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    Inversion

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    midhya
    The document discusses different cases when the subject and verb of a sentence are inverted from their typical order. It explains that inversion occurs with questions, sentences beginning with place expressions like "there" or "here", sentences beginning with negative expressions, conditionals without "if" that use helping verbs like "had" or "were", and comparisons using "than". Examples are provided for each case of inversion.

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    Inversion

    Uploaded by

    midhya
    299 views9 pages
    The document discusses different cases when the subject and verb of a sentence are inverted from their typical order. It explains that inversion occurs with questions, sentences beginning with place expressions like "there" or "here", sentences beginning with negative expressions, conditionals without "if" that use helping verbs like "had" or "were", and comparisons using "than". Examples are provided for each case of inversion.

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    The document discusses different cases when the subject and verb of a sentence are inverted from their typical order. It explains that inversion occurs with questions, sentences beginning with place expressions like "there" or "here", sentences beginning with negative expressions, conditionals without "if" that use helping verbs like "had" or "were", and comparisons using "than". Examples are provided for each case of inversion.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    299 views9 pages

    Inversion

    Uploaded by

    midhya
    The document discusses different cases when the subject and verb of a sentence are inverted from their typical order. It explains that inversion occurs with questions, sentences beginning with place expressions like "there" or "here", sentences beginning with negative expressions, conditionals without "if" that use helping verbs like "had" or "were", and comparisons using "than". Examples are provided for each case of inversion.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 9

    INVERSION

    Inverted Subjects and Verbs

    Inverted subjects and verbs

    There are several cases when we invert the subject and verb of a sentence.
    That is, the subject and verb (or subject and helping verb) change places. This
    happens

    When we make a question

    When the sentence starts with a place expression (sometimes)

    When the sentence begins with certain negative expressions

    When we use a conditional without the word if

    When the sentence has a comparison (sometimes)

    QUESTIONS

    In many questions, the subject and verb are inverted:


    Sacramento is the capital of California. (with the verb be)
    S
    V
    Is Sacramento the capital of California?
    V
    S
    Why is Sacramento the capital of California?
    V
    S
    The students all passed the test. (with another verbnot be)
    S
    V
    Did the students all pass the test?
    V
    S
    V
    When did the students pass the test?
    V
    S
    V

    PLACE EXPRESSIONS

    When a sentence starts with a word or phrase that tells where, we sometimes
    invert the subject and verb.

    We often do this in sentences that start with the words there, here, and nowhere.
    (There, here, and nowhere are not the subjects of these sentences.)
    There is a big spider on your shoulder. (Spider = subject)
    Look! There are two Starbucks only a block apart.

    (Starbucks = subject)
    Here are the books that I borrowed. (Books = subject)
    Here in my hand is a shiny, new dime. (Dime = subject)
    Nowhere will you find a perfect place to live. (You = subject)
    Nowhere else have I seen such beautiful flowers. (I = subject)

    These negative and almost-negative words at the beginning of a


    sentence cause the subject and verb to change positions:
    no
    not
    never

    neither
    nor
    barely

    hardly
    only

    rarely
    scarcely
    seldom

    Sometimes these words are part of a phrase with other words:


    Not only was he late, but he didnt even apologize.
    Only occasionally does she go to the movies.

    CONDITIONALS

    However, we can sometimes make conditionals in another way. If the


    conditional clause has the helping verbs had, were, or should (but not
    others), we can omit if and invert the subject and verb:
    [If you should need help], please let me know.
    [Should you need help], please let me know.
    [If I were rich], I would buy a new car.
    [Were I rich], I would buy a new car.
    [If he had studied harder], he would have passed the test.
    [Had he studied harder], he would have passed the test.

    COMPARISONS

    Sometimes we put a sentence after than.


    Elephants are bigger than mice are.
    I think chemistry is more interesting than math is.
    He has more money than I do.
    You have learned this lesson more quickly than I have.
    In this case, we can invert the order of the subject and verb in the
    clause after than.
    Elephants are bigger than are mice.
    I think chemistry is more interesting than is math.
    He has more money than do I.
    You have learned this lesson more quickly than have I.

    1. Were I a bird, I .fly as high as I can


    A. Will
    B. Would
    C. Can
    D. Could
    2. Here the paper you asked for
    A. Is
    B. Are
    C. Was
    D. were
    3. Never . seen such a beautiful place
    A. have I
    B. I have
    C. has I
    D I has

    4. . she dance last night?


    A. did
    B. do
    C. are
    D. is

    5. Not only is he handsome but he ..also rich


    A. are
    B. was
    C. is
    D. has

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