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Inversion Table Exercise

The document discusses inversion, an alternative formal structure in English where the subject and auxiliary verb are inverted after certain negative adverbial phrases. It provides examples of common negative adverbial phrases that trigger inversion like "seldom", "rarely", "never", and explains how to form sentences with inversion in different tenses. It then provides an exercise for readers to practice inversion by rewriting sentences using negative adverbial phrases and changing the word order.

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325 views3 pages

Inversion Table Exercise

The document discusses inversion, an alternative formal structure in English where the subject and auxiliary verb are inverted after certain negative adverbial phrases. It provides examples of common negative adverbial phrases that trigger inversion like "seldom", "rarely", "never", and explains how to form sentences with inversion in different tenses. It then provides an exercise for readers to practice inversion by rewriting sentences using negative adverbial phrases and changing the word order.

Uploaded by

Oscar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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INVERSION

Inversion is an alternative formal structure which you can use after negative adverbial
phrases (see table). The word order is:
Negative phrase + aux. + subject + main verb

Seldom ..+ inv. / rarely / never


Barely + inv. when……
Scarcely + inv. when……
Hardly + inv. when……

No sooner .+ inv. . than……

Not only + inv. but also …….

Only …………..+ inv.


Not until……….+ inv.
Only after……..+ inv.
Little + inv. / Not for one minute

Under no circumstances + inv.


On no account + inv.
At no time + inv.

Present tense:
I seldom drink coffee.
Seldom do I drink coffee.

Present continuous
I´m doing a joint degree and I´m also studying Chinese.
Not only am I doing a joint degree but I´m also studying Chinese.

Past:
It was only after a year that I saw the results of my work.
Only after a year did I see the results of my work.

I didn´t think for a minute that I would like him.


Not for a minute did I think I would like him.

Present perfect:
I have never seen anything so awful.
Never have I seen anything so awful.

Past perfect:
I had just arrived when the phone rang.
No sooner had I arrived when the phone rang.

Modal verbs:
I could play the saxophone and also the piano.
Not only could I play the saxophone but I could also play the piano.
Exercise
Invert the following sentences making sure that the meaning stays the same and using
the following expressions:

no sooner, only, hardly, never before, scarcely, on no account, seldom, rarely,


nowhere, not until

1) As soon as I got into the bath, someone knocked at the door.


………………………….…………….………………………………………………………

2) It's not common for there to be so much rain in March.


………………………...................................................................................................

3) You won't be allowed in until your identity has been checked.

…………………...........................................................................................................

4) Just after the play started there was a power failure.


…… ...............................................................................................................................

5) The Prime Minister has hardly ever made a speech as inept as this.
………………………………...............................................................................................

6) We had only just arrived home when the police called.


……………………………………….....................................................................................

7) Press photographers are banned from taking photographs backstage.


…………………………………............................................................................................

8) The way so much money has been spent to so little purpose must be a
record!
…………………………………………….............................................................................
9) You can go home when you have finished your work and not before!
…………………………………….......................................................................................

10) You won´t find a better restaurant anywhere.


……………………………………………………………………………………………………
Answers:

1) No sooner had I got into the bath than someone knocked on the door.

2) Rarely/seldom is there so much rain in March.

3) Not until your identity has been checked will you be allowed in.

4) Scarcely/barely/hardly had the play started when there was a power failure.

5) Never before has the Prime Minister has made a speech as inept as this.

6) No sooner had we arrived home when the police called.

7) On no account/ under no circumstances are press photographers allowed to take


photographs backstage.

8) Never before/ rarely has so much money been spent to so little purpose!

9) Only when you have finished your work can you go home

10) Nowhere will you find a better restaurant.

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