Inversions 4 Pages No Sooner

Inversion revision1
What's the difference between these two sentences?
- I had never seen such a wonder. (Normal word order)

- Never had I seen such a wonder. (Using inversion : adverb + auxiliary + subject + main verb)
We use inversion to increase the level of: 1) Formality, 2) Drama, 3) Emphasis
There are different kinds of inversion:
1. In short answers for agreement: SO DO I / NEITHER DO I / NOR DOES HE

• Common in spoken English
• Informal
EXAMPLES:
• A: Judy can run 100 m in 11 seconds B: So _________I! (2 speakers)
• A: I've got a blister on my big toe. B: So______my sister. (2 speakers)
• A: I like to eat really hot food on cold days and so ___ all my friends (1 speaker)
• A: I can't swim very well and neither ______ my sister. (1 speaker)

• A: I can't swim very well B: Neither _____ my sister. (2 speakers)
• I wouldn't dream of going into the water if the temperature is below 20° C and nor
________ any southerner.
2. Inversion after certain adverbs

• Sometimes with certain adverbs and adverb phrases, mostly with a negative or restrictive sense.
• The most important of these adverbs include: hardly ever, never, scarcely ever, only by, in no
circumstances, only in this way, on no account, hardly . . . when, only then/when no sooner . . . than,
scarcely . . . when, not only, seldom, nowhere, not till.
EXAMPLES:
• I had never before been asked to lie. = Never _________________________________________________

• They not only rob you, they smash everything too. =
Not only _________________________________________________________________________
• She became so depressed that she wouldn't go out for weeks.
So ______________________________________________________________________________
• This switch must not be touched on any account.
On no account ____________________________________________________________________
• Mike didn't realize how difficult his situation was till he received the letter.
Not till __________________________________________________________________________
• She had no friends and didn't know anyone who could help her. =
She had no friends, nor ____________________________________________________________
1 This worksheet might be used with the BBC grammar videos: BBC English class Inversion
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6Dw1IHUrwU); BBC masterclass Inversion (I) After negative or limiting adverbs
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzNxZGC-Hg0) and BBC masterclass Inversion (II) Reduced conditionals and more
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmQH6B9P8r8)
ATTENTION!
a) No sooner + aux + subject + verb..... + THAN + sub +verb. (usually Aux = had / verb = past partic)
EXAMPLES: No sooner had I walked in the door, than the phone rang.
As soon as the ball hit the back of the net, all the fans started cheering.
NO SOONER ___________________________________________________________________________
As soon as I saw her I fell in love.
NO SOONER __________________________________________________________________________
As soon as the teacher entered the class the students fell silent.
NO SOONER __________________________________________________________________________
b) Hardly/scarcely/barely + Aux + subject + verb…. + WHEN/THAN + sub + verb (usually Aux = had / verb = past
partic)
EXAMPLES: Scarcely had he left the house when it started to rain.
As soon as the concert started his phone rang.
HARDLY ______________________________________________________________________________
As soon as his head hit the pillow he fell asleep.
SCARCELY ______________________________________________________________________________
As soon as I saw her face I knew something was wrong.
BARELY ______________________________________________________________________________
c) NOT until / before - ONLY when / after / while / once / as [1st clause: subj + aux...] [2nd clause: aux +
subJ ...]
When a sentence begins with the phrase not until, the subject and auxiliary verb in the first clause, immediately
after not until, are not inverted ("we had reached"). However, in the second clause, the subject and auxiliary verb
are inverted ("did we realize"). The grammatical structure of these sentences is shown in the diagram below.
EXAMPLES: Not until we had reached the top did we realize how far we had come.
• We couldn't see the view of the ocean until the rain stopped.
• Not until ________________________________________________________________________
• The protests stopped when the president resigned.
• Only when ______________________________________________________________________
• I only stopped worrying about my daughter after she called me.
• Only after ______________________________________________________________________
3. Inversion in conditional sentences

– Can be used in certain types of conditional sentences when the if-clause begins with had,
were or should. Note that for a first conditional clause to start with an inversion, we need
the formal alternative containing “should” - (If you should go out, get a new ink cartridge
please = Should you go out, get...)
– Sometimes sound more formal than those with the more conventional if-construction.
EXAMPLES:
• If he had not resigned, we would have been forced to give him the sack.
• Had _________________________________________________________________
• If she were to find out that he was cheating on her, she would go mad.
• Were ________________________________________________________________
• If you decide to withdraw from the agreement, please phone me by Friday

• Should ______________________________________________________________
KEY:
1. INVERSION AFTER SO / NEITHER / NOR:
• A: Judy can run 100 m in 11 seconds B: So can I! (2 speakers)
• A: I've got a blister on my big toe. B: So has my sister (2 speakers)
• A: I like to eat really hot food on cold days and so do all my friends (1 speaker)
• A: I can't swim very well and neither can my sister. (1 speaker)

• A: I can't swim very well B: Neither can my sister. (2 speakers)
• I wouldn't dream of going into the water if the temperature is below 20° C and nor would any
southerner.
2.INVERSION AFTER ADVERBIAL PHRASES

• Never before had I been asked to lie.
• Not only do they rob you, they smash everything too.
• So sepressed did she become that she wouldn't go out for weeks.
• On no account must this switch be touched.
• Not till he received the letter did he realize how difficult his situation was.
• She had no friends, nor did she know anyone who could help her.
Attention!
a) NO SOONER.... THAN...
NO SOONER had the ball hit the back of the net THAN all the fans started cheering.
NO SOONER did I see her THAN I fell in love.
NO SOONER did the teacher enter the class THAN the students fell silent.
b) Hardly/scarcely/barely …. WHEN ...

HARDLY had the concert started WHEN his phone rang.
SCARCELY had his head hit the pillow WHEN he fell asleep.
BARELY had I seen her face WHEN I knew something was wrong.
c) NOT UNTIL / ONLY WHEN / ONLY AFTER [1st clause: subj + aux...] [2nd clause: aux + subJ ...]
• Not until the rain stopped could we see the view of the ocean.
• Only when the president resigned did the protests stop.
• Only after my daughter called me did I stop worrying about her.
3. INVERSION IN CONDIOTIONAL SENTENCES :
• Had he not resigned, we would have been forced to give him the sack.
• Were she to find out that he was cheating on her, she'd go mad.
• Should you decide to withdraw from the agreement, please phone me know by Friday.

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Inversion revision1

What's the difference between these two sentences?

- I had never seen such a wonder. (Normal word order)

We use inversion to increase the level of: 1) Formality, 2) Drama, 3) Emphasis

There are different kinds of inversion:

1. In short answers for agreement: SO DO I / NEITHER DO I / NOR DOES HE

• A: I can't swim very well and neither ______ my sister. (1 speaker)

2. Inversion after certain adverbs

• I had never before been asked to lie. = Never _________________________________________________

3. Inversion in conditional sentences

• If you decide to withdraw from the agreement, please phone me by Friday

• A: I can't swim very well and neither can my sister. (1 speaker)

2.INVERSION AFTER ADVERBIAL PHRASES

b) Hardly/scarcely/barely …. WHEN ...

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