Inversion Presentation and Practice

Inversion presentation and practice

All the statements below have inversion, meaning that verbs and subject are the other way around from a normal statement, like the word order in a question. Underline the inversion (“(auxiliary) verb + subject (+ main verb)”) and the key words which means that inversion is needed in each sentence (e.g. “nor should you be”).

Check your answers, then work together to make generalisations about what kinds of structures need inversion.

Find at least one example of each of these in the model sentences:

• Negative phrases
• Phrases about how small/ how low in number/ how small in amount/ how infrequent
• Phrases about how big/ how many/ how much
• Phrases meaning and/ or replacing the word “if”
• Time expressions
• Forbidding/ Warnings

All the sentences on the following page have one mistake with word order of the verbs and subject. Move a verb and/ or add an auxiliary verb to add inversion and so make each sentence correct. Some sentences could be made correct in other ways such as adding “if”, but for this activity please only change word order and/ or add auxiliary verbs such as “did”.

Check your answers with the first page.

 

Sentences with inversion to analyse and underline

He isn’t qualified to give you advice, and neither am I.

 

I’m not planning to cut out carbs completely, and nor should you be so extreme.

 

Not until I got home did I realise that I’d left the cooker on.

 

Until you are told to, under no circumstances should you hit this button.

 

Little did she realise that what she was predicting was her own death.

 

No sooner had I started work than the company went bankrupt.

 

We never would have survived had it not been for the help of a dolphin.

 

Never had I felt so short until I went to the Netherlands.

 

Not only did he quit at a busy time but he persuaded two others to come with him.

 

So idiotic was his suggestion that everyone started laughing.

 

Only after he had checked the cleanliness of our hands could we start eating.

 

At no time should you smoke while you are pregnant.

 

Please feel free to phone me should you have any problems.

 

We had to wait twice as long as usual, such was the length of the queue.

 

Hardly had I got to grips with the new job when I was transferred again.

 

So few people were there at the party that the neighbours didn’t even notice it was happening.

 

So little time was there left that we had to use a helicopter.

 

On no account can you have a party in this house, even if no boys come.

 

Never, since we first moved here, has that changed. 

 

Even when the video went viral, not for a moment did I believe it was true.

 

Rarely have we had so much fun as when we were playing on that muddy beach in Poole.

 

Not since I was born have I been in such danger.

 

Had I not been warned of what was coming, I would have been terrified.

 

Suggested answers – Sentences with inversion and key words underlined

He isn’t qualified to give you advice, and neither am I.

 

I’m not planning to cut out carbs completely, and nor should you be so extreme.

 

Not until I got home did I realise that I’d left the cooker on.

 

Until you are told to, under no circumstances should you hit this button.

 

Little did she realise that what she was predicting was her own death.

 

No sooner had I started work than the company went bankrupt.

 

We never would have survived had it not been for the help of a dolphin.

 

Never had I felt so short until I went to the Netherlands.

 

Not only did he quit at a busy time but he persuaded two others to come with him.

 

So idiotic was his suggestion that everyone started laughing.

 

Only after he had checked the cleanliness of our hands could we start eating.

 

At no time should you smoke while you are pregnant.

 

Please feel free to phone me should you have any problems.

 

We had to wait twice as long as usual, such was the length of the queue.

 

Hardly had I got to grips with the new job when I was transferred again.

 

So few people were there at the party that the neighbours didn’t even notice it was happening.

 

So little time was there left that we had to use a helicopter.

 

On no account can you have a party in this house, even if no boys come.

 

Never, since we first moved here, has that changed. 

 

Even when the video went viral, not for a moment did I believe it was true.

 

Rarely have we had so much fun as when we were playing on that muddy beach in Poole.

 

Not since I was born have I been in such danger.

 

Had I not been warned of what was coming, I would have been terrified.

 

Sentences without inversion to correct

He isn’t qualified to give you advice, and neither I am.

 

I’m not planning to cut out carbs completely, and nor you should be so extreme.

 

Not until I got home I realised that I’d left the cooker on.

 

Until you are told to, under no circumstances you should hit this button.

 

Little she realised that what she was predicting was her own death.

 

No sooner I had started work than the company went bankrupt.

 

We never would have survived it had not been for the help of a dolphin.

 

Never I had felt so short until I went to the Netherlands.

 

Not only he quit at a busy time but he persuaded two others to come with him.

 

So idiotic his suggestion was that everyone started laughing.

 

Only after he had checked the cleanliness of our hands we could start eating.

 

At no time you should smoke while you are pregnant.

 

Please feel free to phone me you should have any problems.

 

We had to wait twice as long as usual, such the length of the queue was.

 

Hardly I had got to grips with the new job when I was transferred again.

 

So few people there were at the party that the neighbours didn’t even notice it was happening.

 

So little time there was left that we had to use a helicopter.

 

On no account you can have a party in this house, even if no boys come.

 

Never, since we first moved here, that has changed. 

 

Even when the video went viral, not for a moment I believed it was true.

 

Rarely we have had so much fun as when we were playing on that muddy beach in Poole.

 

Not since I was born I have been in such danger.

 

I had not been warned of what was coming, I would have been terrified.