Inversion

Standard word order in English declarative

sentences is first the subject, then the verb.
(See Basic Word Order in the section
Grammar.) For example:

Lena went to the park yesterday.

I am reading a book now.

This story is rather long.

She has found her keys.

Changing standard word order is called

"inversion" (inverted word order; inverse
word order). Inversion in English usually
refers to placing the auxiliary, modal, or
main verb before the subject. Inversion is
used with a certain aim, often for emphasis.
For example:

Never before have I seen such beauty.

There may be another problem.

Away ran the witch and the monster.

The words "standard word order; normal

word order; ordinary word order" (that is,
first the subject, then the verb) do not mean
that inverted word order (that is, first the
verb, then the subject) is incorrect or
abnormal.

Standard word order and inverted word

order have different uses. For example,
inverted word order is necessary in
questions, which means that inverted word
order is normal word order for questions.

Note:

It is advisable for language learners to avoid

using most of the emphatic inverted
constructions described below. It is
necessary to understand inversion, but it is
better to use standard, ordinary word order
in your own speech and writing.

Cases of inversion that you really need to

use in your speech include questions, the
construction "there is, there are", sentences
beginning with "here" or "there", and
responses like "So do I; Neither do I".
Examples of other inverted constructions are
given here in two variants for comparison of
inverted and standard word order.

Note that English inversion may not always

be reflected in Russian translation.
Typical cases of inversion

Inversion in questions

The most common type of inversion in

English consists in moving the auxiliary verb
into the position before the subject. This
type of inversion is most often used in
questions. For example:

Did Lena go to the park yesterday?

Has she found her keys?

Will he come to the party?

Is this story long?

How long is this story?

(For more examples of questions, see Word

Order in Questions in the section Grammar.)

Construction "there is, there are"

Inversion is required in the construction

"there is, there are" and in cases where a
modal verb or a main verb is used in such
constructions.

There is an interesting article about Spain in

today's paper.
There are several books on the table.

There must be a reason for it.

There can be no doubt about it.

There exist several theories on this matter.

Once upon a time, there lived an old man in

a small house by the sea.

Inversion after "here" and "there"

Inversion takes place in sentences beginning

with the adverb "here" or "there". Some
phrases beginning with "here" or "there"
have idiomatic character.

Here is the book you asked for.

Here comes the sun.

Here comes my bus.

Here comes your friend.

There is my sister!

There goes the bell.

There goes my money!

If the subject of the sentence beginning with

"here" or "there" is expressed by a personal
pronoun, the verb is placed after the
subject.

Here it is. Here you are. Here you go.

There you are. There you go.

Here he comes. There he goes.

Here I am. There she is.

Here we go again.

Constructions with "so" and "neither"

Inversion is required in responses like "So

do I" and "Neither do I". (See So do I.
Neither do I. in the section Phrases.)

I like coffee. – So do I.

I don't like coffee. – Neither do I.

She will wait for them. – So will I.

She won't wait for them. – Neither will I.

Inversion is also required in compound

sentences with such constructions.

I like coffee, and so does Ella.

I don't like coffee, and neither does Ella.

She will wait for them, and so will I.

She won't wait for them, and neither will I.

Conditional sentences

Inversion is required in the subordinate

clause of conditional sentences in which the
subordinating conjunction "if" is omitted. If
the conjunction "if" is used, inversion is not
used. Compare these conditional sentences
in which inverted word order and standard
word order are used.

Should my son call, ask him to wait for me

at home. – If my son should call, ask him to
wait for me at home. If my son calls, ask
him to wait for me at home.

Were I not so tired, I would go there with

you. – If I weren't so tired, I would go there
with you.

Had I known it, I would have helped him. –

If I had known it, I would have helped him.

(See "Absence of IF" in Conditional

Sentences in the section Grammar.)

Inversion after direct speech

Inversion takes place in constructions with

verbs like "said, asked, replied" placed after
direct speech.
"I'll help you," said Anton.

"What's the problem?" asked the driver.

"I lost my purse," replied the woman.

If the subject of such constructions is

expressed by a personal pronoun, the verb
is usually placed after the subject.

"Thank you for your help," she said.

"Don't mention it," he answered.

Note: Many examples of inverted

constructions like "said he; said she; said I"
(used interchangeably with "he said; she
said; I said" after direct speech) can be
found in literary works of the past centuries.
For example: 'I am not afraid of you,' said
he, smilingly. (Jane Austen) 'Where is the
Prince?' said he. (Charles Dickens) "That's a
fire," said I. (Mark Twain)

If verbs like "said, asked, replied" are used

in compound tense forms, or if there is a
direct object after "ask", inversion is not
used. For example: "I'll help you," Anton will
say. "What's the problem?" the driver asked
her.

Standard word order is also used in

constructions with verbs like "said, asked,
replied" placed after direct speech,
especially in American English. For example:
"I'll help you," Anton said. "What's the
problem?" the driver asked.

If verbs like "said, asked, replied" stand

before direct speech, inversion is not used.
For example: Nina said, "Let's go home."

Inversion in exclamatory sentences

Inversion is sometimes used for emphasis in

exclamatory sentences. Compare inverted
and standard word order in the following
exclamatory sentences.

Oh my, am I hungry! – I'm so hungry!

Oh boy, was she mad! – She was so mad!

Have we got a surprise for you! – We've got

a surprise for you!

May all your wishes come true!

How beautiful are these roses! – How

beautiful these roses are!
Inversion depending on the
beginning of the sentence

The following cases of inversion occur when

some parts of the sentence, for example,
the adverbial modifier of place or direction,
come at the beginning of the sentence.
Inversion in such cases consists in moving
the auxiliary verb, and in some cases the
main verb (i.e., the whole tense form), into
the position before the subject.

Such types of inversion are used for

emphasis, mostly in literary works. It is
advisable for language learners to use
standard word order in such cases. The
examples below are given in pairs: Inverted
word order – Standard word order.

Inversion after "so", "such", "as"

So unhappy did the boy look that we gave

him all the sweets that we had. – The boy
looked so unhappy that we gave him all the
sweets that we had.

Such was her disappointment that she

started to cry. – Her disappointment was so
strong that she started to cry.
Owls live in tree hollows, as do squirrels. –
Owls and squirrels live in tree hollows.

As was the custom, three fighters and three

shooters were chosen.

Inversion after adjectives and

participles

Gone are the days when he was young and

full of energy. – The days when he was
young and full of energy are gone.

Blessed are the pure in heart.

Beautiful was her singing. – Her singing was

beautiful.

Inversion after adverbial modifiers of

place

Right in front of him stood a huge two-

headed dragon. – A huge two-headed
dragon stood right in front of him.

In the middle of the road was sitting a

strange old man dressed in black. – A
strange old man dressed in black was sitting
in the middle of the road.

Behind the mountain lay the most beautiful

valley that he had ever seen. – The most
beautiful valley that he had ever seen lay
behind the mountain.

Inversion after postpositions

The doors opened, and out ran several

people. – Several people ran out when the
doors opened.

Up went hundreds of toy balloons. –

Hundreds of toy balloons went up.

If the subject is expressed by a personal

pronoun, the verb is placed after the
subject.

Are you ready? Off we go!

Out he ran. – He ran out.

Note: Direct object at the beginning of

the sentence

Direct object is sometimes placed at the

beginning of the sentence for emphasis. In
such cases, the subject usually stands after
the object, and the predicate follows the
subject; that is, inverted word order is
generally not used if the object is moved.
Compare:

That we don't know. – We don't know that.

Those people I can ask. – I can ask those

people.

Red dresses Lena doesn't like. – Lena

doesn't like red dresses.
Inversion in negative
constructions

Inversion is required in negative sentences

beginning with the following negative
adverbs and adverbial phrases: never;
never before; not only...but also; not until;
no sooner; at no time; on no account; under
no circumstances.

Inversion also takes place in sentences

beginning with the following adverbs and
adverbial phrases used in a negative sense:
rarely; seldom; hardly; scarcely; little; only
when; only after; only then.

Inverted negative constructions are used for

emphasis, mostly in formal writing and in
literary works.

If you don't need or don't want to use

emphatic inverted negative constructions,
don't put the above-mentioned expressions
at the beginning of the sentence.

Compare the following examples of inverted

and standard word order in sentences with
such negative constructions. The first
sentence in each group has inverted order of
words.
Examples:

Never before have I felt such fear. – I have

never felt such fear before.

Never in his life had he seen a more

repulsive creature. – He had never in his life
seen a more repulsive creature.

Not only did he spill coffee everywhere, but

he also broke my favorite vase. – He not
only spilled coffee everywhere but also
broke my favorite vase.

Not only was the princess strikingly

beautiful, but she was also extremely
intelligent. – The princess was not only
strikingly beautiful but also extremely
intelligent.

Not until much later did I understand the

significance of that event. – I understood
the significance of that event much later.

No sooner had she put down the phone than

it started to ring again. – As soon as she put
down the phone, it started to ring again.
The phone started to ring again as soon as
she put down the receiver.

At no time should you let him out of your

sight. – You should not let him out of your
sight at any time. Don't let him out of your
sight even for a second.

Under no circumstances can she be held

responsible for his actions. – She cannot be
held responsible for his actions.

Rarely have I seen such a magnificent view.

– I have rarely seen such a magnificent
view.

Seldom do we realize what our actions

might lead to. – We seldom realize what our
actions might lead to.

Little did he know what his fate had in store

for him. – He did not know what his fate had
in store for him.

Hardly had I stepped into the house when

the light went out. – I had hardly stepped
into the house when the light went out.

Scarcely had he said it when the magician

appeared. – He had scarcely said it when
the magician appeared.

Only when I arrived at the hotel did I notice

that my travel bag was missing. – I noticed
that my travel bag was missing only when I
arrived at the hotel.
Only after my guest left did I remember his
name. – I remembered my guest's name
only after he left.