Inverted Sentence

Standard Sentence: If they had known, they would have attended.
Inverted Sentence: Had they known, they would have attended.

Standard Sentence: In the heart of the city, a vibrant community thrives.
Inverted Sentence: In the heart of the city thrives a vibrant community.

Sometimes the whole predicate or part of the predicate comes before the subject. Look at the following examples:

Standard Sentence: She rarely visits her hometown.
Inverted Sentence: Rarely does she visit her hometown.

Standard Sentence: I shall never go there again.
Inverted Sentence: Never again shall I go there.

Inverted sentence

Inverted sentences are grammatical structures in which the usual word order of a sentence is reversed for specific stylistic or rhetorical effects. Instead of following the standard subject-verb-object (SVO) order, inverted sentences place the verb or auxiliary verb before the subject. 

Why is inversion used in English?

The inversion is mainly used for stylistic or emphasis purposes. Here are some examples of inversion:

Statement: You are going to the party.
Question: Are you going to the party?

The rules of inversion in forming questions depend on the type of sentence and the verb tense being used. Here are some general guidelines for forming questions with inversion:

For sentences with auxiliary verbs:

If there is an auxiliary verb, invert the subject and auxiliary verb.

Example:

Statement: You are studying.
Question: Are you studying?

Statement: You will come to the party.
Question: Will you come to the party?

Statement: He has finished his homework.
Question: Has he finished his homework?

For sentences without auxiliary verbs:

If the sentence does not have an auxiliary verb, use the appropriate form of the auxiliary verb "do" (do/does/did) in the question, followed by the subject and the base form of the main verb.

Example:

Statement: They like ice cream.
Question: Do they like ice cream?

Never:

Statement: I have never seen him before.
Inverted: Never have I seen him before.

Statement: So many women have never received law degrees as today.
Inverted: Never have so many women received law degrees as today.

Statement: I have never understood less than men.
Inverted: Never have I understood less than men.

Statement: I have never seen such a breathtaking view.
Inverted: Never have I seen such a breathtaking view.

Rarely:

Statement: He had rarely seen such a beautiful sunset.
Inverted: Rarely had he seen such a beautiful sunset.

Statement: She rarely visits her grandparents.
Inverted: Rarely does she visit her grandparents.

Statement: You will rarely see anyone using typewriters now-a-days.
Inverted: Rarely will you see anyone using typewriters now-a-days.

Statement: She rarely visits her grandparents.
Inverted: Rarely does she visit her grandparents.

Hardly:

Statement: They had hardly any money left.
Inverted: Hardly had they any money left.

Seldom:

Statement: He seldom goes out at night.
Inverted: Seldom does he go out at night.

Standard: She could seldom understand her fault while talking to others.
Inverted: Seldom could she understand her fault while talking to others.

Standard: We seldom have goods returned to us because they are faulty.
Inverted: Seldom do we have goods returned to us because they are faulty.

Little:

Statement: We know little about their plans.
Inverted: Little do we know about their plans.

Statement: We understand the complexities of the situation.
Inverted: Little do we understand the complexities of the situation.

Nowhere:

Statement: They could find the keys nowhere.
Inverted: Nowhere could they find the keys.

Neither:

• I didn't know the answer, and neither did he.
  
• He did not know the answer and neither did I.
  
• "I don't like coffee." "Neither do I."
  
• A: I can't ride a bike. B: Neither can I.
  
• My family members do not like coffee, and neither do I.
• My neighbour didn't hesitate to cooperate with the pandemic-affected people, and neither did I.

Nor:

• A good number of adolescents do not socialize, nor do they build up their career.

Not often:

• Not often is a rattlesnake bite fatal today, but immediate medical attention is essential. 

In no way

• In no way can we justify militancy.

So quickly

• So quickly did he run that he reached home on time.
  

Only:

• Statement: She told him the truth.
  
• Inverted: Only did she tell him the truth.
• Only after entering the bedroom did he find the stranger.
• Only after entering the store did Arthur realize that there was a danger.
  
• Only after food has been dried or canned should it be stored for later consumption.
  
• Only then did I understand what she meant.

So:

• Statement: He ran as fast as he could.
  
• Inverted: So fast did he run.

Such:

• Statement: It was a powerful performance.
  
• Inverted: Such was the power of the performance.

Co-relatives:

We use inversions in sentences with co-relatives like no sooner-----than, hardly-----when, scarcely-----when, not only-----but also, etc.

• No sooner had I shut the door than the telephone rang. 
• Hardly had I shut the door when the telephone rang.
• Scarcely had he entered the office when he realized that he had forgotten his wallet.
• Not only does the atmosphere give us air to breathe but also it filters out harmful rays.

Not only----but also:

• Statement: He can speak Spanish, and he can also speak French.
  
• Inverted: Not only can he speak Spanish, but he can also speak French.

Not only...but also:

• Statement: He can speak Spanish, and he can also speak French.
  
• Inverted: Not only can he speak Spanish, but he can also speak French.

No sooner----than:

• Statement: She had closed the door when the phone rang.
  
• Inverted: No sooner had she closed the door than the phone rang.

Scarcely----when:

• Statement: He had started his work when the phone rang.
  
• Inverted: Scarcely had he started his work when the phone rang.

These are just a few examples of inversions in negative adverbials. Remember that the specific adverbial used will determine the structure of the inversion.

Should:

• Statement: If you should need any help, let me know.
  
• Inverted: Should you need any help, let me know.

• Statement: If she should arrive late, start the meeting without her.
  
• Inverted: Should she arrive late, start the meeting without her.

Had:

• Statement: If she had studied harder, she would have passed the exam.
  
• Inverted: Had she studied harder, she would have passed the exam.

• Statement: If we had known about the event, we would have attended.
  
• Inverted: Had we known about the event, we would have attended.

Were:

• Statement: If they were to win the lottery, they would buy a new house.
  
• Inverted: Were they to win the lottery, they would buy a new house.

• Statement: If I were you, I would take that job offer.
  
• Inverted: Were I you, I would take that job offer.

• Statement: After the game, they went for pizza.
• Inverted: After the game went they for pizza.

Adverbial clause at the beginning:

• Statement: Although he was tired, he continued working.
  
• Inverted: Tired as he was, he continued working.

Negative adverbial phrase at the beginning:

• Statement: I have never seen such a beautiful garden.
  
• Inverted: Never have I seen such a beautiful garden.

Prepositional phrase at the beginning:

• Statement: In the garden, the children played happily.
  
• Inverted: In the garden played the children happily.

Adjective phrase at the beginning:

• Statement: Happy with their success, they celebrated.
  
• Inverted: Happy with their success, celebrated they.

Comparative adverb at the beginning:

• Statement: He drives more carefully than his brother.
  
• Inverted: More carefully drives he than his brother.

Absolute phrase at the beginning:

• Statement: The weather being favorable, they decided to go for a walk.
  
• Inverted: The weather being favorable, decided they to go for a walk.

Participial phrase at the beginning:

• Statement: Excited by the news, she couldn't sleep.
  
• Inverted: Excited by the news, couldn't she sleep.

Poetry:

• "Into the woods went the brave young man."
  
• "In the still of the night, whispered the wind."

Fictional Narration:

• "Down the dark alley crept the mysterious figure."
  
• "In the mirror stared a face she no longer recognized."

Emphatic Statements:

• "Never have I seen such a breathtaking sunset."
  
• "Only at the summit did he realize the true challenge."

Dialogues:

• "On the doorstep stood Mary, her heart pounding."
  
• "In front of him loomed a decision he couldn't escape."

Descriptive Prose:

• "Beneath the moonlit sky, wandered the lonely traveler."
  
• "Through the misty morning, floated the haunting melody."

Historical Narratives:

• "Through the centuries echoed the tales of heroes."
  
• "In the midst of chaos emerged a leader."

Fantasy or Mythological Settings:

• "In the enchanted forest dwelled the mythical creatures."
  
• "Across the vast expanse soared the majestic dragon."

These inversions are used to create a sense of formality, emphasis, or rhythm in the language. They often contribute to the overall aesthetic and tone of the literary work, allowing writers to manipulate language for expressive and artistic purposes.

It's important to note that inversions are generally more commonly used in formal written language rather than in everyday spoken English.