SUBJECT AND VERB INVERSION

Skills Number 11-13

Advance Grammar
Pasca Sarjana UNS Solo 2013
Introduction

1. Subjects and verbs are inverted in a variety of situations in

English. Inversion means changing the order.

2. There are three kinds of inversions of subject and verb in

English.

a. Inversion of Subject and Verb in Question Form or with

Question Words

b. Inversion of Subject and Verb after Place Expression

c. Inversion of Subject and Verb after Negatives

Inversion of Subject and Verb in Question Form

To form a question with a helping/auxiliary

verb (be, have, can, could, would, will, etc.), the

subject and the helping verb are inverted.

New student can get information in the Main Street.

Inversion of Subject and Verb in Question Form

New student can get information in the Main Street.

Auxiliary Verb

Verb

Subject
Inversion of Subject and Verb in Question Form

Can new student get information in the Main Street?

Auxiliary Verb

Verb

Subject
Inversion of Subject and Verb in Question Form

To form a question when there is no

helping/auxiliary verb in the sentence, the

helping/auxiliary verb “do” is used.

Alfred Binet developed an intelligence test.

Inversion of Subject and Verb in Question Form

Alfred Binet developed an intelligence test.

Verb

Subject
Inversion of Subject and Verb in Question Form

Did Alfred Binet develop an intelligence test?

Auxiliary Verb

Verb

Subject
Inversion of Subject and Verb with Question
Word (What, Why, Where, When, and How)

If the question word is in the beginning of a

question, the subject and verb that follow are

inverted.

When did Bill Clinton admit his sexual relationship with

Monica Lewinsky?
Inversion of Subject and Verb with Question Word
(What, Why, Where, When, and How)

When did Bill Clinton admit his sexual relationship with Monica Lewinsky?

Auxiliary Verb

Verb

Subject
Inversion of Subject and Verb with Question
Word (What, Why, Where, When, and How)

If the two clauses are joined with question

word, the subject and verb that follow the

question word are not inverted.

Do you know why Abraham Lincoln is called “Honest Abe”?

Inversion of Subject and Verb with Question Word
(What, Why, Where, When, and How)

Do you know why Abraham Lincoln is called “Honest Abe”?

Auxiliary Verb

Verb

Subject
Inversion of Subject and Verb after Place Expressions

not
Exercise

The lawyer asked the client why……….it.

A. did he do
B. did he
C. he did
D. did

Answer
C. he did
Exercise

They go to the movies every Sunday. Where………….to the

movie?
A. do they go
B. they do go
C. did they go
D. they go

Answer
A. do they go
Exercise

The house was built a long time ago. Do you know

when……………exactly?
A. it was built
B. was it built
C. was built
D. it built

Answer
A. it was built
Exercise

I don’t know when ________. Why ________ me like that?

A. was it found - do you ask
B. it was found - you ask
C. was it found - you ask
D. it was found – do you ask

Answer
D. it was found – do you ask
Inversion of Subject and Verb after Place Expressions

After ideas expressing place, the subject and verb

sometimes invert in English. This can happen with single
words expressing place and prepositional phrases expressing
place.

Nowhere can farmers grow such delicious fruit except in

Indonesia
Inversion of Subject and Verb after Place Expressions

Nowhere can farmers grow such delicious fruit except in Indonesia.

Auxiliary Verb

Verb

Subject
Inversion of Subject and Verb after Place Expressions

Around that mountains lies the town where I was born.

Verb

Subject
Inversion of Subject and Verb with Question
Word (What, Why, Where, When, and How)
Exercise

Located behind ________ a big hotel

A. a bank
B. is a bank
C. a bank is
D. a bank which is
Answer
C. a bank is
Exercise

In Madiun ______________that you want.

A. is there the most delicious nasi pecel
B. the most delicious nasi pecel is
C. the most delicious nasi pecel which is
D. there is the most delicious nasi pecel
Answer
D. there is the most delicious nasi pecel
Exercise

In the PPs building ______________ very hard

A. study we
B. we study
C. which we study
D. where we study
Answer
B. we study
Exercise

Around the chapel and down the path ______________ will be

staying this weekend
A. the tents where we
B. are where we
C. the tents are where we
D. are the tents where we
Answer
D. are the tents where we
Inversion of Subject and Verb after Negatives

When negatives expression appears in front of

subject and verb (at the beginning of the

sentence or in the middle of the clauses), the

subject and verb are inverted

Never did the boys make problem

Inversion of Subject and Verb after Negatives

Never did the boys make problem.

Auxiliary Verb

Verb

Subject
Inversion of Subject and Verb after Negatives

Hardly ever does it snow in this section of the country.

Auxiliary Verb

Verb

Subject
Inversion of Subject and Verb after Negatives

Boston Tea Party didn’t occur in 1800s, and neither did American Revolution

Verb

Subject
PATTERN OF INVERTED SUBJECT AND VERB WITH
NEGATIVES
Exercise

The president doesn’t attend the meeting, nor ______

A. does vice president

B. doesn’t vice president

C. vice president does

D. vice president doesn’t

Answer
A. does vice president
Exercise

Never _______________ his mother’s home.

A. did the son go to

B. the son go to

C. go the son to

D. the son did not go

Answer
A. did the son go to
Exercise

Never _______________ his mother’s home.

A. did the son go to

B. the son go to

C. go the son to

D. the son did not go

Answer
A. did the son go to
Exercise

Only once in my life ____________ to London Bridge.

A. I have gone

B. gone I have

C. have I gone

D. have gone I
Answer
C. have I gone