Word Order

Inversion and Dislocation

The normal word order in English (in simple, active, declarative, positive, unemphatic sentences) is:

● S–V–O

● S – V – p (predicative)

When these frameworks are changed, the type of WO is affected. The variations from these basic WO
patterns fall into 2 groups: inversion and dislocation.

1. INVERSION - инверсия
Inversion can be divided into:
- partial inversion – when only the auxiliary verb is moved before the subject; местим
спомагателни глагол пред самия подлог (при въпросите)

Aux – S- V – O

Do you like to dance?

Never in all his life until this trip had John felt happier.

- full inversion – the main verb itself is moved before the subject - common in
Elizabethan English (early Modern English) – цялата глаголна форма стои пред подлога

V–S–O

V–S–p

Came Saturday and its hollow victory at three o’clock.

Hate him she did not quite.

We can also distinguish between functional inversion and dislocational inversion.

- Functional inversion means that the inversion has special functions of its own. Its main
function is to point out that the sentence is not declarative. We have functional inversion in the
following types of sentences: изпълнява функция, с цел, която ние искаме да изпълнява - най-често
я има при въпросите
 1. Questions

Do you want to dance?

2. Optative sentences with may - пожелателния изречения с may в началото

May the New Year be a happy one to you!

3. In negative imperative sentences - отрицателни заповедни изречения; да се покаже, че е

изрично недопустимо

Don’t you do that!

4. In exclamatory sentences: възклицателни изречения; показва силна емоция - учудване;

важното е глаголът да е пред подлога

How dreadful is this place!

5. In conditional sentences after: were , should, had - в условни изречение (1,2,3, mixed)

(if) Were I a king, I would give you a diamond ring. - second conditional

(If) Had I had money, I would have bought it. - third conditional

(If) Should I see him, I will tell him about that. - first conditional

- Dislocational Inversion – Dislocation may happen with or without inversion. When the
dislocation involves inversion, it is called dislocational inversion. ; инверсия, предизвикана от
предварително направена дислокация.

2. DISLOCATION - дислокация
It consists of taking out a sentence element (usually a secondary part of the sentence) from its normal
position and placing it at the head of the sentence in order to emphasize it. Topicalization, focusing, etc;
взимаме даден елемент от изречението и го изместваме отпред, за да го направим важен.

O – S – V - чиста дислокация; глагола си е все още след подлога

p – S – V - чиста дислокация; измествено е сказуемното определение (Cs)
отпред, глаголът все още след подлога
при OVS, pVS - всичко е изместено пред подлога
O–V–S
Dislocational inversion
p–V–S
 ● Dislocation of the SUBJECT - в един вид изречение;

It was a well-known fact that the book was interesting.

That the book was interesting was a well-known fact – dislocation

● Dislocation of the VERB - изречения от староанглийски

Came Saturday and its hollow victory at three o’clock – dislocation + inversion = dislocational inversion

There is a cat under the table – dislocation (there is/ there are/ there appeared); глаголът стои пред
логическия подлог

● Dislocation of the OBJECT

Not a word did she say – dislocation + inversion = dislocational inversion (глагола е пред подлога)

That I can do – dislocation

A nice car you’ve got! – dislocation

● Dislocation of the PREDICATIVE (SUBJECT COMPLEMENT)

Extremely beautiful is also her sister. – dislocation + inversion = dislocational inversion (комплимента и
глагола са пред подлога)

No coward was he. – dislocation + inversion = dislocational inversion

Such a good girl she is! – dislocation

● Dislocation of the Am – We talk about dislocation of the Am only when it is accompanied by

inversion! Обстоятелственото пояснение може да стои и най-отпред и най-отзад на
изречението, SVO формата не е нарушена и затова няма дислокация

Never have I seen such a handsome man - dislocation + inversion = dislocational inversion

Rarely do you meet such a bright girl - dislocation + inversion = dislocational inversion
 ● Dislocation of the ATTRIBUTE – with possessive forms in the genitive case or possessive forms
with an independent possessive pronoun. Когато определението не стои до подлога, а е
изместено пред глагола

Hers is a strange case.

Peter’s is a huge family.

1. 'What did the master say exactly?' - O + AUX + S + V + AM

Partial functional inversion (въпрос)
2. There was a curious expression on her face - a mingling of grim determination and of
strange indeci-sion. - gram S + V + log S + AM + Attribute
Dislocation of the verb
3. Suddenly the door opened and admitted Baron. Followed a complete and deathlike
silence. - AM + S + V + O; V + S
Dislocation of the verb + full inversion (целия глагол отива отпред) = dislocational inversion
4. But never, never could he have anticipated that evening, some months after the birth of
their child. - AM + AUX + S + AUX + V + O + AM (ако има aux/modal verb пред подлога)
Dislocation of the AM + partial inversion = dislocational inversion
5. However, not for the world would he be different from the others.

6. Not often did he unbend to his servants, but as the butler tucked the rug round his
knees he spoke to him.

7. This morning, however, he was scarcely in the mood for one of those long conversations
which so often beguiled the tedious hours. Nor could he bring himself to glance at the
lesson books.

8. So immersed was the little boy that he did not hear the car.

9. No sooner had they disappeared than Nicholas heard the sound of clattering footsteps.
10. Not for an instant did he believe that Nicholas spoke the truth.

11. On they went. Once Alvin let out a sharp exclamation.

12. He'd been one of those fair babies that everybody took for a girl; silvery fair curl he had,
blue eyes and a little freckle like a diamond on one side of his nose.

13. Outside, waiting at the back entrance, was a tall, well proportioned youth of 19 years
old.

14. Up the staircase he went, falling down, picking himself up again, feeling no hurt.

15. Yet not for the world would he have revealed the strange inexplicable bitterness which
rankled within his breast.