English

Inversion

adding emphasis

Inversion happens in English for emphasis, dramatic purpose or formality. This type of inversion uses negative and limiting adverbs - these are a group of adverbs which limit the meaning of a verb or make it negative. Examples are never, hardly, no, only...and there are others (see grammar page for more details)

To invert a sentence move the adverbial to the beginning of the sentence and invert the subject and auxiliary verb:

‘I had never met someone so interesting.’ becomes ‘Never had I met someone so interesting.’

'He won't often go to work.' becomes 'Not often will he go to work'

Notice that if the auxiliary verb is negative in the first sentence, it becomes affirmative in the inverted sentence and the 'not' moves to the front.

Negative adverbs

In formal styles, when we use an adverb with negative meaning (e.g. never, seldom, rarely, scarcely, hardly) in front position for emphasis, we invert the subject (s) and auxiliary (aux)/modal verb:

Never [AUX]have [S]we witnessed such cruel behaviour by one child to another. (or We have never witnessed …)

Seldom does one hear a politician say ‘sorry’. (or One seldom hears …)

Expressions beginning with not

We also invert the subject and verb after not + a prepositional phrase or a clause in initial position:

Not for a moment did I think I would be offered the job, so I was amazed when I got it.

Not till I got home did I realise my wallet was missing.

Here and there

Inversion can happen after here, and after there when it is as an adverb of place. After here and there, we can use a main verb without an auxiliary verb or modal verb:

Here comes the bus!

Here’s your coffee.

I opened the door and there stood Michael, all covered in mud.

She looked out and there was Pamela, walking along arm in arm with Goldie.

In cases where the tense does not use an auxiliary verb in the affirmative, such as the present simple or the past simple, one must be added. 

Present Simple:

‘I rarely go outside.’ becomes ‘Rarely do I go outside.’

'They don't ever know what to do' becomes 'Never do they know what to do.'

Past Simple: (Notice how the verb changes from past tense to infinitive)

‘She seldom worked very hard.’ becomes ‘Seldom did she work very hard.’

'We never went to the shopping centre.' becomes 'At no time did we go to the shopping centre.'

Some negative or limiting adverbials require you to complete a whole clause before the inversion takes place. 

‘I didn’t know what to do until I saw what had happened.’ becomes ‘Not until I saw what had happened did I know what to do.’

In this case, ‘Not until I saw what happened’ is the adverbial clause. The inversion takes place after this, in the main clause.

'Hardly' puts the inversion in the adverbial clause. It uses 'than' and 'when' to connect with the main clause.

‘Hardly had I got home than the dog started barking.’

'Hardly had he got into the bath when the phone rang.’

Little did they know means they didn't know. The subject can be changed.

‘Little did they know that he had stolen all of their money.’ (They didn't know he had stolen all of their money)

'Little did he know that they would never meet again.' (He didn't know that they would never meet again.)

Poll

Are these examples of inversion correct or incorrect?

Never will I ever take up smoking.

• Yes

• No

Poll

Hardly I had picked up my book than my daughter called me.

• Yes

• No

Incorrect

Inversion in a sentence with 'hardly' happens within the adverb clause. In this case, 'I had' should be 'had I'.

Poll

Little did she know that she had already been offered the new job.

• Correct

• Incorrect

Poll

Barely couldn't I understand what he was saying.

• Correct

• Incorrect

Incorrect

This sentence is a double negative because 'barely' gives the verb a negative meaning and so does the 'not' attached to the verb. The verb needs to be positive for this to be correct.

Poll

Not before you send in your passport you can receive a visa.

• Correct

• Incorrect

Incorrect

With 'not +time' the inversion needs to take place in the main clause, not the adverb clause. 'Not before you....CAN YOU receive' is the correct answer.

Poll

Little food did he had to share.

• Correct

• Incorrect

Incorrect

When we invert in the past or present simple, we create an auxiliary verb. This means that the form of the main verb may change. In this case, because 'did' is separate from the main verb, 'had' should become 'have'.