Explanations

Inversion The term inversion covers two different grammatical operations.

• Using a question form of the main verb
Not only did he fail to report the accident, but also later denied that he had
been driving the car.
Never have I enjoyed myself more!
• Changing the normal positions of verb and subject
Along the street came a strange procession.
See Grammar 14 for an explanation of this example.
Inversion after • This only occurs when the adverbial occurs at the beginning of a clause.
negative All the examples below are used in formal language, usually for rhetorical
adverbials effect, such as in political speeches. They are not usual in everyday spoken
language. Compare:
Never have I heard a weaker excuse!
I have never heard a weaker excuse!
• Time expressions: never, rarely, seldom
These are most commonly used with present perfect or past perfect, or with
modals such as can and could. Sentences of this type often contain
comparatives.
Rarely can a minister have been faced with such a problem.
Seldom has the team given a worse performance.
Rarely had I had so much responsibility.
• Time expressions: hardly, barely, scarcely, no sooner
These refer to an event which quickly follows another in the past. They are
usually used with past perfect, although no sooner can be followed by past
simple. Note the words used in the contrasting clause.
Hardly had the train left the station, when there was an explosion.
Scarcely had I entered the room when the phone rang.
No sooner had I reached the door than I realised it was locked.
No sooner was the team back on the pitch than it started raining.
• After only
Here only combines with other time expressions and is usually used with past
simple.
Only after posting the letter did 1 remember that I had forgotten to put on a
stamp.
Other examples are only if/when, only then, only later.

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Note that when only refers to 'the state of being the only one', there is no
inversion following it.
Only Mary realised that the door was not locked.
• Phrases containing no/not
These include under no circumstances, on no account, at no time, in no way, on
no condition, not until, not only ... (but also).
On no condition are they to open fire without a warning.
Not until I got home did I notice that I had the wrong umbrella.
• Little
Little also has a negative or restrictive meaning in this sense:
Little does the government appreciate what the results will be.
Inversion after • This occurs with so and adjectives when the main verb is be. It is used for
so/such with that emphasis and is more common than the example with such.
So devastating were the floods that some areas may never recover.
• Such used with be means so much/so great
Such was the force of the storm that trees were uprooted.
• As in the examples with such, inversion only occurs if so/such is the first
word in the clause.
Inverted • Three types of If- sentence can be inverted without If-. This makes the
conditional sentences more formal and makes the event less likely.
sentences without If they were to escape, there would be an outcry.
If- Were they to escape, there would be an outcry.
If the police had found out, I would have been in trouble.
Were the police to have found out, I would have been in trouble.
If you should hear anything, let me know.
Should you hear anything, let me know.
If he has cheated, he will have to be punished.
Should he have cheated, he will have to be punished.
If I had known, I would have protested strongly.
Had I known, I would have protested strongly.
• Inversion after as
This is more common in formal or written language.
We were short of money, as were most people in our neighbourhood.
I thought, as did my colleagues, that the recession would soon be over.
• Inversion after so, neither and nor
These are used in 'echoing' statements, agreeing or disagreeing.
A: / am going home. B: So am I.
A: / don't like meat. B: Neither do I.
See Grammar 14 for ways of giving emphasis without inverting after so.

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 Explanations
Changing word • Passive
order to change Passive constructions vary the way information is given in a sentence,
focus putting more emphasis on what comes first. See Grammar 6 and 7.
All roads to the north have been blocked by snow.
• Fronting and inversion
Inversion here refers to changing the normal word order in the sentence so
that a prepositional phrase is emphasised before the verb. This also involves
putting the verb before the subject.
Suddenly down came the rain!
Up in the air went the balloon.
Fronting involves changing the order of clauses in a sentence and putting
first for emphasis a clause that would usually not be first.
/ don't know where the money is coming from.
Where the money is coming from, I don't know.
Time phrases can vary in position, and are often put first because the time
reference is important.
At six o'clock Monica decided to phone the police.
May clauses
There is a type of may clause introduced by although which can be inverted.
It is a highly formal expression.
Although it may seem/be difficult, it is not impossible.
Difficult as/though it may seem/be, it is not impossible.
• Cleft and pseudo cleft sentences
These are sentences introduced by it is/it was or by a clause beginning what.
Different parts of the sentence can be emphasised in this way.
In speech, stress and intonation also identify the emphasis.
With it is/was
Sue borrowed my bike last night.
It was Sue who borrowed my bike.
It was last night that Sue borrowed my bike.
It was my bike that Sue borrowed.
Sentences with because are also possible.
It was because I felt ill that I left.
Modal auxiliaries are also possible.
You can't have read the same book.
It can't have been the same book that you read.

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ADVANCED LANGUAGE PRACTICE

What clauses
These are common with verbs such as need, want, like, hate.
I hate rainy weather.
What I hate is rainy weather.
You need a holiday.
What you need is a holiday.
It is also possible to emphasise events, using auxiliary do/did.
Peter left the windows unlocked.
What Peter did was (to) leave the windows unlocked.
They are destroying the environment.
What they are doing is destroying the environment.
Clauses beginning all emphasise 'the only thing'.
/ only need another £15.
All I need is another £15.
Adding words for • Own
emphasis This intensifies possessive adjectives.
It was my own idea.
• Very and indeed
Very can be used emphatically to mean exactly/precisely.
At the very same moment, the telephone rang.
Very ... indeed is another way of intensifying adjectives.
It was very cold indeed.
• Emphasising negatives
Ways of emphasising not include: at all, in the least, really.
It was not at all cold. It was not cold at all.
In the least/slightest usually adds bit if used before an adjective.
/ wasn't interested in the slightest.
I wasn't the least bit interested.
No and none can be emphasised by at all and whatsoever.
There were none left at all.
There were no tickets left whatsoever.
• The
The can emphasise uniqueness. It is heavily stressed in speech.
Surely you are not the Elizabeth Taylor, are you?
• Question words ending in -ever
These add an air of disbelief to the question.
Whatever are you doing? Whoever told you that?

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• Auxiliary do
This can emphasise the verb, and is stressed in speech.
/ do like this film! It's really great!
It is also used in polite forms.
/ do hope you'll come again! Do sit down!
• Adverbs and adjectives
A large number of adverbs and adjectives are used to add emphasis.
Common examples are:
/ actually went inside one of the Pyramids.
It is by no means certain that the match will take place.
Some people were even wearing pullovers, it was so cold.
Her performance was sheer magic!
This book is utter nonsense!
The following examples are only possible with adjectives which express an
absolute opinion (non-gradeable adjectives).
It was absolutely fantastic!
The third exam question was quite (completely) impossible.
This guide book is utterly useless.
You were simply wonderful!
Don't cook the meat any more. It's just right!
• Echoing phrases with so
These express agreement.
A: This is the book you are looking for. B: So it is!
Other means • Time phrases
Common examples are: day after day; time and time again; over and over again;
day in, day out
David reads the same book over and over again!
• Repetition of main verb
/ tried and tried, but it was no use.
• In the repetition of a phrase with a possessive it is possible to omit the first
mention of the noun and use a possessive pronoun.
Their marriage was a successful marriage.
Theirs was a successful marriage.

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