INVERSION: Advanced English Grammar | adverbials and conditionals + TEST!
Hi everyone! Today we’re looking at inversion, an advanced English grammar topic. In this blog we break down the topic into simple, understandable steps with examples, to show you how to use inversion with different words and in different situations. I’ve embedded my YouTube video lesson (Inversion – Advanced English Grammar), so you can see and hear what we read today in action. Plus, there is a test at the end of the blog. Let’s get started!
Inversion in 4 simple steps:
- STEP 1: What does “inversion” mean?
- STEP 2: Inversion with adverbials
- Step 4: Test and Review
- STEP 3: Inversion with conditionals
STEP 1: What does INVERSION mean?
If you want to understand today’s grammar, you need to understand its name.
If we invert (verb) something, we change its standard order.
Today’s lesson is about the inversion (noun) of word order.
Normally sentences look like this:
1) I am tall.
2) We bought a new car.
3) Oscar was eager to impress his soccer coach because he wanted to be the star striker for his team.
It’s clear that the subject comes before the verb. But, when can a verb come before a subject?
In questions:
Are you tall?
Did you buy a new car?
Was Oscar eager to impress his coach?
You can see the subject and the verb have been inverted. Sometimes you need an auxiliary verb with your main verb.
But, sometimes we can invert the subject and verb when it’s not a question. This is where the grammar starts to become more advanced.
STEP 2: INVERSION WITH ADVERBIALS
Grammatical structure: Adverbial + auxiliary verb + subject + main verb
Group 1: Rarely | Seldom
Definition: not often
Rarely do I see people reading newspapers.
Seldom do I see people reading newspapers.
You can see that a verb comes before the subject.
It’s also possible to use the standard word order:
I rarely see people reading newspapers.
I seldom see people reading newspapers.
So what’s the difference?
1)Inverted sentences are more emphatic.
2)They are used to emphasize what you are saying or writing.
3) Inverted sentences are usually formal and often only seen in literary contexts.
Be careful about using inversion too frequently in your speaking or writing. It may sound dramatic and out of place. (Watch my YouTube video at 16:18 to see what I mean.)
Group 2: At no time | Not once
Definition: not one single time / never
My best friend Jessica and I went on a road trip. We used my car and I did all of the driving.
At no time did she offer to pay for gas.
Not once did she offer to pay for gas.
So far we’ve already looked at four different adverbials: rarely, seldom, at no time, not once.
These are called negative adverbials, but it doesn’t have to be a negative situation.
Not once have I had an issue with one of my neighbors.
Group 3: No sooner…than | Hardly…when | Scarcely…when | Barely…when
Definition: an action happens immediately after another
*usually used with a past perfect & past simple combination
No sooner had I left my house than it started to rain.
Immediately after I had left my house, it started to rain.
Hardly had the students started their exam when the fire alarm went off.
Immediately after the students had started their exam, the fire alarm went off.
Scarcely had the villagers fled when the invaders arrived.
Immediately after the villagers had fled, the invaders arrived.
*This one is very formal and almost never used in spoken English.
Barely had we pitched our tent when a gust of wind blew it over.
Immediately after we had pitched our tent, a gust of wind blew it over.
Group 4: On no account | Under no circumstances
definition: one must never do this, it doesn’t matter what the situation is
*We often use these adverbials with a modal verb.
On no account must you show anyone this letter.
Never show anyone this letter.
I told Jerry that on no account will I speak to Sandra.
I will never speak to Sandra.
*In this example, the adverbial doesn’t begin a sentence, but a clause.
Under no circumstances will you be allowed access to the company archives.
Group 5: Not only…but
Definition: in addition to
Not only can Mara speak Italian and English, but she is also learning Arabic.
In addition to speaking Italian and English, Mara is learning Arabic.
Group 6: Only then | Only later | On in + season/place
Students must not skip modules. They need to complete each module. Only then will the next module be unlocked.
Definition: only at that time
Hm…double auxiliary verb? will + be + unlocked? This is the future simple passive.
I always thought ex-colleague Cara was a nice person. She was always helping me with my work and even completed a lot of tasks for me. Only later did I find out that she was in fact stealing a lot of my ideas and data.
Lemons are usually associated as being a summer fruit. But, only in winter do most lemon trees bear fruit.
Group 7: EXCEPTIONS! Not until | Not since | Only after | Only when
In this group, you can see the inversion happens later in the sentence. You can see that directly after these adverbials, there is the standard word order.
Not until you sign the contract is it valid.
Not since Robin died has anyone made Marianne laugh.
Only after you graduate from university will you be able to apply for an internship here.
Only when I’m alone can I relax.
You might also like: the PASSIVE VOICE
Let’s continue with exceptions. Do you remember these questions from earlier?
Are you tall?
Did you buy a new car?
Was Oscar eager to impress his coach?
You can see that only in sentence 2 is there an auxiliary verb.
If BE (am/are/is/was/were) is the only verb we have, an auxiliary verb is not necessary in inversion.
Never was it so cold.
You can see that only in sentence 2 is there an auxiliary verb.
Remember, not all adverbials can begin an inverted sentence.
Only my mom can make chocolate chip cookies the way I like them.
You cannot invert this sentence.
TEST
Change each sentence into an inverted sentence using the adverbial in parentheses.
#1 I couldn’t find a public bathroom anywhere. (Nowhere)
#2 Kelly didn’t help me with this project at all. (In no way)
#3 I have never eaten such a wonderful meal as this. (Never)
#4 I will never eat oysters. (No way)
#5: I didn’t know much about Dan’s past. (Little)
#6 The crime rate has been increasing in Grovertown for decades. (Too long)
Answers:
#1 Nowhere could I find a public bathroom.
#2 In no way did Kelly help me with this project.
#3 Never have I eaten such a wonderful meal as this.
#4 No way will I (ever) eat oysters.
* “No way” is informal and only used in spoken English.
#5: Little did I know about Dan’s past.
#6 Too long has the crime rate in Grovertown been increasing.
*If you have two auxiliary verbs, place your subject between them.
Inversion with Conditionals
If you are not familiar with the conditionals, you can watch my lesson for a detailed explanation:
1st conditional:
If you choose to accept the job position, you will need to move to New York.
If you don’t pay by the 9th, you will lose your reservation.
To invert the 1st conditional, you replace IF with SHOULD.
Inverted structure: Should + subject + bare infinitive
Should you choose to accept the job position, you will need to move to New York.
Should you not pay by the 9th, you will lose your reservation.
WHY do we do this? Remember inverted structures are usually more formal, so here they are more polite.
Notice how in the negative sentence, you need to separate “should” and “not”. You cannot contract and say: Shouldn’t you pay by the 5th…
2nd conditional:
If I had better vision, I wouldn’t need glasses.
If you didn’t spend so much money on shoes, you would have more savings.
Inverted structure: Were + subject + infinitive (with “to)
Were I to have better vision, I wouldn’t need glasses.
Were you not to spend so much money on shoes, you would have more savings.
This is a good time to remind you about the BE exception:
If I were a foot taller, I would be able to join my school’s basketball team.
Were I a foot taller, I would be able to join my school’s basketball team.
Because BE is my only verb, another verb is not necessary.
3rd conditional
If I had known about Paul’s serious medical condition, I wouldn’t have complained about my little cold.
If I hadn’t brought a power bank with me, my phone would have died.
Inverted structure: Had + subject + past participle
Had I known about Paul’s health condition, I wouldn’t have complained about my cold.
Had I not brought a power bank with me, my phone would have died.
