Inverted Sentence

Inversion in English grammar refers to a change in the normal word order of a sentence.

In normal sentence, subject comes at the beginning of the sentence; before the predicate.

Sometimes we use predicate or part of the predicate before the subject and call it inversion.

Inversion can occur in various situations, including questions, negations, certain adverbial expressions, and some conditional sentences. Here are some examples of inversion:

Inversion is used in various situations in English grammar. Here are some common instances where inversion is employed:

Question Inversions:

Inversion is used to form direct questions, where the subject and verb are inverted.

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?

Adverbial Inversionss:

Inversion occurs with certain negative adverbial expressions, such as "never," "rarely," "not only," "hardly," etc., which are placed at the beginning of the sentence. Here are some examples of inversions in negative adverbials:

Never:

Statement: I have seen him before.
Inverted: Never have I seen him before.
Never have so many women received law degrees as today.
Never have I understood less than men.

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.
Rarely are spotted frogs seen from water.
Rarely will you see anyone using typewriters now-a-days.

Hardly:

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

Seldom:

Statement: He goes out at night.
Inverted: Seldom does he go out at night.
Seldom could she understand her fault while talking to others.
Seldom do we have goods returned to us because they are faulty.

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.

Little:

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

Scarcely:

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

Nowhere:

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

Neither:

- 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.

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

Conditional Sentences:

Inversion is used in conditional sentences that start with "should," "had," or "were." Here are some examples of inversions in conditionals:

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.

Emphatic Expressions:

Inversion can be employed to emphasize a particular element in a sentence. Here are some examples of inversions in emphatic expressions:

Never:

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

Rarely:

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

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.

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.

Little:

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

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.

No sooner:

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

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.

Formal writing:

Inversion is often used in formal or literary writing to create a more elevated or sophisticated style. It can be employed to start a sentence with an adverbial or prepositional phrase, rather than the subject. Here are some examples of inversions commonly used in formal writing:

Adverbial phrase at the beginning:

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.

These examples demonstrate how inversions can be used in formal writing to achieve a more elevated and sophisticated style. However, it's important to note that inversions are generally more commonly used in formal written language rather than in everyday spoken English.

It is important to note that the use of inversion can vary depending on the context and the grammatical structure of the sentence. It is advisable to consult a grammar guide or seek further examples and explanations for a comprehensive understanding of inversion in English grammar.