FCE-1: THEORY ON INVERTED CLAUSES AND

THEORY: INVERTED CLAUSES

TIP: The ability to transform sentences so that they have similar meaning is an indispensable skill
which can help you make significant improvement in all the four linguistic skills of the FCE: Speaking,
reading, listening and writing.
THEORY FCE- INVERTED CLAUSES-1
1- What is an inverted clause?
Whenever we begin a sentence with a negative adverb phrase, we often have to change the usual
word order of subject and verb. The part of the sentence with the subject-verb inversion is the
inverted clause). Examples:
- The cardiac patient began to recover only after several months.
Only after several months did the cardiac patient begin to recover. (Only after several months: the
adverbial phrase)

- The cardiac ward is spotlessly clean and spacious.

Not only is the cardiac ward spotlessly clean but also spacious. (Not only…. but also:
corresponds to the adverbial phrase)

2-Why do we use inverted clauses?

We use inverted clauses for a number of reasons. But the main reason is to emphasise the adverb
placed at the beginning of the sentence. For instance, when we use: Never, no where, not only, not
a soul, etc.
1. I had never seen so many patients in an emergency ward.
(Normal word order)
Never had I seen so many people in an emergency ward
(Inverted clause- presumably after an accident)
2. The neurosurgeon was not only fast but also quite efficient.
Not only was the neurosurgeon fast but also quite efficient.

Types of adverbial phrases that demand inversion

3. After placing negative adverbs at the beginning of a sentence we should use inversion:
Not until you pass your intern exam will you be allowed to practise surgery.
Not until you apologise for your rude behaviour…+ inversion
Not until I saw her did I remember we had been to medical school together. (Note: did I remember
is the inversion which is in the second part of the sentence)
Not since I was under-graduate have I had so much fun at a party. (did I remember: inverted
clause)
Not for one minute did I imagine that St. Thomas’ Hospital will recruit me.
Not for one minute did I think that the hotel will refund my money

 4. After time phrases that begin with only

Only when I saw her after surgery did I realise the extent of her illness.
Only later did the patient and the nurse realise what had happened.
Only in the last few days has the truth started to dawn on her.
Only then did nurse Blackburn remember where she had put the car keys.
Only when I’m through with this surgery will I be able to think about my finances. (Note: the
inversion is in the second part of the sentence)

MORE EXAMPLES
Only just this morning….
Only last month…..
Only last week…..
Only a few minutes before the take off….
Only an half an hour earlier…..
Only recently……..
Only in the last trimester……….

5-NOTE:
As I have just pointed out, after not until, only when and only after, the inversion is carried out in
the main part of the sentence alone; so obviously, it will be wrong to write:

WRONG: Not until you pass your intern exam you will be allowed to practise surgery.
RIGHT: Not until you pass your intern exam will you be allowed to practise surgery.

6- With infrequent adverbs indicating little knowledge of a situation)

Whenever we put negative adverb which indicates how infrequently things happen at the beginning of
a sentence to emphasise it we should us inverted clause after it:
The patient didn’t realise what was about to happen.
The patient wasn’t aware of what was about to happen.
Little did the patient realise what was about to happen.

7. -After frequency adverbs

Just like the above situation, whenever we put broadly negative adverb which indicates frequency at
the beginning of a sentence to emphasise it we should us inverted clause after it:

Hardly did any patient complained about the noise.

Never have I eaten such a good meal in a hotel
Rarely do the doctors get away to the beach for a holiday.
Seldom is Dr. Hartford late for surgery.

 Hardly ever does nurse Blackburn come to work in high heels.

8. After adverb phrases containing the word -no:

In no way……….
On no account……………
Under no circumstances…………
At no time…………
At no time must we disobey the chief of resident instructions.

9- After time expressions instead of adverbs: hardly, barely, scarcely, no sooner, etc.
These time phrases refer to sequence of events which happened in the past.
Hardly……………..when
Scarcely…………..when
Barely…………….when

Barely had the doctors finished the operation when another accident victim was brought in

Hardly/scarcely/barely/ had the nurses got back from surgery when they were confronted with a
flood of accident victims who needed immediate assistance

10. These time phrases are usually used with past perfect, but no sooner can be used with past
simple as well.
Note: No sooner always takes than instead of when
No sooner………….than
As soon as Dr. Parker arrived, he was confronted by a group of journalists with questions.

No sooner had Dr. Parker arrived than he was confronted by a group of journalists with questions.
10-When not to use an inverted clause
We do not use inversions to emphasise a noun. We only do that when the adverb phrase modifies a
following verb.
With a noun: (No inversion)
Hardly any doctor expects …..
Hardly any hospital expects …..
Scarcely any patient expects….
Barely any surgeon expects …..
With a verb: (Inversion)
Rarely do we come across this type of cancer in children