UNIT 1 INVERSION
Only when the sun is shining will a good friend lend you an umbrella ...
but he wants it straight back when it starts to rain!
A NEGATIVE ADVERBS
rarely . seldom . little
hardly/barely/scarcely (ever) ... = only just = almost no
hardly/barely/scarcely ... when/before ... = used to say that sth happened
immediately after sth else happened
never (before/again)
He didn't know/had no idea what was going to happen.
Little did he know what was going to happen.
I had only just entered the room when I was asked to wait outside
Hardly had I entered the room when I was asked to wait outside
I had scarcely sat down when the phone rang.
Scarcely had I sat down to eat when the phone rang.
Now that we have a baby, we seldom get the chance to go to the cinema.
Seldom do we get the chance to go to the cinema now that we have a baby.
We seldom receive any apology when mistakes are made.
Seldom do we receive any apology when mistakes are made.
A government proposal can rarely have been subjected to a stormier passage.
Rarely can a government proposal have been subjected to a stormier passage.
She didn’t know he had cheated on her for many years
Little did she know that he had cheated on her for many years.
B ADVERBIAL EXPRESSIONS
at no + point, time
on no account, occasion
in no + way, town, place ...
in/under no circumstances
in (very) few (cases)
by no means = not at all
The outcome of the match was never in doubt.
At no time was the outcome of the match in doubt.
The customer would on no account pay the added cost.
On no account would the customer pay the added cost.
Whatever happens, don't tell them.
Under no circumstances should you tell them.
It is by no means certain that we'll finish the project by June.
By no means is it certain that we'll finish the project by June.
It is by no means clear what the president can do to end the strike.
By no means is it clear what the president can do to end the strike.
These injustices can be blamed on a corporation in very few cases.
In very few cases can these injustices be blamed on a corporation.
That party represents more than half of those who voted in very few cases.
Yet in very few cases does that party represent more than half of those who
voted.
C CLAUSES OF RESULT
so/such ... (that)
to such a degree/an extent/lengths/ = so much
a pitch/a point/extremes ... that
The runner was so exhausted that he couldn't breathe.
So exhausted was the runner that he couldn't breathe.
He was so afraid of confined spaces that he never took the lit
Such/To such a degree was his fear of confined spaces that he never took the
fift.
D NOT ONLY ...BUT ALSO ... / BUT ... AS WELL
He set fire not only to the car, but also to the house.
Not only did he set fire to the car, but also to the house.
Not only did he set fire to the car, but to the house as well.
Vietnam is a member of ASEAN. Thailand is a member too.
Vietnam is a member of ASEAN, as is Thailand.
She worked so hard that she forget to have dinner.
So hard did she work that she forget to have dinner.
E NO SOONER ...THAN
I'd no sooher contacted the agency than I received your offer.
No sooner had I contacted the agency than I received your offer.
Immediately after his election, he was assassinated.
No sooner had he been elected than he was assassinated.
F INVERTED CONDITIONALS
1st ● If you (should) ... Should you ...
2nd ● If it were ... Were it ...
3rd ● If they had ... Had they ...
If you (should) come first, leave the keys on the table.
Should you come first, leave the keys on the table.
If the boat were mine, I wouldn't hire it out.
Were the boat mine, I wouldn't hire it out.
If they had known, they would have told us.
Had they known, they would have told us.
G OTHER EXPRESSIONS
in vain (with no success / vô vọng), nowhere, not often,
not a word/soul (Don't say anything) , no longer,
in none of, not for, not since,
not even once, neither ... nor,
neither/nor/so/as (with aux. verbs)
I wasn't afraid of his threats any more.
No longer was I afraid of his threats.
The chemist's will not be open either today or tomorrow.
Neither today nor tomorrow will the chemist's be open
Both he and his brother play the piano well.
He plays the piano well, as does/and so does his brother
He tried in vain to open the locked door.
In vain did he try to open the locked door.
If you say a word of this to the boss, we will all wind up getting fired.
Not a word of this to the boss, or we'll all wind up getting fired.
He hasn’t called me, not even once, since he left.
Not even once has he called me since he left.
I will not let you down for a moment.
Not for a moment will I let you down.
My sister doesn’t like durians. I don’t like durians.
My sister doesn’t like durians and neither/nor do I.
My sister doesn’t like durians and I don’t, either.
The cost of living in the city is higher than the one in the countryside is
The cost of living in the city is higher than is the one in the countryside.
He is much hardworking than I am
He is much hardworking than I am
The new plan is no better than the one we are executing would be
The new plan is no better than would be the one we are executing
The new plan is no better than the one we are executing (would be)
H HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR/ BUT FOR/ WITHOUT
(CHANGES IN PARTS OF SPEECH)
The only reason the concert wasn't a success was the rain.
Had it not been for the rain, the concert would have been a success.
But for/Without the rain, the concert would have been a success.
If he hadn't advised her, she wouldn't have accepted the job.
Had it not been for his advice, she would not have accepted the job.
I ONLY ... (inversion in main clause)
only then, only by chance/luck, only
in this way/with difficulty, only
yesterday/on (rare) occasions
ONLY (inversion in main clause)
only when, only if,
only after, only by
I heard only by chance that his father had passed away.
Only by chance did I hear that his father had passed away.
He gave in only after we had (had) a long argument.
Only after we had (had) a long argurent did he give in.
The only way to learn is by practice.
Only by practice/ practising can/will you learn.
J ONLY WHEN ... (THAT) .../ NOT UNTIL ...
(THAT) ...
I didn't realise how violent the film was until I saw it.
It was only when/not until I saw the film that I realised how violent it was.
(emphatic, no inversion)
Only when/Not until I saw the film did I realise how violent it was. (emphatic,
inversion in main clause)
K ONLY IF/NOT UNLESS (inversion in main clause)
You can see the doctor only if you have an appointment
Only if you have an appointment can you see the doctor.
Not unless you have an appointment can you see the doctor.
L INVERSION based on (PASSIVE, OPPOSITES)
There are not many newspapers which coyered the accident in detail. (09
In few newspapers was the accident covered in detail. (passive)
You will only fail your exam if you don't study hard.
Only if you study hard will you pass your exam. (opposites)
SPECIAL TRANSFORMATIONS
Not many cities (have) ... In (very) few cities do they (have) ...
The only way to find out is to ask. Only if we (ask) can/will we find out.
You'll achieve your goals only if you Only with patience will you achieve
are patient. your goals.
It's unusual to (see) ... Seldom do you (see) ...
As soon as I (arrived) … No sooner had I (arrived) ...
It was the first time that I (had Never before had I (been) ...
been) ...
I've often (wanted) to ... Many is the time I've (wanted) to ...
ORAL PRACTICE
1. Whatever you do, don't leave me alone.
Under ...
2. The robbers did not realise that armed police were waiting for them.
Little ...
3. Immediately after Paul heard from Angela, her sister dropped in.
No sooner ...
4. She was so anxious about the exam that she couldn't sleep.
Such ...
5. I would have given him the job if he hadn't been so rude.
Had it not …
6. Had it not been for her support, he wouldn't have passed the exams.
Without ...
7. Had it not been for his hard work, he wouldn't have succeeded.
But for ...
8. I forgot about the appointment until I received the call.
Not until ...
9. The public is allowed in very rarely.
Only on ...
10. The only way you wori't lose your job is by accepting his conditions.
Only by ...
Answer
1. Under no circumstances should you leave me alone.
2. Little did the robbers realise that armed police were waiting for them.
3. No sooner had Paul heard from Angela than her sister dropped in.
4. Such was her anxiety about the exam that she couldn't sleep.
5. Had it not been for his rudeness, I would have given him the job./ Had he
not been so rude, I would have given him the job.
6. Without her support, he wouldn't have passed the exams.
7. But for his hard work, he wouldn't have succeeded.
8. Not until I received the call did I remember the appointment.
9. Only on very rare occasions is the public allowed in.
10. Only by accepting his conditions will you keep your job.
A GUIDED CLOZE TEST – FILL IN
STOPPING A JUMBO JET
In the early day of aviation, pilots had more important things to worry about than
braking. Their main problem was getting into the air. (1)..... by using all available
horsepower (2)..... they able to work up enough speed to take off. When they
landed again, their machines had so little weight and momentum that they rolled
to a halt on the grass only a few metres (3)....
Those days, (4)...., are long gone. As aircraft weights have risen, (5).... have
landing speeds, which has meant that undercarriage brakes (6)..... had to become
more effective. Today, airlines travelling at speeds of up to 250 kilometres per
hous are (7).... brought down to taxiing speed in a (8)..... of seconds. A jumbo
coming in to land can weigh more than 200 tons, so its wheels are (9).... with a
complete set of disc brakes. (10).... it simply allowed to roll to a halt, it qould need
a runway twice the normal length.
Airlines, therefore, have a second braking system which, (11).... a passenger, you
cannot fail to hear during landing. Hardly have the tyres made (12)....with the
ground (13)...... the engines start roaring again. This is the system known as
reverse thrust (14)..... applied, the effect of which is to slow down the aircraft well
before it (15)..... the end of the runway.
1. Even/ Only/ Not
2. were/ should/ could
3. when/ by/ after
4. despite/ however/ although
5. so/ and/ also
6. have/ would/ had
7. being/ about/ to
8. few/ matter/ lack
9. placed/ equipped/ found
10. Although/ Were/ If
11. like/ as/ because
12. touch/ contact/ communication
13. than/ that/ when
14. be/ being/ is
15. gets/ reaches/ arrives
PAPER 3
B Fill each of the numbered blanks in the passage with one suitable word.
THE CONCEPT OF TIME
Astronomy was one of the earliest of the sciences. Primitive man saw the sun
rising at different times, but always on the (1) .................. horizon. He saw it set,
but always on the opposite
horizon, and so he recognised the rising in the east and the setting in the west.
Given (2) .................. fixed point of refererice - a pillar, a tree or a pole - he
noticed that the shadows that moved (3) .................. it were longer in the morning
and evening, and at their shortest when the sun was highest in the sky at noon.
He acquired a sense of timekeeping (4) .................. the shortest shadow
conveniently divided his working day (5) .................. morning and afternoon,
(6) .................. the heat of the noonday sun to emphasise this division. Thousands
of years ago, (7) .................. astronomy was in (8) .................. infancy, it was
realised that the movements of the stars followed a consistent pattern, in
(9) .................. groups of stars appeared to change their positions as the night
progressed, just (10) .................. the sun did during the day. In the Northern
Hemisphere the observer (11) .................. notice that (12) .................. star (the
Pole Star) would always be seen (13) .................. the same point on the horizon at
sunrise and sunset, (14) .................. the other stars revolved about the fixed star
from east to west. So, (15) .................. the “shadow clock” of the daytime he
added the "star clock" of the night.