Inversions
¿Qué es una "inversion"?
La inversión es simplemente cambiar el orden de la frase, colocando el verbo auxiliar por delante
del sujeto. Normalmente, invertimos el orden de las frases en las preguntas. Sin embargo, en
inglés escrito o en discursos más formales, a veces se emplean ciertos adverbios o frases
adverbiales al principio de la frase con un significado negativo o restricitivo que necesitan ir
acompañados de una inversión. Estas estructuras dan énfasis a la frase.
Auxiliary verb --> YES
Invertimos el orden del (primer) auxiliar y
el sujeto. El resto de la frase no se cambia.
ex. I will never lend money to Richard
again. (Normal word order)
Inversion
Never again will I lend money to Richard.
(Inversion)
Auxiliary verb --> NO
Insertamos un auxiliar: DO,DOES,DID.
ex. Steve hardly ever turned up on time for
his lectures. (Normal word order)
Hardly ever did Steve turn up on time for
his lectures. (Inversion)
La inversión se usa...
1- Después de ciertos adverbios o frases adverbiales que tengan un significado negativo o
restrictivo:
• Algunas frases con --> Not:
Not since I was little have I enjoyed myself so much.
Not until we got to my parents’ house did we realize we’d left all the Christmas presents at home.
Not only did he leave dirty footprints all over our carpet, but he also sat on my glasses.
• Algunas frases con --> Only
Only when I tell you can you put your books away.
Only then was I made aware of the potential dangers.
Further examples: only recently, only later, only in the last few weeks, only at the end of the lesson
• Algunas frases con --> No
On no account must you speak to other candidates.
Under no circumstances should the door be left open.
In no way will we give in to their demands.
At no time were you in any danger.
• Después de algunos adverbios de frequencia
Never have I seen such an ugly building.
Rarely/Seldom does one find antique furniture of this kind in such perfect condition.
Hardly ever is he in his office when I phone.
• Con “No sooner … than …” y “Hardly/Barely/Scarcely … when …”
No sooner had I got into the shower than the phone rang. (As soon as I got into the shower)
Hardly had we finished breakfast when we were told it would soon be time for lunch.
• Con --> Little, que significa "not at all"
Little did they realize that their conversation was being recorded. (= They had no idea …)
2- CONDITIONALS: Podemos emplear la inversion en las frases condicionales con 'had'
'were' y 'should'. Esto es bastante formal.
HAD
If I had been there, this problem wouldn't have happened.
Had I been there, this problem wouldn't have happened.
Inversion with WERE
If we had children, we'd need to move to a bigger house.
conditional
Were we to have children, we'd need to move to a bigger house.
SHOULD
If there is a delay to your order, we will contact you.
Should there be a delay to your order, we will contact you
3- También podemos usar la inversion si colocamos una frase adverbial al principio de la
misma. Esto también es muy formal:
On the table was all the money we had lost. (Normal sentence: All the money we had lost was on
the table.)
Round the corner came the knights. (Normal sentence: The knights came round the corner.)
4-Usamos la inversión con la siguiente estructura: 'so + adjective...that':
So beautiful was the girl that nobody could talk of anything else. (Normal sentence: the girl was so
beautiful that nobody could talk of anything else.)
So delicious was the food that we ate every last bite. (Normal sentence: the food was so delicious
that we ate every last bite.)
Inversion exercise - Invert these sentences -->
1. I have never before been asked to accept a bribe.
Never before
2. He had hardly left the house when the storm broke.
Hardly
3. As soon as he had left the house the storm broke.
No sooner
4. This switch must not be touched on any account.
On no account
5. She rarely has any money to spare.
Rarely
6. He hardly speaks to anyone.
Hardly
7. The nation has seldom been faced with such difficulties.
Seldom
8. They had hardly started playing tennis when it began to rain.
Hardly
9. A father has seldom sacrificed so much for his child.
Seldom
10. You may not return after midnight on any account.
On no account
11. He would not give up writing his satires under any circumstances.
Under no circumstances
12. He realized the danger he had been in only after he had read the newspaper the following
morning.
Only after
13. They were not able to assess the damage until the floods had subsided.
Not until
14. He only stays in bed if he is seriously ill.
Only if
15. We only then realized how much he had suffered.
Only then
16. He was only able to do the exercise with a great deal of effort.
Only
17. He didn’t manage to get permission until she had calmed down.
Not until
18. No director has made such an intellectually challenging sci-fi movie since Kubrick’s 2001.
Not since
19. He became so suspicious that he didn’t even trust his family.
So suspicious
20. He was so anxious to start a new life that he actually changed his name.
So anxious
22. He could only make himself heard by shouting at the top of his voice.
Only by
23. He laughed so much that tears rolled down his cheeks.
So much
24. Her business was so successful that Marie was able to retire at the age of 50.
So successful
25. If you were less than delighted with our product, we will refund your money immediately.
Were
26. If you were to accept our offer, we could avoid the costs of a court case.
Were
27. If the builders were to finish their work to schedule, they would receive a bonus.
Were
28. If the tickets should fail to arrive before the departure date, we would arrange to have
duplicates waiting at the airport.
Should
29. If the film had been released in the summer, it would not have been so successful.
Had
30. He had no money and his sister didn’t have any either.
He had no money, neither / nor