DESCRIPTIVE GRAMMAR INVERSION
Inversion with Auxiliary Verb
a) Time expressions: never, rarely, seldom
I have never seen such a view.
I have rarely visited my grandparents.
The team has seldom given a worse performance.
b) Time expressions: hardly, barely, scarcely, no sooner
The train had hardly left the station when there was an explosion.
I had scarcely entered the room when the phone rang.
I had no sooner reached the door than I realized it was locked.
The team was no sooner back on the pitch than it started raining.
c) After only (only, only if, only when, only then, only by, only later)
I realized that I had forgotten to put on a stamp only after posting the letter.
He managed to get permission only later.
He could reach the shelf only by standing on a chair.
d) Negative phrases (under no circumstances, on no account, at no time, in no way, on no condition, not until, not
only…but also)
They aren’t to open fire without a warning on any condition. → On no condition
I noticed that I had the wrong umbrella when I got home. → Not until
He is not only late, but he hasn’t even brought a present.
f) Little
The government appreciates little what the results will be.
She knows little about me.
g) Inversion after So/Such … that
The floods were so devastating that some areas may never recover.
The force of the storm was such that trees were uprooted.
Inversion Type 2 Without Auxiliary Verb
The balloon went up!
I lit the fuse and after a few seconds the rocket went up.
A giant monster stood in the doorway.
His mother sat in an armchair.
She sat in an armchair.
My neighbours have a huge back yard. A string of beautiful Japanese lanterns runs through it.
My kids run through it almost every afternoon.
Paraphrase the sentences below using inversion:
1. He has rarely been more than 5km away from his home.
2. You must not mention this to him under any circumstances.
3. As soon as the teacher entered the classroom, the students stood up.
4. They could only get to the island by hiring a helicopter.
5. I had no idea that john was a musician.
6. She had never seen such a terrifying movie.
7. There’s no way I can get there by 5 o’clock.
8. He is a fine tennis player and a good footballer as well.
9. I haven’t seen a better painting anywhere.
10. She talks so much that she drives everyone mad.
11. She remembered well the last time they met.
12. He wasn’t clever; he didn’t show eagerness to learn either.
13. He didn’t see the lorry until it was too late.
14. The soldiers marched away.
15. She looked so ill that the boss sent her home.
16. She had such a hard time getting there that she was exhausted.
17. The children made so much noise that the neighbours complained.
18. As soon as she moved in, the neighbours started complaining.
19. He finished the book and then switched on the TV. Only
20. We didn’t eat at the party; we didn’t drink either.
21. We had no idea that the holiday would be so expensive.
22. She won’t join the group for any reason.
23. Joan had never seen such beautiful architecture anywhere else.
24. We left the room and then we started laughing.
25. The door could not be opened without using force.
26. This was the first time the race had been won by a European athlete.
27. The plane had only just taken off when smoke started to appear in the cabin.
28. She made no sound as she crept upstairs.
29. This window must not be unlocked without prior permission.
30. He only thought about having a holiday abroad after he retired.
Complete the sentences in an appropriate way:
1. Such .........................................................that his opponent fell to the canvas.
2. Such ..................................................that half the trees in the area were blown down.
3. Such ...............................................that shops all over the country have sold out.
4. So ............................................, that no one believed him.
5. So ..............................................., that he felt he didn’t need to revise any more.
6. So...................................................., that the United Nations sent food and water supplies to the area.
Rewrite the sentences using inversion:
1. The people dived for cover as the bullets flew over their heads.
2. That night, just as John had predicted, a heavy snowfall came down.
3. The two men were talking in front of the station.
4. A line of police officers was behind the protesters.
5. A small stream ran at the end of the street. There was an overgrown garden across the stream. Children would run
through it every evening.
6. She could hear the sound of the tractor and suddenly it came round the corner.
7. A white pillar was in front of them and a small, marble statue stood on top of it.
8. The teacher blew a whistle and the children ran off.
Sources: Evans. V. CPE Use of English. Express Publishing