English word order inversion and dislocation

English word order is rather rigid, fixed, and inflexible. This is due to the fact that English has lost nearly
all its inflections grammatical inflections, so that in modern English syntactic functions in the sentence
are expressed through the ordering of the words. In other words, the operation of the grammatical
principle is rather strong in English. Typologically English is an S V O language. This means that the
normal word order of the simple, active declarative positive unempathetic sentence is S V O or SVP, P
for predicative. This is the normal, the basic word order. These two basic patterns are not necessarily
affected by having secondary parts placed either before or after or in the middle of them. The basic word
order is only affected when the framework itself, the main elements that is, is upset. All departures from
the basic word order can be grouped under two headings, inversion and dislocation.
Inversion can be partial and complete or full inversion. We have partial inversion when only the operator
or the auxiliary verb that is, is placed before the subject. If there is no explicit, no overt operator in the
sentence we introduce the do operator do, does did, and we get the following patterns, operator, subject,
verb, object, or operator subject verb predicative. This is partial inversion. Now in full inversion. The
main verb itself stands before the subject, and we get the following patterns, verb, subject object, or
VSO and verb, subject predicative or VSP small P that is, this is full inversion. Now inversion
basically implies, changing the places, their relative positions of the verb and the subject. Well, this
location is a more general term. It may involve inversion, but it means changing the place of an element
or taking a sentence element or sentence part from its normal usual position and moving it to a position
which is not typical for it.
But, let's continue with the types of inversion so far, we explained the difference between partial and
complete or full inversion. Now we can distinguish also between functional and dislocational inversion.
Functional inversion has special functions of its own. And hence the name functional. This location or
inversion comes as the result of dislocation. Now dislocation is a form of emphasis. It consists in taking
some secondary part of the sentence out of its usual position and placing it at the head of the sentence
mainly in order to emphasize it or to stress it. And what we get is for example, O S V object, subject
verb, or P S V predicative subject verb. So these are the patterns of possible patterns of dislocation.
Now dislocation often causes full or partial dislocational inversion, the pattern for full dislocation or
inversion will be O V S object, verb, subject, and a P V S predicative verb, subject, and the patterns
for partial dislocation or inversion, the following object operator subject verb, or predicative operator
subject verb.
Now, a few words about functional inversion. The chief syntactic function of inversion is to show that a
sentence is not declarative. Thus, we have functional inversion in the following types of sentences.
1.In questions, as in the following examples: Have you seen her lately? This is partial functional
inversion. However, in WH questions and that is in special questions. The inversion is dislocational. For
example: She has been somewhere. somewhere functions as an adverbial and now in the special question
when we ask about this adverbial we have dislocational inversion as in the following example: Where has
she been?
2.In optative sentences,
A) optative sentences with the verb may: May you burn in hell for example, or May your generation
never see another war? Optative wishing when you express a wish, these sentences are called optative
B) in fossilized or fixed phrases with the subjunctive.
Examples
Long live the queen.
So be it.
Suffice it to say that he has a criminal record.
Well, suffice it to say, this is how it is used. Of course you can say it suffices to say, but in that sentence,
we have no inversion. Well, these are just options.
3.In imperative, negative sentences with an overt subject. Don't you do that? Don't anyone leave the
room?
4.In exclamatory sentences
In true exclamatory sentences, beginning with an exclamatory element inversion is used only in literary
style.
How dreadful is this place?
5.In conditional clauses. Usually inversion is only permissible when the sentence contains the following
auxiliaries:
A) the perfective had, as in the following examples
Had I had money, I would have bolted
B) the subjunctive, were as in the following example
Were I a King I would buy you a diamond ring.
C) the hypothetical should
Should you see him tell him about it.
A few words about dislocational inversion. Since dislocational inversion is the results of disocation we
may study it best together with the dislocation, which causes it. From the point of view of the dislocated
sentence element.
First, the first type of dislocation, which we'll start with is dislocation of the subject. Since the normal
place of the subject is at the head of the sentence in English the question of dislocation can hardly arise
only with complex subjects in extra position. One might say that the placing of the complex subject at the
head constitutes a sort of dislocation.
Now, if you have, an example next through position оf closer subject in which this complex close or
subject is at the end of the sentence as in the following example,
It was evident from his returning color that his health was improving.
Now here, the complex closer subject is that his health was improving, but it is at the end of the
sentence. Now, when we move it back to initial position, which in English is the normal position of the
subject. We could say that this is a kind of dislocation of the subject.
That his health was improving was evident from his returning color.
Second we can talk about dislocation of the verb of the second main part of the sentence that is. The
placing of the verb at the head of the sentence is bound to result in inversion. So are we justified to speak
about dislocation of the verb? We can speak about dislocation of the verb only in the so called existential
sentences. Such sentences are formed by the pseudo subject there followed by a verb, suggestive of
existence, motion, appearance, or appearing on the scene of events. These sentences also have a logical
subject after which is placed after the verb.
For example,
There is a cat under the table.
There is the pseudo subject, a cat is the logical subject. So the dislocation of the verb is, is as regards the
logical subject a cat. Now, if you compare it with the sentence, A cat is under the table in which the
subject coincides with the logical subject a cat.
And it takes the initial position. And we can say that this sentence is existential only semantically only in
terms of its meaning while the, there existential sentences existential syntactically because it complies
with a special syntactic frame, which we associate with a word order change, which has its functional
meaning. Maybe placing the subject or pushing the subject to a later position of the sentence provides the
subject with more emphasis. It becomes more prominent, um, regarding the so called linear modification
of speech or the basic development of speech according to which the end of the sentence is the most
prominent position. So this was proposed by the Prague linguists, and it has been accepted by many many
modern linguists. Now there is no inversion in the existential sentence concerning the grammatical
subject there.
And it is the grammatical subject because it is grammatically active. It is the subject which goes into
inversion. When we turn the sentence into a question, Is there a cat under the table? Is there, so we
have inversion and this inversion is provided by changing the places of the grammatical subject there,
and the verb.
Some other examples of existential sentences with other verbs, not only the verb to be as we said,
There exists no power or Earth that can rob us of our Liberty.
There arrived a stranger in the town one day. You see, arrive is a verb of motion and it allows all sorts of
inversions, such verbs, allow an initial position in the sentence as in the famous example, which we
usually give and this lecture, which is taken from Jack London and it is the sentence goes as follows
Came fried food days so cold and frost. So the sentence begins with the verb and this is full inversion,
and this is full dislocation of the verb. There arrived a stranger in the town one day. So you can have all
possible configurations here. You could say, of course, a stranger arrived in the town. One day in the
town. One day arrived, a stranger, Oh, so possible full inversion because of the verb
In the town one day arrived, there arrived a stranger. So this is also possible.
Now three or third, the third type of dislocation is the dislocation of the object. The dislocation of the
object may or may not cause inversion. So we can have dislocation of the object with inversion, and we
can also have dislocation of the object without inversion. Well, that is consider dislocation of the object
with inversion. Initial position of the object with inversion is fairly frequent. When the object is
accompanied by a negative or limiting modifier,
Or for example,
Not a word, did he say
Never assign, could I see
Scarcely a word could I hear
Much do I know about it
Little did he tell us of his intentions, etc
So all these words, not never scarcely much, um, little, well, they have negative meanings and
limiting meanings. Only one word did he utter only limiting meaning or quantifying meaning
sometimes like much and less or little or words like that when they accompany the object. And the object
is shifted to the head of the sentence this causes inversion, as you can see from the examples and the
second, this type of dislocation of the opportunities, dislocation of the object without inversion, which
is normal in colloquial English. And we choose also possible in the following cases,
A) when the object consists of, or is accompanied by a strongly stressed demonstrative pronoun
pointing back to something just mentioned, or sometimes for contrast,
For example, these are where the examples will be short dialogues, many dialogues, because you see that
the object has to point back to something mentioned previously
Can I forget-Yes that I can, that here is the object, which is a morphologically realized by a
demonstrative pronoun. And it has been topicalized. It has been fronted. It has been dislocated and it is
possible because it is a demonstrative pronoun. But on the other hand, there is no inversion I subject can
verb. So the order between the subject and the verb is not inverted, only the object has been fronted or
moved.
Another example
He is a good friend that I know
She has betrayed you that much I expect it.
I don't know much, but this, I do know
This I do know that nothing good can come of dishonesty
B) In colloquial exclamatory sentences, like A fine trade You're learning. a fine trade. Instead of
saying, you're learning a fine trade. Well, the dislocation has the function to add additional
emphasis on the object, A fine trades You're learning. A pretty building I'm making without
either bricks or timber Curious fascination that French month had.
C) we have dislocation of the object without inversion in oppositions presented with the pears.
Some- some, some- others, one -the other in such cases, strong contrast is implied. As in the
following examples,
Some of the potatoes, she cooked some she left for another day. instead of saying she cooked
some of the potatoes and she left some of them for another day, which will be a totally different
sentence in terms of a communicative value. You have some of the potatoes, she cooked some she
left for another day
Some things I can do others I simply can't strong contrast is sometimes implied by dislocating the
object without the above oppositions, without even without such oppositions. For example,
Talent, mr. Macabre has capital, Mr. Macabre has not
Vodka I like, but coffee, I detest.
Fourth, the fourth type of dislocation will be the dislocation of the predicative. The dislocation of the
predicative may or may not cause inversion just like the case with the object. It causes inversion in the
following cases
A) in connection with negative and quantatative modifiers. Such forms are distinctly stilted and
literary stilted means stiff artificial and formal sounding rather pompous stilted.
For example,
No coward was here. Instead of saying He was no coward, say no coward was he
More frequent is the use of iron for such articles.
Very fine is also the ode to duty.
Very beautiful is also the next contestant
B) In Concesive clauses introduced by us.
For example,
Bitter as was the prospect he persisted. However, if the subject of the concesive clause is expressed by
a pronoun, inversion does not take place. If you remember, we had this rule when we talked about
fronting of a postfix of a phrasal verb. And then we said that pronominal subjects block the inversion.
When the subject is morphologically realized by a pronoun, then there is no inversion
Tired as I was, I continued to work. Ttired as I pronoun was the verb follows the subject pronoun. The
dislocation of the predicative does not cause inversion in the following cases
A) when the predicative serves to connect two clauses the so called link emphasis link emphasis,
I said she would be late and late she was. Late is the predictive, which serves as a link. And it's
been dislocated. It has been fronted before she was without inversion.
I knew it would be broken and broken it was. Sometimes part of the verb phrase, the VP together,
where the object can be dislocated for link emphasis.
For example,
My parents want me to marry you, but marry you I won't. But to marry you marry you, this is the
verb phrase, and it's been dislocated the whole verb phrase, but marry you I won't,
He doesn't want to go back, but go back he must.
It's a difficult problem to solve, but solve the problem I will.
Nobody expected him to come, but come he did
B) when the predicative is expressed by a stressed demonstrative pronoun. And as in the following
mini dialogue
Person, one says, I think he's a genius
and person B agrees That he certainly is, o
You want to become a film star, but that you can never be
C) in colloquial exclamatory sentences of the type Right you are, or, and a Jordy fine fellow he is. A
good thing. A good thing. It was, I came. A confounded nuisance women are. In literary English there
is a type of dislocation of the predicative accompanied by inversion. As in the following famous famous
phrases. Tender is the night. Well, you know that this is the title of a book or a novel by Scott Fitzgerald.
Dancer grew the darkness. Gloomy is the prospect. Green is my Valley.
The fifth type of dislocation of a sentence part is the dislocation of the adverbial modifier. Adverbial
modifiers normally occur in three different positions, initial medial, and final. So the initial placement of
an adverbial cannot be considered as a case of dislocation, but rather one of its three normal positions, we
shall speak of dislocation only in those cases, in which the initial placement of the adverbial involves
inversion. So we have inversion caused by the shifting of the adverbial modifier to head position in the
following case
A) when the adverbial modifier has a negative or restrictive meaning, and also one, it has a
quantifying meaning it is expressed by different items with A negative or restrictive, meaning like
adverbs particles, conjunctions,
for example,
Never hardly scarcely only alone, not neither, no sooner, etc.
Hardly he opens the door when a crash was heard,
Scarcely, did she seem to breathe she lays so still
Never heard Have I seen such a sight before
B) when the adverbial modifier is expressed by an adjective, an adverb of degree or frequency
quantity, it is also a, it also causes inversion when fronted.
Often have I been there? Little, do I care? So them, did we leave without some present? Very much
do I regret it?
C) when the adverbial modifier is expressed by the demonstrative adverbs of manner, thus and so
for example,
Thus, did they achieve their freedom thus meaning in this way
following example,
Thus, shall we spend the better part of the day
So shall we achieve our end? However, when thus and so are not used demonstratively but consecutively,
or when they introduce an example, they do not demand inversion.
I was late and so I sat at the back
Consecutively here so shows the sequence of events,
Thus two and two, make four, in this case, thus introduces an example and it is not so, so, and thus in
these examples are not demonstrative, adverbs
Sixth dislocation of the attribute. We have dislocation of the attribute with possessive forms. In this case,
the attribute is realized morphologically by a noun in the genitive case or by an independent possessive
pronoun.
For example,
John's is a hard case, instead of saying John`s case is a hard one. The attribute John`s goes to the head
of the sentence and we get John`s is a hard case or
Miss Thursbey`s was an elegant school
Ours is an old family.
His father's was a happy life.
Now we will mention some other cases of dislocational inversion, which are not well specific cases of
dislocation of certain sentence parts, but they still do happen and different registers and styles.
One such case is when a statement is repeated with a substitutive verb, the subject is changed so
different people are involved and the place of the full verb is taken by, um, a substitutive verb,
For example
A) the use of, so with, with the use of, so in positive sentences, if you say She gets up early and you
might say, So do I, so do I do substitute
B) in sentences introduced by neither nor no more and negative sentences. They form negative
sentences. He has no money neither have I. have in this case, he's a substitutive or
I shan't go nor shall I.
We aren't ready yet no more am I, when the statements refer to the same person and agreement is
expressed, no inversion occurs.
For example
You look tired and the person, may answer agreeing with this statement So I am, You can't do it No
more I can
Two, or another type of inversion happens with phrasal verbs, a full dislocational inversion occurs when
the postfix, this is the particle or the preposition, which follows the verb to form a phrasal verb when this
postfix is placed in initial position for greater emphasis, for emotional effect
Out went all the lights
Away flew the coach
In rushed the host of the fugitives.
, and I think we mentioned it that if, uh, in these types of sentences, the subject is expressed by a pronoun.
Then the inversion is blocked. We don't have inversion. We have only dislocation of the postfix or
fronting of the postfix of the phrasal verb. So instead of the lights, in our first example, if we say they,
what we'll get, we will be out they way knowing version evade, the subject is before the verb, but you still
have the dislocation of the postfix.
So when the subject is a full noun noun and or a noun phrase, then we have inversion in these cases when
the subject is a pronoun, um, there is no inversion, but only dislocation of the postfix.
Another special type of dislocation or inversion, is when we have, uh, the words of the author
introducing direct speech. And, uh, here, we might have different cases
For example, No- said he, so this is a type of dislocational inversion said, he, since the quotation, the
direct speech represents the object. He said, no, what did he say? No, no, is the object. Then we can say
that this is a dislocation of the object, which causes inversion. This kind of inversion is frequent with
more common verbs, like said replied continued. It is usually avoided with less frequently used verbs,
like added marveled, declared asserted, murmured, etc.
Inversion is impossible with complex verb forms. Verb forms which contain analytical forms or forms
verb phrases, which contain an object.
For example,
She has just left. He was told was told, is an analytical form. It is the passive. And we have no inversion
because of the analytical form.
Did you, the judge asked him -object here we have a object and we have no inversion. Him asked him,
Him is an object.
However, adverbial modifiers are no hindrance to inversion. They do not prevent that. They do not
obstruct the inversion.
For example, I'm afraid, so said the old man with a shake of his head where the shake of his head is in
the adverbial of manner. And it does not obstruct the inversion, but maybe here, we also have the heavier
element principle, because if you remember, when we talked about, uh, the general word or the principles,
we mentioned that so heavier phrases or heavier elements tend to be place at the end of the sentence.