1. A number of adverbial expressions can be put at the beginning of the sentence for
greater emphasis. Any adverbial expression that is directly negative or which suggests a
negative will be compulsorily followed by an inversion with an auxiliary verb. Some positive
openings, however, also have this inversion, especially those beginning to such. This
inversion is a useful way of breaking up the usual subject verb object word order, but, in
general, its effect is rather literary and it should not be over-used. The following are the
commonest expressions which, if placed at the beginning, must be followed by an inversion.
Language II
Inversion
2. There is, however, another type of inversion which does not use an auxiliary verb. This is
even more literary than the first kind and is found after certain kinds of adverbial phrases. It
must certainly not be used indiscriminately by foreign students.
It is possible only with a verb of movement or position, and this verb is almost always in the
Simple Present or Simple Past. The verb to be is also used with this kind of inversion, after a
superlative:
3. Sometimes adverbs are put at the beginning to dramatise actions. In this case, the verb
must be a verb of movement in either the Simple Past, the Simple Present or the Imperative.
There is an inversion (type 2) unless the subject is a pronoun:
Language II
Inversion
Exercises
a) Put the verb in brackets into the right form, using inversions (type 1).
1. To such an extent her dad temper (get) on his nerves that he is filing a
petition.
5. Only after I had known him for some time I (begin) to appreciate his real
worth.
7. Not as critic but as a close friend I (urge) you to reconsider your decision.
8. In such a plight he (find) himself that he was at his wits end what to do.
10. At no time in the history of mankind women (have) grater opportunities for
following careers than they have now.
11. In none of his novels Hardy (give) vent to his pessimism so openly as in
Jude the Obscure.
Language II
Inversion
11. The Flea Market was the most fascinating part of the town.
12. He little thought that he would one day see his name in all the headlines.
Language II
Inversion
16. The tall figure of a man loomed out of the swirling mist.
18. We found ourselves in such a desperate situation that we had to shoot our way
out.
20. It is not by any means true that all English people know their own language well.
22. He had not been treated so abominably in any city he had previously visited.
25. The throbbing beat of drums came through the silence of the jungle.
Language II
Inversion
27. A great pile of plates and dishes fell down with a resounding crash.
28. The director did not realize what was going on until his attention was drawn to
certain irregularities.
29. The mass of luggage went up the backs of the sturdy porters.
30. The success of the scheme has been such that the same principle is to be applied in
other cases.
Language II