete ha ' ed can we begin the programme. hen the sun came out. No sooner had it stopped raining than & Complete the text by writing a word or phrase from the box in each space. little seldom Re-seoner scarcely had Well, ladies and gentlemen, we've done it again = another election victory. The last four years of office have been a wonderful time for the party, a tale of adversity overcome. (1). hadwe come to ofc than the Steck Maret crashed. But we sured that sae, and we came out of I it stronger forthe experience, The oppostion claimed we were faltering, (2) damon F have | heard Such hypocrisy from a party which continued to squabble internally for the next four | years. Then (3) . Ce a felow caled David Ren, wth his new breakavay f i f Democratic party but he did't have much sucess in the opinion pols! “vvv~rmun Gd he clim he'd become Prime Minister vithn three years, he ago ‘eckoned that this party was now unpopular with younger voters (5) ee éd he realize that t would be the young voters who gave us an Overwhelming vote of confidence in yesterday's election. (6 .. had the first votes rolied in when it was obvious ‘hat we would be re-elected witha huge majoriy (7). mmm WAS the extent of Our victory thatthe New Democrats obtained a meagre fine seats. (8). : they known they would pertrm so poor | dn thiak they would have been quite so scathing in their crtidsm of our economic pocy Bu est assured, lates and gentlemen, Q) government. And | am confident, (10) ~» il we rest on our laurels, There is no room for complacency inthis cvotnnnewsns PM SUPE are most of you, thatthe | net four years willbe a resounding success. Thank yeu, >a ROP SEs— CO SISSSSSS ADVANCED LANGUAGE PRACTICE 7 Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. 1 Please never ever interrupt me when I'm in a meeting, am fant | (ever) to be intermspted hor Tim ina meetin On no account 2. Nobody thom this school has ever writen a better composition, anyone Never -~rmsmanone Witten a belter composition. Such was the demand for tickets that people queued day and great The demand for tickets that people queued day and night 4 The money is not to be paid under any circumstances no Under se 5 t0 be paid. 5. Three days passed before we arrived at the first oasis, had Not until at the first oasis, 6 Little did Brenda know what she was letting herself in for no Brenda -vownonn What she was letting herself in for Twas only when I stopped that {realized something was wrong, did Only. Penaero that something was wrong 8 The accused never expressed regret for what he had done. time At eee -~» Fegret for what he had done 9. Exhaustion prevented any of the runners from finishing the race. A were So et eee of them finished the race. 10 Its not common for there to be so much rain in Mare see Seldom ....00 z seemmnenen SO Much rain in March, > SEE ALSO Grammar 12: Emphasis Consolidation 3: Units 9-12 a