Word Order - The Inversion Of Subject And Verb

WORD ORDER - THE INVERSION OF SUBJECT AND VERB

In order to emphasise the idea they convey, certain expressions, (many of them adverbial and having some negative force) may precede the verb they are associated with. In this case, the subject and the verb of the main clause are inverted. Inversion is used: 1. in Questions - e.g. Have you seen John?

2. in Exclamations - e.g. How beautiful are the flowers!

3. in Sentences with IF (in literary style) e.g. Had I known what was going to happen, I would never have left her alone. (= If I had known...) Were you to learn German, I would be surprised. (=If you were...) Had I been there, things could have been different. (=If I had been...)

4. After AS (in literary style) e.g. She travelled a great deal, as did most of her friends.

5. After NEITHER, NOR, SO e.g. My mother is ill this week. / -So is my sister I can’t speak French. / -Nor can I. My husband never touches the vacuum-cleaner. / -Neither does mine.

6. After ADVERBIAL EXPRESSIONS beginning with ONLY (in a formal style): Only; Only when; Only then; Not only; Only before; Only after. e.g. Only when the employer gives permission; may the staff have a break. Only then did he realise the truth. Not only did we lose, but we also came close to losing our lives. Only after a year did I begin to see the results of my work. Only in a few countries does the population enjoy a reasonable standard of living.

7. After NEGATIVE ADVERBIAL EXPRESSIONS (in a formal style): Seldom; Rarely; Never; Never before; Barely; Hardly (...when); Scarcely (...when); No sooner...than; No (At no time; Under no circumstances; In no way; On no account; In no case; By no means) e.g. Seldom had I seen such a remarkable creature. Rarely could she have been faced with so difficult a choice. Never have I felt better. Never before have I heard such a sad story. Barely had I entered the room, when the noise began. Hardly had I arrived, when I had a new problem to cope with. Scarcely had we started lunch, when the door bell rang. No sooner was she back at home, than she realised her mistake. At no time was the President aware of what was happening. In no way can Ms Smith be held responsible. Under no circumstances can customers’ money be refunded. On no account are visitors allowed to feed the animals. In no case are visitors allowed to feed the animals. By no means are visitors allowed to feed the animals.

Note: Any of the negative expressions listed above in 3, 6 & 7 can be placed in any other position in the sentence without inversion. Ana Costa