INVERSIONS

Inversion is for

EMPHASIS,
DRAMATIC PURPOSE
OR FORMALITY
To make an inversion,
move the adverbial to
the beginning of the
sentence and invert
the subject and
auxiliary verb:
She had never seen such a
beautiful sight before.

Never had she seen such a

beautiful sight before.
So, it’s as simple as changing the
order between auxiliary and
subject and putting the adverbial
first:

I have never seen such a beautiful place

Never have I seen such a beautiful place

You will rarely hear such beautiful music.

Rarely will you hear such beautiful music.

As soon as I arrived home, the
phone rang.

No sooner had I arrived home

than the phone rang.
I had hardly got home when my mum called.

Hardly had I got home when my mum

called.
I am under any circumstances to be blamed
for your irresponsibility

Under no circumstances am I to be blamed

for your irresponsibility
We only then realized how much
he had suffered.

Only then…
We only then realized how much
he had suffered.

Only then did we realize…

More examples….
Hardly had I got
into bed when
the telephone
rang.
Never had she
seen such a
beautiful sight
before.
Seldom do we
see such an
amazing display
of dance.
Rarely will you
hear such
beautiful music.
Only then did I
understand why
the tragedy had
happened.
Not only does he
love chocolate
and sweets but
he also smokes.
No sooner had we
arrived home than
the police rang
the doorbell.
Scarcely had I got
off the bus when it
crashed into the
back of a car.
Only later did she
really think about
the situation.
Nowhere have I
ever had such bad
service.
Little did he know!
Only in this way
could John earn
enough money to
survive.
In no way do I
agree with what
you're saying.
On no account
should you do
anything without
asking me first.
In the following expressions, the
inversion comes in the second part
of the sentence:
Not until I saw
John with my own
eyes did I really
believe he was
safe.
Not since Lucy left
college had she
had such a
wonderful time
Only after I'd seen
her flat did I
understand why
she wanted to live
there
Only when we'd
all arrived home
did I feel calm
Only by working
extremely hard
could we afford to
eat.
We can use inversion
instead of 'if' in
conditionals with 'had'
'were' and 'should'.
This is quite formal
Normal conditional:

If I had been there, this problem

wouldn't have happened.

Conditional with inversion:

Had I been there, this problem

wouldn't have happened.
Normal conditional:

If we had arrived sooner, we

could have prevented this
tragedy!
Conditional with inversion:

Had we arrived sooner, we could

have prevented this tragedy!
Normal conditional:

If I were you, I would go to the

doctor’s

Conditional with inversion:

Were I you, I would go to the

doctor’s
Normal conditional:

If I were in your shoes, I would go

to the doctor’s

Conditional with inversion:

Were I in your shoes, I would go

to the doctor’s
If you had enough money to
afford the trip, I would also go.

ABLE

Were ____________________ pay

for the trip, I would also go.
If you had enough money to
afford the trip, I would also go.

ABLE

Were YOU ABLE TO pay for the

trip, I would also go.
We should never answer our
parents back when they are
telling us off

NEVER

____________________ answer our

parents back when they are
telling us off.
We should never answer our
parents back when they are
telling us off

NEVER

NEVER SHOULD WE answer our

parents back when they are
telling us off.
I didn't say that at any time

POINT

At ____________________ I say
that
I didn't say that at any time

POINT

At NO POINT DID I say that

George was offered a new job so
he immediately quit his current
one.

BEEN

No ____________________ a new
job than he quit his current one.
George was offered a new job so
he immediately quit his current
one.

BEEN

No SOONER HAD HE BEEN

OFFERED a new job than he quit
his current one.
The pigeons in Central Park must
not to be fed under any
circumstances

ALLOWED

Under ____________________ to
feed the pigeons in Central Park
The pigeons in Central Park must
not to be fed under any
circumstances

ALLOWED

Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES ARE

YOU ALLOWED to feed the
pigeons in Central Park
The first thing Mary did after
arriving was check into her hotel
and take a nap

ARRIVED

No ____________________ Mary
checked into her hotel and took
a nap
The first thing mary did after
arriving was check into her hotel
and take a nap

ARRIVED

No SOONER HAD SHE ARRIVED

THAN Mary checked into her
hotel and took a nap
Jack hopes to be a successful
musician, so he sings and dances
as well as playing the guitar

DOES

Jack hopes to be a successful

musician, so ………………………… the
guitar, he also sings and dances
Jack hopes to be a successful
musician, so he sings and dances
as well as playing the guitar

DOES

Jack hopes to be a successful

musician, so NOT ONLY DOES HE
PLAY the guitar, he also sings and
dances
I have never been asked to
accept a bribe

NEVER…
NEVER HAVE I
been asked to
accept a bribe
As soon as he had left the house
the storm broke

NO SOONER …
NO SOONER
HAD HE LEFT
the house THAN
the storm broke
This switch must not be touched
on any account

ON NO ACCOUNT …
ON NO
ACCOUNT
MUST THIS
SWITCH BE
TOUCHED
She rarely has any money to
spare

RARELY…
RARELY DOES
SHE HAVE
ANY MONEY
TO SPARE
He hardly speaks to anyone

HARDLY
HARDLY DOES
SHE SPEAK TO
ANYONE
The nation has seldom been
faced with such difficulties

SELDOM…
SELDOM HAS THE
NATION BEEN
FACED TO SUCH
DIFFICULTIES
He didn’t manage to get
permission until she had calmed
down.

NOT UNTIL …
NOT UNTIL SHE
HAD CALMED
DOWN, DID HE
MANAGE TO GET
PERMISSION
You will not be allowed to enter
under any circumstances once
the play has started.

UNDER …
UNDER NO
CIRCUMSTANCES
WILL YOU BE
ALLOWED TO ENTER
ONCE THE PLAY HAS
STARTED
He entered as soon as she had
left.

NO SOONER …
NO SOONER
HAD SHE LEFT
THAN HE
ENTERED.
He never caught any fish.

NEVER …
NEVER DID HE
CATCH ANY
FISH.
You are not allowed to disturb
the pilots under any
circumstances.

UNDER…
UNDER NO
CIRCUMSTANCES
ARE YOU
ALLOWED TO
DISTURB THE
PILOTS
The Queen has rarely cried in
front of a camera

RARELY
RARELY HAS THE
QUEEN CRIED IN
FRONT OF A
CAMERA
She loves chocolate and sweets,
but she also smokes

NOT ONLY …
NOT ONLY DOES
SHE LOVE
CHOCOLATE AND
SWEETS, BUT SHE
ALSO SMOKES