INVERTED SUBJECTS AND VERBS
6th Session
• The most common problems with inverted
subjects and verbs on the TOEFL test
occur in the following situations:
1. With question words such as what, when,
where, why, and how
2. After some place expressions
3. After negative expressions
4. In some conditionals; and
5. After some comparison
1. Invert the subject and verb with
question words
Question words such as what, when, where,
why, and how have two different
functions in a sentence. First they can
introduce a question, and in this case the
subject and verb that follow are inverted.
what is the homework?
where can I leave?
where are you going?
• Also, these words can join together two
clauses, and in this case the subject and
verb that follow are not inverted.
I don not know what the homework is
When I can leave, I will take the first train
Do you know where you are going?
Example
The lawyer asked the client why_______ it.
A. Did he do
B. Did he
C. He did
D. did
INVERTEDSUBJECTSANDVERBSWITHQUESTIONWORDS
who what when where why how
When the question word introduces a question, the subject and verb are inverted
Question word V S?
What are they?
When the question word connect two clauses, the subject and verb that follow are not inverted.
S V question word S? V
I know what they are.
Exercise 1
7
2. Invert the subject and verb with
place expression
• After ideas expressing place, the subject
and the verb sometimes invert in English.
This can happen with single words
expressing place, such as here, there, or
nowhere.
Here is the book that you lent me
There are the keys that I thought I lost
Nowhere have I seen such beautiful weather
• The subject and verb can also be inverted
after prepositional phrase expressing
place.
In the closet are the clothes you want
around the corner is Sam’s house
Beyond the mountains lies the town where you live
• However, it is important (and a bit
difficult) to understand that the subject
and verb will invert after place expression
at the beginning of a sentence only when
the place expression is necessary to
complete the sentence.
In the forest are many exotic birds
In the forest I walked for many hours
Example
On the second level of the parking
lot______.
A. Is empty
B. Are empty
C. Some empty stalls are
D. Are some empty stall
INVERTEDSUBJECTSANDVERBSWITHPLACEEXPRESSIONS
When a place expression at the front of the sentence is necessary to complete the sentence, the
subject and verb that follow are inverted.
Place (necessary) V S
In the classroom were some old desks
When a place expression at the front of the sentence contains extra information that is not needed to
complete the sentence, the subject and verb that follow are not inverted.
Place (necessary) S V
In the classroom I studied very hard.
Exercise 2
13
3. Invert the subject and verb with
negatives
• The subject and verb can also be inverted after
certain negatives and related expressions. When
negative expressions, such as no, not, or never,
come at the beginning of a sentence, the
subject and verb are inverted.
Not once did I miss a question
Never has Mr. Jones taken a vacation
At no time can the woman talk on the telephone
Certain words in English, such as hardly,
barely, scarcely, and only, did like negative.
If one of these words comes at the
beginning of a sentence, the subject and
verb are inverted.
Hardly ever does he take time off
(this means that he almost never takes time off)
Only once did the manager issue overtime paychecks
(this means that the manager almost never issued
overtime paychecks)
• When a negative expression appears in
front of a subject and verb in the middle
of a sentence, the subject and verb are
also inverted. This happens often with the
negatives.
I do not want to go, and neither does Tom
The secretary is not attending the meeting, nor is
her boss
Only in extremely dangerous situations ____
stopped.
A) Will be the printing presses
B) The printing presses will be
C) That the printing presses will be
D) Will the printing presses be
INVERTEDSUBJECTSANDVERBSWITHNEGATIVES
No Not Never Neither Nor
barely hardly only rarely scarecely seldom
When a negative expression appears in front of a subject and verb (at the
beginning of a sentence or in the middle of a sentence) the subject and verb
are inverted.
(negative expression) V S
Rarely were they so happy.
Exercise 3
19
4. Invert the subject and verb with
conditionals
• In certain conditional structures, the subject and
verb may also be inverted. This can occur when
the helping verb in the conditional clause is had,
should, and were, and the conditional connector
if is omitted.
If he had taken more time, the result would have been
better
Had he taken more time, the result would have been
better
I would help you if I were in a position to help
I would help you were I in a position to help
If you should arrive before 6.00, just give me a
call
Should you arrive before 6.00, just give me a call
INVERTEDSUBJECTSANDVERBSWITHCONDITIONALS
had should were
When the verb in the conditional clause is had, should, or were, it is possible to
omit if and invert the subject and the verb.
(omitted if) V S
Were he here,he would help.
It is also possible to keep if. Then the subject and tverb are not inverted.
If S V
If he were here,he would help.
Exercise 4
23
5. Invert the subject and verb with
comparison
An inverted Subject and Verb may also occur after a comparison. The
inversion of a subject and verb after a comparison is optional, rather
than required, and it is a rather formal structure. There have been a
number of inverted comparison on recent TOEFL tests, so you should
be familiar with this structure.
My sister spends more hours in the office than John
My sister spends more hours in the office than John does
My sister spends more hours in the office than does John
All the three examples contain the comparison more… than, all three are correct
in English.
The results of the current experiment appear to be more
consistent than ____ the results of any previous tests
A) Them
B) Were
C) They were
D) Were they
In this example you should notice that the comparison more
consistent than, and you should also understand that the results of
the current experiment is being compared with the result of any
previous tests. Because the result of any previous tests is the
subject, only a verb needed: the best answer to this question is (B)
INVERTERSTHESUBJECTANDTHEVERBWITHCOMPARISONS
The subject and verb may invert after a comparison. The fol owing structures are both possible.
S V comparison S V
we were more prepared than the other performer were
S V comparison V S
we` were more prepared than were the other performer
NOTE: A subject-verb inversion after a comparison sounds rather formal.
Exercise 5
27
