INGLS I, 1 Grammar: Inversion

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Vctor Barbosa Losada. 2013
Grammar: Inversion
An inversion in grammar occurs when we shift the order of elements in a sentence. The most typical
and easy type of inversion is the interrogative form.
Ex.: Music is good for health. Is music good for health?

1. Inversion with so, neither and nor
We normally use these words to make short agreements.
Ex.: I like reading Rowlings books. So do I.
Ex.: Im not going to the English lecture this Friday. Neither am I.
Ex.: I dont like studying English grammar. Nor am I.

2. Inversion after adverbials
2.1 Negative adverbials
When a sentence begins with a negative adverb, it causes an inversion. As a result, we must place
the sentence in an interrogative way beginning with the negative adverb. The most common adverbs
which can cause inversion are: at no time, little, never, not only, not until, rarely and seldom.
Examples:
a) At no time (=en ningn momento):
a. I didnt tell you at any time that you could leave your room.
b. At no time did I tell you that you could leave your room.
b) Little (=poco)
a. You little realize that you are hurting him that way.
b. Little do you realize that you are hurting him that way.
c) Never
a. You never listen to me when I talk to you.
b. Never do you listen to me when I talk to you.
d) Not only (= no solo)
a. I not only hate her lessons, I cant stand her too.
b. Not only do I hate her lessons, but I also cant stand her.
e) Not until
a. I will not be OK until you forgive me.
S + V + P
"Inversion clause" + V
(Interrogative form) +
S + P
INGLS I, 1 Grammar: Inversion
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Vctor Barbosa Losada. 2013
b. Not until you forgive me will I be OK.
f) Rarely
a. I rarely trust you; you are always lying to me.
b. Rarely do I trust you; you are always lying to me.
g) Seldom
a. I seldom think about the present, and that is a big problem.
b. Seldom do I think about the present, and that is a big problem.
h) Under no circumstances (inversion with adverbials that indicate rules with no exceptions).
a. The use of mobile phones in class its forbidden to the students.
b. Under no circumstances will students be allowed to use mobile phones in class.
2.2 Inversion to describe related events
Some words, as hardly, scarcely or no sooner are used to describe events that happen immediately
after another. In these cases, past perfect tense is used to refer to the first event. Examples:
a) Hardly
a. I had hardly left home when it started to rain.
b. Hardly had I left home when it started to rain.
b) Scarcely (similar meaning to hardly)
a. Everything had scarcely begun to be perfect when it all went wrong again.
b. Scarcely had everything begun to be perfect when it all went wrong again.
c) No sooner
a. I had no sooner left home than I realized that I forgot my keys.
b. No sooner had I left home than I realized that I forgot my keys.
2.3 Inversions with only
A couple of expressions which include the word only cause inversion. That is the case of only after,
only if, only later, only by. When only is not followed by a preposition, there is no possible inversion.
a) Only after = Solo despus
a. I will print my English exercises only after I have my printer fixed.
b. Only after I have my printer fixed, will I print my English exercises.
b) Only if = Solo si
a. I am feeling good today only if I manage to solve all that stuff.
b. Only if I manage to solve that stuff, am I feeling good today.
c) Only later = solo ms tarde
a. I will be able to go for a walk only later.
b. Only later will I be able to go for a walk.
d) Only by = solo mediante
a. I can convince him only by your helping hand.
b. Only by your helping hand can I convince him.

INGLS I, 1 Grammar: Inversion
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Vctor Barbosa Losada. 2013
3. Conditionals with inversion


In some cases, we can substitute the classic conditional form if by an inversion; but only when
using: should, were or had.
a) Should (with conditionals 0&1)
a. If you want to meet me, just call me. (C0)
b. Should you want to meet me, just call me.
c. If you want to get that book, you will have to go to the library. (C1)
d. Should you want to get that book, you will have to go to the library.
b) Were (with conditional 2)
a. If I were you, I would not get angry because of that silliness.
b. Were I you, I would not get angry because of that silliness.
c) Had (with conditionals 2&3)
a. If I had your telephone number, I would call you in case of emergency. (C2)
b. Had I your telephone number, I would call you in case of emergency.
c. If I had known that there was a bus strike, I would have come to the university by car.
(C3)
d. Had I known that there was a bus strike; I would have come to the university by car.
4. Inversion with as and than
At comparisons, when using the particle as, we may use an inversion, like omitting the second part
of the clause. Example:
a. I was very scared about the English exam, as was she [scared about ]
b. I had to get up early to get to the faculty, as did my classmates.
When using the comparative particle than, we have always made an inversion unconsciously,
because we are omitting the repeated verb. For instance:
a. I am taller than [are] you.
5. Inversion with so and such
We can cause an inversion by collocating so and such at the very beginning of the sentence.
a) So:
a. I was so nervous about the exam that I couldnt sleep the night before.
b. So nervous was I about the exam that I couldnt sleep the night before.
b) Such:
a. My illness was such that I had to rest in bed for a week.
b. Such was my illness that I had to rest in bed for a week.
If + S + V
Should/were/had + S +
V
INGLS I, 1 Grammar: Inversion
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Vctor Barbosa Losada. 2013
6. NO Inversion after adjectives
We cannot make an inversion when collocating and adjective at the very beginning of a sentence,
except a few literary sentences. We do not invert when we have the useful structure ADJ. + AS (=por
muy )
Ex.: Loud as you speak [no inversion], we will not hear you unless they shut up. {Por muy alto que
hables, no te oiremos a no ser que se callen.}
Exception: Blessed are the children who are still unaware of what the future holds. Gone are the days
when I could have been happy.
7. Inversion after adverbial phrases indicating place or
direction
With intransitive verbs such as be, climb, come, fly, go, hang, lie, run, sit or stand, we can make
inversion, only when the subject is not a pronoun.
My classmate is sitting in that chair. In that chair is sitting my classmate.
The TV presenter climbed the highest mountain in the world. The highest mountain in
the world climbed the TV presenter.
The plane was flying around the Twin Towers before it crashed. Around the Twin
Towers was flying the plane before it crashed.
We can also make inversion with words like here, there, back, down, in, off, up, round. This is very
usual at oral language.
It goes here. Here it goes.
Your man comes here. Here comes your man.