1 What Is Inversion?

1 WHAT IS INVERSION?
Inversion in questions:
I can do it. (affirmative: subject + verb)
Can you do it? (question / inversion: verb + subject)
I made a mistake. (affirmative)
Did you make a mistake? (question / inversion: auxiliary + subject + verb)
Inversion in affirmative:
When we begin a sentence with a negative adverb or adverbial phrase, we
sometimes have to change the usual word order of subject and verb (often using an
auxiliary verb such as “do”):
I had never seen so many people in one room. (= affirmative word order)
Never had I seen so many people in one room. (= inversion)
He was good looking and he was also very intelligent. (= affirmative word order)
Not only was he good looking, he was also very intelligent. (= inversion)
2 WHEN WE USE INVERSION
We use inversion when we move a negative adverb or adverbial (never, nowhere,

not only, etc.) to the beginning of a sentence. We do this because we want to
emphasise the meaning of the adverb.
2.1. We use inversion after 'negative' adverbs which emphasise a time relationship at
the beginning of a sentence:
No sooner had I put the phone down than it rang again. (no sooner + past perfect +
than + past simple)
Hardly / Scarcely / Barely had I got my breath back when it was time to go again.
(hardly + past perfect + when + past simple)
2.2. We use inversion after phrases that use “not”:
Not until he apologises will I speak to him again.

Not since I was little have I had so much fun.
Not for one minute do I imagine they'll come back
Watch out:
After “not until,” “only when” and “only after,” the inversion is in the main part of
the sentence:
Not until did I see him I remembered we had met before. = this sentence is
INCORRECT
Not until I saw him did I remember we had met before.
2.3. We use inversion after some time phrases that use “only”:
Only after several weeks did she begin to recover.
Only later did she realise what had happened.
Only then did he remember he hadn't got his keys.
Only when I've finished this will I be able to think about anything else.
Only in the last few days has the truth started to emerge.
2.4. Frequency. We also use inversion after 'negative' adverbs which emphasise
frequency at the beginning of a sentence:
Never have I been so taken aback. (=I have never been so taken aback)
Rarely do they fail to get away for a holiday. (They rarely fail to get away for a
holiday)
Seldom is that pop group out of the news. (That pop group is seldom out of the
news).
Hardly ever did he wear a suit. (He almost never/hardly ever wore a suit)
2.5. We can also use inversion after 'negative' adverbs at the beginning of a sentence
to emphasise how infrequently things happen:
Little did she realise what was about to happen. (=She didn't realise what was about
to happen)
Nowhere was a replacement to be found. (We couldn't find a replacement
anywhere)
2.6. General emphasis

We often use inversion for general emphasis with phrases that use “only”:
Only by patience and hard work will we find a solution.
Only in this way do we stand any chance of success
2.7. We can also use it with phrases that use “no”:

In no way should this be regarded as an end of the matter. (You should not regard
this as the end of the matter)
On no account are you to repeat this to anyone. (You cannot/mustn't repeat this to
anyone)
Under no circumstances can we accept the offer. (No matter what, We cannot
accept the offer)
3 NOT USING INVERSION

We use inversion when the adverb modifies the verb, and not when it modifies the
noun:
Rarely seen during the day, the badger is a famously shy animal. (= inversion)
Hardly anyone knows about it. (= no inversion)
4. INVERSION IN CONDITIONALS
• Inversion in conditionals:
• If I were you, I would go there. → Were I you, I would go there.
• If you should need some help, call me. → Should you need some help, call me.
• If he had known, he would have come. → Had he known, he would have come.
• The substance is dangerous to health only if dosage is too high. → Only if
dosage is too high, is the substance dangerous. (the subject and the auxiliary
verb in the main clause are inverted)
• If the government were to resign, the situation might be resolved. Were the
government to resign, the situation might be resolved.
• If proper measures had been taken, this situation would not have occurred. Had
proper measures been taken, this situation would not have occurred.
• If an outbreak of flu should take place, special measures will be introduced.
Should an outbreak of flu take place, special measures will be introduced.
5. INVERSION AFTER “SO/SUCH” WITH “THAT”

This occurs with “so” and adjectives when the main verb is “be.” It is used for
emphasis and is more common than the example with “such.”
So devastating were the floods that some areas may never recover.
“Such” used with “be” means “so much/so great”
Such was the force of the storm that trees were uprooted.
As in the examples with “such,” inversion only occurs if “so/such” is the first word in
the clause.

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1 WHAT IS INVERSION?

Never had I seen so many people in one room. (= inversion)

2 WHEN WE USE INVERSION

We use inversion when we move a negative adverb or adverbial (never, nowhere,

2.2. We use inversion after phrases that use “not”:

Not until he apologises will I speak to him again.

2.6. General emphasis

2.7. We can also use it with phrases that use “no”:

3 NOT USING INVERSION

5. INVERSION AFTER “SO/SUCH” WITH “THAT”

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