INVERSION( ĐẢO NGỮ)

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...  We

I What is inversion?

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)

Negative adverbials include:

never, never before, rarely, seldom, barely/hardly, scarcely… when, no sooner than nowhere, not only, etc

 Normal word order in a statement: S

+ V:

I have never seen so many people

in one room

 Inversion:

Never have I seen so many people

in a room

No sooner had I put the phone down than it rang again

Hardly/ Scarcely/ Barely had I got

my breath back when it was time to go again

 We use inversion with phrases that begin with “not”

Not until he apologizes will I speak to him

Not for one minute do I imagine they’ll come back

 We use inversion with some time phrases that use “only”:

Only after several weeks did she begin to recover

Only later did she realize what had happened

 We use inversion with some time phrases that use “only”:

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 by patience and hard work will she find a solution

Only in this way do we stand any chance of success

 We use inversion after negative adverbials which emphasize frequency at the beginning of a sentence:

Hardly ever did she wear a suit

Little did she realize what was about to happen

 After expressions with prepositions +no:

In no way should this be regarded as one of the matter

At no time did they actually break the rules of the game

On no account are you to repeat

it to any one

Under no circumstances can we accept the offer

 After expressions with not …

Not until August did the government order an inquiry into the accident

Not a single word has she written since the exam started

 Inversion after ‘so + adj…… that’

Her business was so successful that Marie was able to retire at the age of 50

So successful was her business, that she was able to retire at the age of 50

 Inversion after ‘such + be…… that’

The play is so popular that the theatre

is likely to be full every night

Such is the popularity of the play that the theatre is likely to be full every night

 Inversion after adverbial phrases of direction or place

Her father stood in the doorway

His mother sat in the armchair

 Inversion after in comparisons with ‘as’ and ‘than’

The cake was excellent, as was the coffee.(……… as the coffee was)

Research shows that children living in villages watch more television than do their counterparts in inner city areas, (…….than their counterparts do)

 Inversion in conditional sentences

If you need more information, please telephone our main office

please telephone our main office

If Alex had asked, I would have been able to help

Had Alex asked, I would have been able to help

 Not using inversion:

We use inversion when the adverb modifies the verb, and not when it modifies the noun:

Hardly anyone knows about it, (=no inversion)