Inversion, Exercise 3

           

                        INVERSION

1. I have never been asked to accept a bribe.

Never before …...

2. He had hardly left the house when the storm broke.

Hardly ……

3. As soon as he had left the house the storm broke.

No sooner ……………..

4. This switch must not be touched on any account.

On no account …………

5. She rarely has any money to spare.

Rarely ………………..

6. He hardly speaks to anyone.

Hardly …………

7. The nation has seldom been faced with such difficulties.

Seldom……………………….

8. They had hardly started playing tennis when it began to rain.

Hardly ………………………

9. A father has seldom sacrificed so much for his child.

Seldom………………………….

10. You may not return after midnight on any account.

On no account……………………………

11. He would not give up writing his satires under any circumstances.

Under no circumstances………………………………

12. He realized the danger he had been in only after he had read the newspaper the following morning.

Only after HE HAD READ THE NEWSPAPER ……………..

13. They were not able to assess the damage until the floods had subsided.

Not until THE FLOODS HAD SUBSIDED WERE …………………………….

14. He only stays in bed if he is seriously ill.

Only if HE IS SERIOUSLY ILL DOES ………………….

15. We  only then realized how much he had suffered.

Only then DID ………………….

Inversion, Exercise 2

  

No sooner……..home …….the storm broke…..

a. I had reached / then / off

b. had I reached / than / up

c. I reached /when / out

d. had I reached /than / out

Little ….about the plot of that novel.
a) do I remember    
b) I remembered    
c) do I remind     
d) I remind

No sooner…their plan,…something terrible… .

a) had they achieved / than / occurred 

b) had they achieved / when / had occurred

c) have they achieved / scarcely / occurred 

d) have they achieved / than / has occurred

Only if you ____, ____ become an authority ___ medical research.

a) will practise/you will/in                      

b) practise/you will/in

c) have practised/you will/on                 

d) practise/will you/on

Only after_________ the pub_______ that his wallet ________.

a) leaving / did he realize / had been stolen       
b) living / did he realize / had been stolen 

c) leaving / did he realized / had been stolen
d) leaving / did he realize / has been stolen

Not only … being told what to do, but he also resents … things imposed by others.

a) does he hate / doing   
b) he hates / doing   
c) does he hate / to do    
d) he hates / to do

Only after a few minutes _______who they____.

a) I realised/had been     

b) did I manage/are    

c) did I realise/ were   

d) I managed

______ you, I_____ about the outcome of the project.

a) Had I been/ hadn't complained                 

b) Were I/ wouldn't complain

c) Instead of you/hadn't complain                 

d) If I am/ hadn't complained

Under no circumstances _____________ that event to him.

a) you must mention    b) you should mention 

c) might you mention   d) must you mention

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

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

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 

Inversion in English Grammar, Basic Explanations

INVERSION IN ENGLISH GRAMMAR

Inversion is used to give emphasis or to be rhetorical in more formal situations, in political speeches, on the news, and also in literature.  Some native speakers may also use them occasionally in day-to-day conversation.  

    At no time

e.g.  At no time did I say I would accept late homework.

  Hardly........when

	This is used to refer to an event that quickly follows another.  It is usually used with the past perfect.
e.g.	Hardly had I got into bed, when there was a knock at the door.
	Less used is Hardly....before.
e.g.	Hardly had I left before the trouble started.

   Little

e.g.	Little did I know that he was a compulsive liar.
	Little does she know what surprises we have in store for her.

   No sooner.....than

	This is used to refer to an event that quickly follows another.  It is usually used with the past perfect, but sometimes with the simple past.
e.g.	No sooner had I reached the door than I realised it was locked.
	No sooner did I reach the door than I realised it was locked.

    Not + object

e.g.    Not a single word did she say.

  

   Not only.....but also

e.g.	"Not only had she understood the problem , but she also helped all around to solve it.

   

   Not until

e.g.   Not until January will I have a holiday.

   Nowhere

e.g.	Nowhere had Susan seen a more beautifully decorated room.

   

  Only after

	This is usually used with the simple past.
e.g.	Only after the film started did I realize that I'd seen it before.

   On no account/Under no circumstances

e.g.	On no account should you be absent from your seminars.

  

   Only then/if/when/later

       This is usually used with the simple past.

e.g.   Only then did I know what I had got myself into.

   Rarely/Seldom/Never        

	These are most commonly used with the present perfect or past perfect,  & with modals such as can and could.  The present simple can also be used.
e.g.	Seldom have I seen him looking so miserable.
	"Rarely does a movie make you feel so warm and so uneasy at the same time." - Review of `Hearts in Atlantis` in the Canadian Province, 28/09/01
	Never in her life had she experienced this exhilarating emotion.

   Scarcely/Barely....when

	This is used to refer to an event that quickly follows another.  It is usually used with the past perfect.
e.g.	Scarcely had I arrived home when there was a knock on the door.

   So......that

	This is a common inversion, usually used with an adjective & the verb `be`.
e.g.	So exciting was the soap opera, that I forgot to do my English homework.
	It can also be used with much.
e.g.	So much did she adore John, that she would not give him up.

   Such....that

	Used with the verb `be` and a noun, it means so much or so great.
e.g.	Such was the popularity of the soap opera, that the streets were deserted whenever it was on.

Inversion, Exercise 1

                     TEST ON INVERSION

1. No sooner had I reached home............................the telephone rang.
a) than   

b) when   

c)----  

d) then   

e) immediately

2. ..................... that you were in hospital, I would certainly have visited you there.
a) I had known    

b) Had I known   

c) If I knew   

d) Knowing  

e) should I know

3. ..................... left the building, when the bomb went off.
a) Hardly have we   

b) Hardly we had  

c) Hardly had we   

d) If we   

e) we had no sooner

4. Under no circumstances ........................any compromise.
a) there can be    

b) which they can    

c) like they are   

d) that there can be  

e) can there be

5. ..................... must  there be any repetition of such tactics.
a) sometimes      

b) not only   

c) very seldom   

d) once in a while   

e) until

6. ...................... else can there be a woman like this, so everybody admires her.
a) Anywhere      

b) Somewhere   

c) Where   

d) Nowhere      

e) What

7. At no time ................................ the office without getting permission from my boss.
a) I left   

b) did I leave   

c) I didn`t leave   

d) did they notice  

e) not only did they notice

8. Not until the thief left the house, ..........................him although they were at home.
a) they noticed   

b) they didn`t notice   

c) didn`t they notice  

d) did they notice  

e) not only did they notice

9. ....................... lost in the market, the staff of the shop will help him.
a) Were the boy to get   

b) The little boy gets   

c) Should the little boy get   

d) The little boy should get     

e) The little boy were to get

10. Never ............................. any doubt about the matter.
a) has there been     

b) hasn`t there been    

c) there has been   

d) there hasn`t been     

e) there should be

11. ..................... greedy, I could have bought a lot of jewellery.
a) If I had      

b) Had I been    

c) Should I be   

d) I had been    

e) I hadn`t been

12. Only from that student .....................the truth.
a) could I understand   

b) I understand     

c) I understand that   

d) I could understand         

e) I could have understood

13. Even less ..........................of what the teacher is thinking.
a) we know             

b) what we know     

c) that we      

d) do we know    

e) which we know

14.  ........................... informed them of the mistake in time, your students would have never succeeded.
a) Had you not    

b) You hadn`t     

c) You had     

d) Did you     

e) That you had

15. Not until I came into the class .......................... her illness.
a) I had realized            

b) did I realize    

c) have I realized    

d) I realize   

e) I realized