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August - (Inversion Theory)

The document discusses the concept of inversion in English grammar, emphasizing its use for dramatic effect and formal speaking. It provides examples of inverted sentence structures and explains how they can be applied after negative or limiting phrases. The content also includes questions for discussion about crime and its portrayal in media.

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agustina.puch
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2 views8 pages

August - (Inversion Theory)

The document discusses the concept of inversion in English grammar, emphasizing its use for dramatic effect and formal speaking. It provides examples of inverted sentence structures and explains how they can be applied after negative or limiting phrases. The content also includes questions for discussion about crime and its portrayal in media.

Uploaded by

agustina.puch
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

AUGUST

B2 First - Prepare 8
WHAT CAN YOU SAY ABOUT THESE
IMAGES?
LET'S TALK
Why do you think some
people end up committing
crimes?
Are there any "crimes"
which yout think aren't
serious enough to be
classed as crimes at all?
Why are TV series about
criminals so popular?
INVERSION FOR EMPHASIS
Inversion refers to a sentence structure in which the
normal word order of subject and verb is reversed. The
purpose of using this sentence structure is to emphasise
a point by making it sound more important or dramatic. It
is associated with more formal speaking or writing.
EXAMPLES
Here are two examples of inverted word order, followed by
the same idea in a sentence with normal word order.

Not once during the interview did I feel nervous. – I


didn't feel nervous once during the interview.
Only when the staff receive better pay will their
performance improve. – The staff's performance will only
improve when they receive better pay.
INVERSION AFTER WORDS OR
PHRASES WITH A NEGATIVE
MEANING
The negative words or phrases in the examples below are underlined and
the inverted subject and verb are in bold.
Never have I been so bored by new a James Bond film.
No way am I going to say I'm sorry.
Under no circumstances should you open that email.
Not for one moment did I dream we'd ever meet again.
Not once did she call me during her holiday.
Not only has James lost his job, but he also has to find somewhere new
to live.
Not since last summer have I been swimming in the sea.
INVERSION AFTER WORDS
OR PHRASES WITH A
LIMITING MEANING

Little did I know what they were plotting, so the


party came as a complete surprise!

Rarely have I been so disappointed by a film.

Not until I checked my diary, did I remember we had


a meeting this afternoon.

Only when we arrived and there was nobody there to


meet us did we realise we were a day early.
Inversion is a grammatical structure, not a
specific tense, so it can be adapted to
virtually any tense or modal verb in
English.
The rule is simple: you invert the subject
and the first auxiliary verb (or modal verb)
corresponding to the tense you want to
use.

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