ENGLISH LANGUAGE
INVERSION
Moses Tololo
WHAT IS INVERSION
Inversion is a reversal of normal word
order, especially the placement of a verb
ahead of the subjects.
INVERSION
NORMAL SENTENCE INVERSION/INVERTED SENTENCE
You are tired Are you tired?
Subject verb verb subject
What is inversion?
Inversion is just putting the verb before the subject (s)
Inversion happens when we reverse the normal word
order of a structure.
EXAMPLE
NORMAL ORDER INVERTED ORDER
SVO VSO
WHEN DOES INVERSION HAPPEN?
The most common types of inversion is the question order.
1. He is cooking. - Normal
Is he cooking? - Inverted
2. They are working - Normal
Are they working? - Inverted
INVERSION IN QUESTIONS
1. Joe can swim. - Normal
Can Joe swim? - Inverted
2. She sings. - Normal
How can you convert these two words into a question?
Add auxiliary verb or a modal
Note : At times to make question word order, we invert the subject and
the verb, with an auxiliary (aux) or modal verb (m) before the subject.
She Sings Does she sing?
Subject verb Auxiliary subject verb
NEGATIVE ADVERBS
An adverb is a word that modifies a verb, adjective, clause, preposition,
sentence or another adverb.
For example
He walked slowly.
subject verb adverb
Negative adverbs
Negative adverbs are used in English to show inversion. These include;
- Never
- Scarcely
- Barely
- Hardly
- Seldom
- Not
- Rarely
- Nowhere
Negative adverbs
We usually use a negative adverb at the beginning of a sentence to
emphasise what we are saying. It makes our sentence surprising or
striking or unusual.
For example
I have seldom seen such a beautiful work. (No special emphasis)
Seldom have I seen such a beautiful work. (Emphasis is on what
beautiful work it is)
ACTIVITY
Change the following sentence so that they can use
inversion.
1. A. He never forgets her.
B. Never ____________________________________________
2. A. You can go nowhere without them.
B. Nowhere _________________________________________
3. A. He did not say a single word.
B. Not ______________________________________________
4. A. I had had scarcely arrived home when there was a knock on the
door on the door.
B. Scarcely _____________________________________________
CONTINUED
5. A. I had hardly got into bed, when there was a knock on the door.
B. Hardly ___________________________________________
THANK YOU