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Negative adverbs are words like never, not only, and notonce. You can start a clause with a negative
adverb to add emphasis. When you use a negative adverb to start a clause, put the verb before the
subject.
Auxiliary verbs
When the verb is a simple present verb, add do or does before the subject.
• Not only does the Millau Viaduct ease traffic congestion, but it has become a landmark.
When the verb is a simple past verb, add did before the subject
When the verb is a present perfect or past perfect verb. put has, have or had before the subject.
• Not only has the bridge solved the traffic problem, but it has become a major landmark
Inversion with little, rarely, hardly, hardly ever, seldom, and only + prepositional phrase
Some adverbs including little, rarely, hardly, hardly ever, and seldom have a negative
meaning. When you use these adverbs to start a clause, use the same in version and put the
• At the outset, little did they realize how difficult the project would be.
You also invert the subject and verb after only + prepositional phrase.
Only by elevating the highway were the architects able to achieve the stunning
visual
impact. Only on clear days does the valley below become completely visible.
Clauses that begin with a noun or pron
Only invert the subject and verb when a negative adverb begins a clause. If the clause begins with a
noun or pronoun subject, you do not need to change the word order.
The Millau Viaduct not only eases traffic congestion, but it has become a landmark but Not only does
the Millau Viaduct ease traffic congestion, but it has become a landmark. Engineers had never
before attempted to build a bridge like this.
but Never before had engineers attempted to build a bridge like this
Only invert the subject and verb when only at the beginning of a clause is followed by a prepositional
phrase.
but Only by elevating the highway were the architects able to achieve the stunning visual
impact