LESSON 3 – exercises

1) Look at the following sentences and invert them for emphasis.

 I have played little tennis since I was a child.
Little have I played tennis since I was a child.
 He had hardly taken a seat before he started to talk.
Hardly had he taken a seat before he started to talk.
 Fruit and vegetables are not only good for your health, but they are also
extremely delicious.
Not only are fruit and vegetables good for your health, but they are also
extremely delicious.
 The cyclist was in no way held responsible for the recent accident.
In no way was the cyclist held responsible for the recent accident.

2) Change the normal sentence into one with inversion.

 John had never been to such a fantastic restaurant.
Never had John been to such a fantastic restaurant.
 I in no way want to be associated with this project.
In no way do I want to be associated with this project.
 They had no sooner eaten dinner than the ceiling crashed onto the dining table.
No sooner had they eaten dinner than the ceiling crashed onto the dining
table.
 I had scarcely finished writing my essay when the examiner announced the end
of the exam.
Scarcely had I finished writing my essay when the examiner announced
the end of the exam.
 I seldom leave my house so early.
Seldom do I leave my house so early.
 People rarely appreciate this musician’s talent.
Rarely do people appreciate this musician’s talent.
 We would understand what had happened that night only later.
Only later would we understand what had happened that night.
 They had meet such rude people nowhere before.
Nowhere had they met such rude people before.
 He understood little about the situation.
Little did he understand about the situation.
  The children should on no account go on their own.
On no account should the children go on their own.

1) Inversion with negative adverbials. Form the sentences below.

(Neve /I/meet) Never have I met such well-behaved children
before. They are as good as gold.
(No sooner/my father/sit down) No sooner had my father sat down to dinner
than there was a knock on the door.
(Little/he/knew) Little does he know that his culinary skills are quite
substandard.
(At no time/I/mean) At no time did I mean to hurt your feelings. It was
all a big misunderstanding.
(Seldom/we/have) Seldom do we have friends over for a drink.
We prefer to meet them at pubs or restaurants.
(Not only/he/make) Not only does he make a mean cheesecake, but he
also prepares homemade jam.
Only when the situation gets out of hand will the government begin (the
government/begin) to act.
Not until June can you get (you/can/get) all the swimming gear out
of the drawers.
(Only once/I/climb) Only once have I climbed such a high
mountain before.
Her eyes were very red. (only later/I/find out) Only later did I find out that her
fiancé had broken up with her.

3) Choose the best inversion structure to complete each sentence.

(No sooner/under no circumstances) Under no circumstances Should
children be allowed to drive.
(Rarely/Only) Only after months of planning were they for the conference.
(No sooner/Only when) No sooner had I left than I heard them laughing.
Now (was the time/the time was) was the time to escape and she
jumped from the window.
May a time (she did/did she) did she plan to divorce her husband, but
she never did.
Only (when Jane has arrived/ when has Jane arrived) when Jane had arrived
can we start the party.
(Max it was/ It was Max) It was Max who borrowed the money.
What (are you saying/you are saying) You are saying is simply not true.

4) Decide if the following sentences are correct or incorrect.

No sooner had I locked the door when I realised I didn’t have my wallet with me.
 Correct
 Incorrect. (No sooner had I locked the door than I realised I didn’t have my
wallet with me.)
“Can you tell me where you’ve been?” asked he.
 Correct
 Incorrect. (Can you tell me where you’ve been? He asked.”)
So you have a new Maserati, haven’t you?
 Correct.
 Incorrect. (So you have a new Maserati, don’t you?)
Would you have done the same?
 Correct.
 Incorrect.
Only can you solve your problem.
 Correct.
 Incorrect. (Only you can solve your problem.)
Here we go.
 Correct.
 Incorrect.
She should be here by now, shouldn’t she?
 Correct.
 Incorrect.
Little she understands how life works.
 Correct.
 Incorrect. (Little does she understand how life works.)
Stefan doesn’t like horror films, and neither likes his girlfriend.
 Correct.
 Incorrect. (Stefan doesn’t like horror films, and neither does his girlfriend.)
I am being stupid, aren’t I?
 Correct.
 Incorrect.
 5) Match the two halves of each sentence.
Hardly had the lecture begun (A)
Away into the distance (B)
No sooner had I pressed Send (C)
Not only did he write the lyrics, (D)
Under no circumstances (E)
Hardly had they walked a mile (F)
In no way (G)
No sooner had we dried (H)
Not only can she speak English and French fluently, (I)
Only if you work hard (J)

but he composed the music too. (D)

but she can also translate well. (J)
will you be successful as a salesperson. (I)
when someone’s phone went off. (A)
than I realized I had chosen Reply to all. (C)
are we to be held responsible for damages of return orders. (G)
when they caught sight of the ruins of an old castle. (F)
should a teacher use rude language in the classroom. (E)
than it started raining again. (H)
floated the balloon. (B)

6) Fill in the gaps with so or neither/nor + auxiliary + subject to express

agreement.
“We were laughing all throughout the movie”.
“ So were we”.
“My children don’t like vegetables.”
“ Neither do / Nor do mine.”
“Everyone agreed that we should walk on, and so did Andrei.”
“I’ve never eaten sushi before.”
“ Neither have I.”
“I can’t drive, and neither can / nor can my husband.”
“I’m really curious what he’s going to do!”
“ So am I.”
“I have the flu.”
“So does my aunt.”
“Helen wouldn’t come even if we invited her.”
“ Neither would / Nor would Harry.”
“More city dwellers should collect waste selectively, and so you.”
“Ted is still single.”
“ So are most of his colleagues.”

7) Using inversion, rewrite the following sentences beginning with the words
given.
You come to realise the significance of the murder only in the last few pages of the
book.
Only in the last few pages of the book do you come to realise the significance of the
murder .
The demands of her job are such that she is rarely able to take a holiday.
Such are the demands of her job that she is rarely able to take a holiday.
The matter could be explained in no other way.
In no other way could the matter be explained.
I have seldom heard such beautiful singing.
Seldom have I heard such beautiful singing.
Peter didn’t realize that he had lost his keys until he got home.
Not until he got home did Peter realize that he had lost his keys.
The new park was hardly finished when vandals destroyed the flowerbeds.
Hardly was the new park finished when vandals destroyed the flowerbeds.
Nobody has won so many matches for his team since 1994.
Not since 1994 has anybody won so many matches for his team .
There are no circumstances where audience members may consume alcohol.
Under no circumstances may audience members consume alcohol.
They started to argue soon after they had got married.
No sooner had they got married than they started to argue.
You can’t use my new car at any time.
At no time can you use my new car.

8) Choose the correct option to complete the sentences.

1. that I was speaking to someone as important as
Professor Sims.
 a) Little have I know b) Little did I know
c) Little I knew d) I knew little

2. In no way question his honesty, although I

think that he made some wrong decisions.
a) did I ever b) I ever did
c) had I ever d) I had ever.
3. Hardly we were told that it would soon
be time for lunch.
a) we had finished breakfast that b) had we finished breakfast that
c) had we finished breakfast when d) we had finished breakfast when
4. At no time before I accepted the job that I would have
to do so much travelling around the country.
a) did they told b) I was told
c) I had been told d) was I told
5. Not since the 1960s attended an anti-war
demonstration in London.
a) so many people have b) have so many people
c) did so many people have d) had so many people had

9) Complete using the words and phrases below.

at no point – in no way – little – never – not – not only – no sooner – only after –
scarcely – on no account – rarely – under no circumstances

1. In no way were the security guards to blame for what happened.

2. Not once did the old woman thank me for helping her.
3. Only after seeing the doctor was Theresa allowed to leave hospital.
4.On no account / Under no circumstances will passengers be allowed to carry more
than 2 pieces of hand luggage.
5. Not only were late to work, but they also forgot to bring the reports.
6. At no point during the party anyone mention that Peter and Julie were getting
married.
7. Scarcely had Alan arrived in Mexico when he was arrested.
8. Rarely do you meet anyone as charming as Mr Peterson.
9. Little did the passengers know that the driver was really an undercover police officer.
10. Under no circumstances / On no account should unaccompanied children be
allowed to enter the pub.
11. Never before has the company found itself facing such stiff competition.
12. No sooner had the alarm gone off than the police cars arrived.