Subject and Verb Inversion

SUBJECT AND VERB INVERSION
Skills Number 11-13

Advance Grammar
Pasca Sarjana UNS Solo 2013
Introduction
1. Subjects and verbs are inverted in a variety of situations in

English. Inversion means changing the order.
2. There are three kinds of inversions of subject and verb in

English.
a. Inversion of Subject and Verb in Question Form or with

Question Words
b. Inversion of Subject and Verb after Place Expression
c. Inversion of Subject and Verb after Negatives

Inversion of Subject and Verb in Question Form
To form a question with a helping/auxiliary
verb (be, have, can, could, would, will, etc.), the
subject and the helping verb are inverted.
New student can get information in the Main Street.

New student can get information in the Main Street.
Auxiliary Verb
Verb
Subject
Can new student get information in the Main Street?
Auxiliary Verb
Verb
Subject
To form a question when there is no
helping/auxiliary verb in the sentence, the
helping/auxiliary verb “do” is used.
Alfred Binet developed an intelligence test.

Alfred Binet developed an intelligence test.
Verb
Subject
Did Alfred Binet develop an intelligence test?
Auxiliary Verb
Verb
Subject
Inversion of Subject and Verb with Question
Word (What, Why, Where, When, and How)
If the question word is in the beginning of a
question, the subject and verb that follow are
inverted.
When did Bill Clinton admit his sexual relationship with
Monica Lewinsky?
Inversion of Subject and Verb with Question Word
(What, Why, Where, When, and How)
When did Bill Clinton admit his sexual relationship with Monica Lewinsky?
Auxiliary Verb
Verb
Subject
If the two clauses are joined with question
word, the subject and verb that follow the
question word are not inverted.
Do you know why Abraham Lincoln is called “Honest Abe”?

Inversion of Subject and Verb with Question Word
(What, Why, Where, When, and How)
Do you know why Abraham Lincoln is called “Honest Abe”?
Auxiliary Verb
Verb
Subject
Inversion of Subject and Verb after Place Expressions
not
Exercise
The lawyer asked the client why……….it.

A. did he do
B. did he
C. he did
D. did
Answer
C. he did
Exercise
They go to the movies every Sunday. Where………….to the

movie?
A. do they go
B. they do go
C. did they go
D. they go
Answer
A. do they go
Exercise
The house was built a long time ago. Do you know

when……………exactly?
A. it was built
B. was it built
C. was built
D. it built
Answer
A. it was built
Exercise
I don’t know when ________. Why ________ me like that?

A. was it found - do you ask
B. it was found - you ask
C. was it found - you ask
D. it was found – do you ask
Answer
D. it was found – do you ask
After ideas expressing place, the subject and verb

sometimes invert in English. This can happen with single
words expressing place and prepositional phrases expressing
place.
Nowhere can farmers grow such delicious fruit except in

Indonesia
Nowhere can farmers grow such delicious fruit except in Indonesia.
Auxiliary Verb
Verb
Subject
Around that mountains lies the town where I was born.
Verb
Subject
Exercise
Located behind ________ a big hotel

A. a bank
B. is a bank
C. a bank is
D. a bank which is
Answer
C. a bank is
Exercise
In Madiun ______________that you want.

A. is there the most delicious nasi pecel
B. the most delicious nasi pecel is
C. the most delicious nasi pecel which is
D. there is the most delicious nasi pecel
Answer
D. there is the most delicious nasi pecel
Exercise
In the PPs building ______________ very hard

A. study we
B. we study
C. which we study
D. where we study
Answer
B. we study
Exercise
Around the chapel and down the path ______________ will be

staying this weekend
A. the tents where we
B. are where we
C. the tents are where we
D. are the tents where we
Answer
D. are the tents where we
Inversion of Subject and Verb after Negatives
When negatives expression appears in front of
subject and verb (at the beginning of the
sentence or in the middle of the clauses), the
subject and verb are inverted
Never did the boys make problem

Never did the boys make problem.
Auxiliary Verb
Verb
Subject
Hardly ever does it snow in this section of the country.
Auxiliary Verb
Verb
Subject
Boston Tea Party didn’t occur in 1800s, and neither did American Revolution
Verb
Subject
PATTERN OF INVERTED SUBJECT AND VERB WITH
NEGATIVES
Exercise
The president doesn’t attend the meeting, nor ______
A. does vice president
B. doesn’t vice president
C. vice president does
D. vice president doesn’t

Answer
A. does vice president
Exercise
Never _______________ his mother’s home.
A. did the son go to
B. the son go to
C. go the son to
D. the son did not go

Answer
Exercise
Never _______________ his mother’s home.
B. the son go to
C. go the son to
D. the son did not go

Answer
Exercise
Only once in my life ____________ to London Bridge.
A. I have gone
B. gone I have
C. have I gone
D. have gone I
Answer
C. have I gone

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SUBJECT AND VERB INVERSION

Skills Number 11-13

1. Subjects and verbs are inverted in a variety of situations in

2. There are three kinds of inversions of subject and verb in

a. Inversion of Subject and Verb in Question Form or with

b. Inversion of Subject and Verb after Place Expression

c. Inversion of Subject and Verb after Negatives

To form a question with a helping/auxiliary

verb (be, have, can, could, would, will, etc.), the

subject and the helping verb are inverted.

New student can get information in the Main Street.

New student can get information in the Main Street.

Can new student get information in the Main Street?

To form a question when there is no

helping/auxiliary verb in the sentence, the

helping/auxiliary verb “do” is used.

Alfred Binet developed an intelligence test.

Alfred Binet developed an intelligence test.

Did Alfred Binet develop an intelligence test?

If the question word is in the beginning of a

question, the subject and verb that follow are

When did Bill Clinton admit his sexual relationship with

If the two clauses are joined with question

word, the subject and verb that follow the

question word are not inverted.

Do you know why Abraham Lincoln is called “Honest Abe”?

Do you know why Abraham Lincoln is called “Honest Abe”?

The lawyer asked the client why……….it.

They go to the movies every Sunday. Where………….to the

The house was built a long time ago. Do you know

I don’t know when ________. Why ________ me like that?

After ideas expressing place, the subject and verb

Nowhere can farmers grow such delicious fruit except in

Nowhere can farmers grow such delicious fruit except in Indonesia.

Around that mountains lies the town where I was born.

Located behind ________ a big hotel

In Madiun ______________that you want.

In the PPs building ______________ very hard

Around the chapel and down the path ______________ will be

When negatives expression appears in front of

subject and verb (at the beginning of the

sentence or in the middle of the clauses), the

subject and verb are inverted

Never did the boys make problem

Never did the boys make problem.

Hardly ever does it snow in this section of the country.

The president doesn’t attend the meeting, nor ______

A. does vice president

B. doesn’t vice president

C. vice president does

D. vice president doesn’t

Never _______________ his mother’s home.

A. did the son go to

D. the son did not go

Never _______________ his mother’s home.

A. did the son go to

D. the son did not go

Only once in my life ____________ to London Bridge.

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