Negative inversion

Negative inversion is used to...

• emphasize a point

• make sentences sound more formal

• deny something

• add drama

What is the basic structure of a negative inversion sentence?

• Negative adverbial + Main verb + Auxiliary verb + Subject

• Negative adverbial + Subject + Auxiliary verb + Main verb

• Negative adverbial + Auxiliary verb + Subject + Main verb

• Main verb + Auxiliary verb + Negative adverbial + Subject

Which of the following are negative adverbs?

• Rarely, little, never, on no account

• • Extremely, rather, always, on no account

• not only … but (also), no sooner…than, under no circumstances,

• Little, never, carefully, usually

Choose the right negative inversion: she will not reveal her sources under any circumstances.

• Under any circumstances will she reveals her sources.

• Under no circumstances she will reveal her sources.

• Under no circumstances will she reveal her sources.

Choose the right negative inversion: You should never do anything without asking me first.

• On no account shouldn't you do nothing without asking me first.

• On no account should you do anything without asking me first.

• On no account you should do anything without asking me first.

• On no account do you should do anything without asking me first.

Choose the right negative inversion: you will rarely hear such beautiful music.

• Rarely will you hear such beautiful music.

• Rarely will you heard such beautiful music.

• Rarely will hear you such beautiful music.

• Rarely you will hear such beautiful music.

Choose the right negative inversion: What she didn't know was that her life was about to change forever.

• Little did she knew that her life was about to change forever.

• Little did she know that her life was about to change forever.

• Little do she know that was her life about to change forever.

• Little do she knows that her life was about to change forever.

Choose the right negative inversion: As soon as we got home, the police rang the doorbell.

• No sooner have we arrived home than the police rang the doorbell.

• No sooner had we arrive home than the police rang the doorbell.

• No sooner had we arrived home than the police rang the doorbell.

• No sooner we had arrived home than the police rang the doorbell.

Spot the error and correct it: Little does they suspect the true intentions behind her friendly behavior.

(a)  

Spot the error and correct it: Never had we try such a rich and exquisite dessert.

(a)