Inversion

Inversion

By Roman Kolmogorov

​What is inversion?

Inversion happens when we reverse (invert) the normal word order of a structure, most commonly the subject-verb word order.

​

[S]She [V]sings.

[AUX]Does [S]she [V]sing?

Subject | Subject

Some text here about the topic of discussion

​after the following words and expressions:

• Seldom / Rarely / ​Little / Barely / Nowhere else / Never before / Not even once / On no account / Only by / No sooner ... than etc.

  ​

  Never before have I seen such an exciting match.

  Seldom do we go out.​

  ​

​Some text here about the topic of discussion.

When?​

​

When?

Only after/ Only by / Only if / Only when / Not until / Till

Inversion is in the main clause​

​

​Only if you do what your doctor tells you will you get well soon.

​

Subject | Subject

Some text here about the topic of discussion

When?

So / Neither / Nor

​

- "I like pizza."​

- "So do I."​

​

- "I don't like soup."

- "Neither do I."​

​

​

Subject | Subject

Some text here about the topic of discussion

​When?

Should / Had / Were

​

Should I go there, I would tell you.​

Were I you, I would go there.

Had I more money, I would buy it.​

​

Subject | Subject

Some text here about the topic of discussion

​When?

Verbs of movement / Adverbial expressions of place

​

​Outside the house was a big tree.

​On the chair lay a cat.

Here comes the bus.​

​

!!! Here they come. Here come they.​

Subject | Subject

Some text here about the topic of discussion

​When?

Direct speech

​

​"I don't like this book," said Jimmy / Jimmy said.

​

!!! ​"I don't like this book," she said / said she.

Subject | Subject

Some text here about the topic of discussion

Multiple Choice

Choose the correct variant of inversion.

• Here they come.

• Here come they.

• Here do they come.

Multiple Choice

Choose the correct inversion.

• Out go you.

• Out you go.

• Out do you go.

Multiple Choice

Choose the correct variant.

I like sport.

• So am I.

• So I am.

• So do I.

• So I do.

Multiple Choice

Choose the correct variant.

I didn't like the film.

• Neither did I.

• Neither I did.

• Neither I liked.

• Neither liked I.

Multiple Choice

Choose the sentence WITHOUT inversion

• Hardly  had I gone to bed when the telephone rang.

• There goes the train.

• Off  he went without saying a word.