Inwersja Stylistyczna

Inwersja stylistyczna to kolejny temat, który spędza sen z powiek niejednemu uczniowi. Tego typu
konstrukcji nie spotkamy zbyt często w języku potocznym. Pojawia się głównie w doniosłych
wypowiedziach polityków lub na kazaniach. Niemniej dobrze jest wiedzieć co nie co o inwersji, bo
lubi się ona pojawiać na wszelkiego typu testach i egzaminach, m.in. maturze rozszerzonej, FCE i
CAE

Jak wygląda?

Inwersja to tzw. szyk przestawny, czyli zdanie przybiera formę zdania pytającego
(operator+podmiot+ czasownik

Kiedy jej używamy?

Oczywiście, chcąc podkreślić ważność naszej wypowiedzi. Poniżej natomiast znajdziecie listę
KONKRETNYCH zastosować inwersji

• jeśli na początku zdania używasz długiego wyrażenia przysłówkowego.

np. At his feet lay a beautiful black and white cat. – U jego stóp leżał piękny czarno-biały kot.

• jeżeli swoje zdanie zaczynasz od negatywnego przysłówka lub spójnika (np. never, only,
seldom, rarely, no sooner, hardly, neither, nor, etc.)

np. Hardly had she opened the door when she was attacked.– Ledwo zdążyła otworzyć drzwi, kiedy
została zaatakowana
Never have I seen such a mess! – Nigdy nie widziałam takiego bałaganu!

Pamiętaj!

Przysłówek hardly wymaga użycia when, a no sooner wymusza użycie czasu PAST PERFECT a
następnie spójnika than.

np. No sooner had I arrived at the station than the train came. – Ledwo dotarłam na stację kiedy
pociąg przyjechał.

• jeżeli zdanie rozpoczyna się od wyrażeń only if, only when, only after, only by stosujemy
inwersję w drugiej części zdania.

np. Only when she had nished her homework did she go to the party. – Dopiero gdy skończyła
odrabiać pracę domową, poszła na imprezę.

• jeśli używasz przysłówka na początku swojego zdania

np. Away ran the dog.

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 Uwaga! Jeśli podmiotem zdania jest zaimek, musi on wystąpić po przysłówku.

Away it ran.

• jeżeli chcesz podkreślić przymiotnik lub rzeczownik. Użyj wtedy formuły:

SO + PRZYMIOTNIK + THAT lub

SUCH +PRZYMIOTNIK Z RZECZOWNIKIEM + TO BE + OSOBA + THAT albo też

SUCH + TO BE + RZECZOWNIK +THAT

Wiem to trochę skomplikowane, zatem spójrz na przykłady:

Np. So beautiful was the dress that she had to buy it. – Taka piękna była ta sukienka, że musiała ją
kupić
Such a beautiful dress was it that she had to buy it. – Taka piękna była ta sukienka, że musiała ją
kupić
Such was the force of the wind that it destroyed most of the trees. – Taka była siła wiatru, że
zniszczyła większość drzew

•  inwersji użyjesz również po takich słówkach jak:

not only … but also – nie tylko … al

not for – ani prze
on no condition – pod żadnym warunkie
under no circumstances – w żadnych okolicznościac
on no account – pod żadnym pozore
at no time – nigd
in no way – w żaden sposó
nowhere – nigdzi
not until – dopóki nie (inwersja w drugiej części zdania
little – nie zdawać sobie z czegoś sprawy

Inwersja w Okresach Warunkowych

• Pierwszy okres warunkowy (Should …

If you see him, tell him that I have to talk to him. – Jesli go zobaczysz, powiedz mu, że muszę z nim
porozmawiać
Should you see him, tell him that I have to talk to him.

• Drugi okres warunkowy (Were + podmiot + bezokolicznik z ‚to’

If I won this lottery, I would be so excited. – Gdybym wygrał na loterii, byłbym bardzo
podekscytowany
Were I to win the lottery, I wold be so excited.

• Trzeci okres warunkowy (Had+osoba+ 3 forma czasownika

If she had known about it earlier, she would have prepared better.- Jeśli wiedziałaby o tym
wcześniej, przygotowałaby się lepiej
Had she known about it earlier, she would have prepared better.
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 EXERCISE
USING INVERSION, REWRITE THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES BEGINNING WITH
THE WORDS GIVEN.

You come to realise the signi cance of the murder only in the last few pages of the book
Only in the last __________________________________________________________________
The demands of her job are such that she is rarely able to take a holiday
Such __________________________________________________________________________
The matter could be explained in no other way
In ____________________________________________________________________________
I have seldom heard such beautiful singing
Seldom ________________________________________________________________________
Peter didn't realize that he had lost his keys until he got home
Not ___________________________________________________________________________
If Mr Chan had been kinder to his employees, his business would not have collapsed.
_______________________________________________________________________________
If an emergency should arise, dial 999.
_______________________________________________________________________________
There are no circumstances where audience members may consume alcohol
Under no circumstances ___________________________________________________________
They started to argue soon after they had got married
No sooner ______________________________________________________________________
You can't use my new car at any time
At no time ______________________________________________________________________

EXERCISE
REWRITE THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES USING INVERSION.

1. The gang didn't know that the police had them under surveillance
Little __________________________________________________________________________
2. We won't consider you for the basketball team until you grow up
Not until _______________________________________________________________________
3. Nobody has won so many matches for his team since 1994
Not since _______________________________________________________________________
4. You will not be allowed to enter the auditorium under any circumstances once the play has
started
Under no circumstances ___________________________________________________________
5. He would never play in front of a live audience again
Never _________________________________________________________________________
6. Amy had not enjoyed herself so much since she went to the circus as a child
Not since ______________________________________________________________________
7. I have never seen such a terrible performance of Hamlet before
Never before ___________________________________________________________________
8. They only realized the painting had been hung upside down when someon
complained at reception
Only when _____________________________________________________________________
9. I had been in the room for a few minutes when I realized that everyone wa
staring at me
Only after _______________________________________________________________________

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 10. He discovered that he had injured his knee when he tried to run
Only when _____________________________________________________________________
11. The new park was hardly nished when vandals destroyed the owerbeds
Hardly _________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
12.You shouldn't sign a contract you haven't read thoroughly under an
circumstances
Under no circumstances ___________________________________________________________

EXERCISE
CHOOSE THE CORRECT OPTION TO COMPLETE THE SENTENCES.
1. _______________________ that I was speaking to someone as important as Professor Sims
a) Little have I known
b) Little did I kno
c) Little I knew
d) I knew littl

2. In no way ___________________ question his honesty, although I think that he made some
wrong decisions
a) did I ever
b) I ever di
c) had I ever
d) I had eve

3. Hardly _____________________ we were told that it would soon be time for lunch
a) we had nished breakfast that
b) had we nished breakfast that
c) had we nished breakfast when
d) we had nished breakfast whe

4. At no time before I accepted the job ___________________ that I would have to do so much
travelling around the country
a) did they told
b) I was tol
c) I had been told
d) was I tol

5. Not since the 1960s _______________ attended an anti-war demonstration in London

a) so many people hav
b) have so many peopl
c) did so many people have
d) had so many people ha

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 EXERCISE
COMPLETE USING THE WORDS IN BRACKETS WITH THE VERB IN THE CORRECT
FORM

1. Not until the area is made safe _______________________________________ (construction/can

continue)
2. In no way ____________________________________________________ (the announcement/
affect) how strongly we felt about the situation
3. Seldom __________________________________________________ (you/see) a vintage car in
quite such good condition these days
4. Not only __________________________________________ (Jerry/forget) my birthday, but he
also forgot our wedding anniversary
5. At no time _________________________ (I/ask) my opinion on the subject
6. Only when I checked the ticket again __________________________ (I/realise) that I had won
rst prize
7. Only if the weather is clear _________________________________ (the space shuttle/will
allow) to launch
8. Such ____________________________ (the media interest/be) in the wedding that there were
over a dozen photographers

EXERCISE
COMPLETE USING THE WORDS AND PHRASES IN THE BOX.

at no point in no way little never not not only no sooner only after scarcely on
no account rarely under no circumstance

1. __________________________ were the security guards to blame for what happened

2. __________________________ once did the old woman thank me for helping her
3. __________________________ seeing the doctor was Theresa allowed to leave hospital
4. __________________________ will passengers be allowed to carry more than 2 pieces of hand
luggage
5. __________________________ were they late to work, but they also forgot to bring the reports
6. __________________________ during the party did anyone mention that Peter and Julie were
getting married
7. __________________________ had Alan arrived in Mexico when he was arrested
8. __________________________ did the passengers know that the driver was really an
undercover police of cer
9. __________________________ do you meet anyone as charming as Mr Peterson
10. __________________________ should unaccompanied children be allowed to enter the pub
11.__________________________ before has the company found itself facing such stiff
competition
12.__________________________ had the alarm gone off than the police cars arrived.

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