Inversion

Di dalam kalimat inversion (inverse/pembalikan) kata kerja utama ataupun kata kerja bantu

berada sebelum subjek. Ada dua tipe umum inversion:

1.    Subject-verb Inversion
   Best of all would be to get a job in Willingham.

 On long wall hung a row of van Goghs.

 Then came the turning point of the match.
  Here comes the first question.

 There is the dog. Call the dog.

 Down came the rain.
 There’s your sister.
Main/Auxiliary Verb + Subject
 2.   Subject-Operator Inversion
 
 Not before in our history have so many strong influences united to produce so large a
disaster.
 Never again did I think of disobedience.
 On no account must he strain.
 So badly was he affected that he had to be taught to speak again.
 Is the weather improving?
 Not a word did he say
Auxiliary Verb + Subject + Main Verb

Perhatikan penggunaan so, such, neither, dan nor.

 She hadn’t known much about life, nor had he.
  As infections increased in woman, so did infections in their babies.

 Such is the gravity of the situation that it has already sparked an international

incident.I do not want to go, neither does Ali. 

Bentuk-bentuk inversion:
1.   Kalimat Pertanyaan (Questions)
 Have you finished your paper?
 Where is the concert taking place?
Perhatikan:
   I wondered how reliable was the information I had been given.

      2.   Setelah Ekspresi Kata Keterangan Tempat (Place or Direction Expressions)

       In an arm chair sat his mother. (BUKAN In an arm chair sat she.)
       Under a tree was lying one of the biggest men I had ever seen.
       Directly in front of them stood a great castle.
       In the forest are many exotic birds.
        In the forest I walked for many hours. (Tidak butuh diinversi; KK tempat nya bisa
dihilangkan)
       Here comes Freddy! (dalam percakapan)
       There goes your brother. (dalam percakapan)
       Nowhere have I seen such beautiful weather.
              Jika subjek sebuah kata ganti (pronoun):
              Here she comes. (BUKAN Here comes she.)

      3.   Kalimat Pengandaian (Conditional Sentences)

             I would help you if I were in a position to help.

       I would help you were I in a position to help. (inversion; kata if dihilangkan)

       If he had asked, I would have been able to help.
       Had he asked, I would have been able to help. (inversion)
       If you should arrive before six, just give me a call.
       Should you arrive before six, just give me a call. (inversion)
          Dalam kasus ini, kata negatif tidak di singkat:
            Had he not resigned, we would have beenforced to sack him.(BUKAN Hadn't he...)
            Had we not spent all our money already … (BUKAN Hadn’t we spent …)

4.   Kalimat Perbandingan (Comparisons: As dan Than)

            
       My sister spends more hours in the office than John.
       My sister spends more hours in the office than John does.
       My sister spends more hours in the office than does John. (inversion)
       She was very religious, as most of her friends were.
       She was very religious, as were most of her friends. (inversion)
          Inversion tidak digunakan ketika subjeknya berupa kata ganti orang (pronoun)

     5.   Kata-Kata Bermakna Negative (Negative Expressions)

            I have never seen it.

       Never have I seen it. (inversion)
       He did not say a word.
       Not a word did he say. (inversion)
       I seldom sleep during the day.
       Seldom do I sleep during the day.
       Much have I learned from him. (much: tidak sedikit).
       I do not want to go, and neither does Tom.
       Sheila did not arrive late for work, nor did she leave
Negative + Auxiliary Verb + Subject
Kata negative lainnya: never, seldom, rarely, little, few, not a, not only, only later, only then,
only if, not once, hardly ever, scarcely ever, barely ever, much, in no other way, under/in no
circumstances, nor, neither. Not far dan not long tidak digunakan dalam inversion.

     6.   So + adjective… that; Such + be… that

      Her business was so successful that Marie was able to retire at the age of 50.
        So successful was her business that Marie was able to retire at the age of 50.
(inversion)
       The weather conditions became so dangerous that all mountain roads were closed.
       So dangerous did weather conditions become that all mountain roads were closed.
(inversion)
       The play is so popular that the theatre is likely to be full every night.
       Such is the popularity of the play that the theatre is likely to be full every night.

     7.   Dalam permohonan (Wishes: May)

       May all your wishes come true!
       May Allah bless you!

      8.   Story-telling
       “What do you mean?” asked Henry.
       “I love you” Whispered Jan.
                  Jika subjek sebuah pronoun:
                      “What do you mean?” he asked.

Reference:
 Azhar, Arsyad. 1987. Mastering Modern English Structure.  Ujungpandang: AMA
Press.
 Biber Douglas & Susan Conrad, Geoffrey Leech. 2003. Student Grammar of
Spoken and Written English. England: Logman.
 Leech,  Geoffrey. 2006. A Glossary of English Grammar. Edinburgh:
Edinburgh University Press.
 Hewings, Martin. 2002. Advanced Grammar in Use. New York: Cambridge
University Press.
 Philips, 2000. Deborah. Longman Preparation Course for the TOEFL
Test. Longman.
 Swan, Michael. 2009. Practical English Usage. Oxford: Oxford University Press.