Inversion after negative adverbials 78 Explanations The term inversion covers two different grammatical operations. = Using a question form of the main verb Not only did he fail to report the accident, but also later denied that he had been driving the cai Never have I enjoyed myself more! = Changing the normal positions of verb and subject Along the street came a strange procession. See Grammar 14 for an explanation of this example. = This only occurs when the adverbial occurs at the beginning of a clause. All the examples below are used in formal language, usually for rhetorical effect, such as in political speeches. They are not usual in everyday spoken language. Compare: Never have I heard a weaker excuse! Thave never heard a weaker excuse! Time expressions: never, rarely, seldom These are most commonly used with present perfect or past perfect, or with modals such as can and could. Sentences of this type often contain comparatives. Rarely can a minister have been faced with such a problem. Seldom has the team given a worse performance. Rarely had I had so much responsibility. = Time expressions: hardly, barely, scarcely, no sooner ‘These refer to an event which quickly follows another in the past. They are usually used with past perfect, although no sooner can be followed by past simple. Note the words used in the contrasting clause. Hardly had the train left the station, when there was an explosion. Scarcely had I entered the room when the phone rang. No sooner had I reached the door than I realised it was locked. No sooner was the team back on the pitch than it started raining. = After only Here only combines with other time expressions and is usually used with past simple, Only after posting the letter did I remember that I had forgotten to put on @ stamp. Other examples are only iffwhen, only then, only later.sion after chwith that t] onal es without. GRAMMAR 13 INVERSION Note that when only refers to ‘the state of being the only one’, there is no inversion following it. Only Mary realised that the door was not locked. Phrases containing ro/not ‘These include under no circumstances, on no account, at no time, in no way, on no condition, not until, not only ... (but also). On no condition are they to open fire without a warning. Not until | got home did I notice that I had the wrong umbrella. Little Little also has a negative or restrictive meaning in this sense: Little does the government appreciate what the results will be. ‘This occurs with so and adjectives when the main verb is be. It is used for emphasis and Is more common than the example with such. $0 devastating were the floods that some areas may never recover. Such used with be means so much/so great Such was the force of the storm that trees were uprooted. As in the examples with such, inversion only occurs if so/such is the first word in the clause, Three types of If: sentence can be inverted without If. This makes the sentences more formal and makes the event less likely. If they were to escape, there would be an outcry. Were they to escape, there would be an outcry. If the police had found out, I would have been in trouble. Were the police to have found out, I would have been in trouble. If you should hear anything, let me know. Should you hear anything, let me know. If he has cheated, he will have to be punished. Should he have cheated, he will have to be punished. If Thad known, I would have protested strongly. Had I known, I would have protested strongly. Inversion after as This fs more common in formal or written language. We were short of money, as were most people in our neighbourhood. Tthought, as did my colleagues, that the recession would soon be over. Inversion after so, neither and nor j ‘These are used in ‘echoing’ statements, agreeing or disagreeing. A: Fam going home. B: So am A: I dont like meat. B: Neither do 1. See Grammar 14 for ways of giving emphasis without inverting after so. 79ADVANCED LANGUAGE PRACTICE 80 Complete each sentence by using the phrases from the box. Rarely have No sooner had Under no circumstances are Not only did Under no circumstances will as did Herdihad Little did Rarely have wwe arrived at the hotel, when there was a power by members of staff to accept gratuities from clients. ° Detective Dawson realise what she was to discover! 4) to pay the full amount now, there would bea ten per cent discount. ©) I supposed, retiring at 60. most people, that I would be 1) ss . the doctors seen a more difficult case. 8) Jean win first prize, but she was also offered a promotion, ay late arrivals be admitted to the theatre before the interval. one missing child been found, than another . so many employees taken sick leave at theGRAMMAR 13 INVERSION Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. a) It was only when the office phoned me that | found out about the meeting, find Not until ..2he.. office. phaned..me. did I find. dut...... about the meeting. b) The facts were not all made public at the time. later only all made public. ©) The response to our appeal was so great that we had to take on more staff. response Such to our appeal that we had to take on more staff d) Harry broke his leg, and also injured his shoulder. but Not only also injured his shoulder. ©) The police didn’t suspect at all that the judge was the murderer. aid Little . «as being the murderer. 4) The bus driver cannot be blamed for the accident in any way. held In. . responsible for the accident. If the government raised interest rates, they would lose the election. 8) Wee ene arsine interest rates, they would lose the election. hh) As soon as I got home, I realised I'd left my bag in the shops. had No sooner... bag in the shops. i), Te was only when I asked a passer-by that I realised where I was aid I realised 1'd left my Not until a. . where I was. }) The minister was interrupted just after starting his speech. when Hardly . he was interrupted, 81ADVANCED LANGUAGE PRACTICE 82. Decide which sentences are inappropriate in the contexts given. a) Guest to host: ‘So nice was that pudding, that I would like to have some more,’ ..LMKAPPEORIALE.. ) Witness to court: ‘No sooner had I turned out the light, than I heard a noise OUtSIAEL” sane ©) News reader: ‘Such was the force of the earthquake, that whole villages have been devastated.’ 4d) Parent to child: ‘Should you fancy a pizza, let’s order one now.’ €) Friend to friend: ‘Never before have I seen this film.’ . £) Politician to audience: ‘Seldom has the country faced a greater threat ) Celebrity to interviewer: ‘Were I to have the time, I'd go climbing more often.’ hy) Victim to police officer: ‘Scarcely had we been introduced when he punched me for no reason.’ 1) Printed notice: ‘Under no circumstances is this control panel to be left unattended.” snrsnnn )) Colleague to colleague: ‘Should you change your mind, just let me know.’ Complete each sentence with a suitable phrase containing the verb in brackets in an appropriate form, a) Should .. b) Were the plane .. have been killed. . (need) anything, could you let me know? sv (take off), everyone in it would ©) Had nn vss (Study) harder, I would probably have passed all my exams. (be) in the neighbourhood, drop in. . (go) to the doctor immediately, your daughter would not be so ) Never before . (spend) so much money on het daughter's birthday. 8) SHOUIM enn (feel) hungry, just call room service, and order a meal. h) Were . (offer) her the job, we couldn't be sure that she would accept. ) fide. coun (take) the necessary measures, this political ctisis could have been avoided. {) Scarcely sow (get) home when the police called us with news of Geoffrey.GRAMMAR 13 INVERSION Underline the correct word or phrase in each sentence. a) Jim promised that ite would never/never would hie tell anyone else. b) Not until it was too late remembered/did I remember to call Susan. ©) Hardly had we settled down in our seats than/when the lights went out. 4) Only after checking three times J was/was I certain of the answer. €) At no time J was aware/was J aware of anything out of the ordinary. £) Only Catherine and Sally passed/did they pass the final examination, 8) Only when Pete has arrived/has Pete arrived can we begin the programme. h) No sooner had it stopped raining than/when the sun came out. Complete the text by using the words and phrases from the box. little such not only under no circumstances. had seldom along sReseener —as_—_scarcely. Well, ladies and gentlemen, we've done it again ~ another election victory. The last four years of office has been a wonderful time for the party, a tale of had we come to office than the adversity overcome. (1)... 4.040 Stock Market crashed. But we survived that scare, and we came out of it stronger for the experience. The opposition claimed we were faltering. have I heard such hypocrisy from a party which 2 ‘Then continued to squabble internally for the next four years. @. dso came a fellow called David Rew, with his new breakaway Democratic party ~ but he didn’t have much success in the opinion did he claim he'd become Prime Minister polls! (4) within three years, he also reckoned that this party was now unpopular with .» did he realise that it would be younger voters. (5)... the young voters who gave us an overwhelming vote of confidence in . had the first votes rolled in yesterday's election. (6) ... when it was obvious that we would be re-elected with a huge majority. was the extent of our victory that the New they sass Democrats obtained a meagre five seats. (8) .. known they would perform so poorly, I don't think sey would have been quite so scathing in their criticism of our economic policy. But rest assured, ladies and will we rest on our laurels. There is gentlemen, (9) ... no room for complacency in this government. And I am confident, (10) . .. I'm sure are most of you, that the next four bea resounding success. Thank you,ADVANCED LANGUAGE PRACTICE 7 Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. a) Please never ever interrupt me when I'm in a meeting. am On no account ..AM.J..(ever)..t0..be..inteccapted. when I'm in a meeting. b) Nobody from this school has ever written a better composition. anyone Never . written a better composition, ©) Such was the demand for tickets that people queued day and night. ‘great ‘The demand for tickets queued day and night. 4d) The money is not to be paid under any circumstances. . that people no Under pe : J. to be paid. €) Three days passed before we arrived at the first oasis. had Not until at the first 0% f) Little did Brenda know what she was letting herself in for. no Brenda : . what she was letting herself in for {g) It was only when I stopped that I realised something was wrong, did ony that something was wrong, hh) The accused never expressed regret for what he had done. time At regret for what he had done 4) Exhaustion prevented any of the runners from finishing the race. were SOlnncncmranina . of them finished the race. j) It’s not common for there to be so much rain in March. see Seldom .. seve so much rain in March