Easy Word | Luyện ngữ pháp


Luyện ngữ pháp - Destination B2 (Unit 27: Grammar - Inversions / possessives)


Inversions with negative adverbial words and phrases

When we put some negative adverbial words and phrases at the beginning of a sentence for emphasis, the subject and the verb 'invert'. This means we use the question form of the verb, even though the sentence is not a question. Inversions are quite formal and are not usually used in conversation.

Form:

negative adverbial word/phrase + question form
No sooner had I accepted the job than they told me I had to work weekends.

Negative adverbial Example
Never Never have I worked so hard in all my life.
Rarely Rarely have I worked so hard in all my life.
Seldom Seldom have I worked so hard in all my life.
No sooner (... than) No sooner had Matt started work than he resigned.
Hardly (... when) Hardly had Matt started work when he resigned.
Not only (... but also/too) Not only were you late for work, but you had also forgotten the report.
Under no circumstances Under no circumstances are employees allowed to leave the building without permission.
At no time/point At no time/point was I told what the job involved.
Little Little did I realise that I would become managing director just two years later.
Not until Not until the next day did I hear that I had got the job.
Only Only at the end of the interview did I think I had a chance of getting the job.

Watch out!

• Little is used with verbs of thought (realise, know, suspect, etc) and means 'I did not realise/etc at all...
✓ Little did I know how things were going to turn out.
(= I did not know at all how things were going to turn out.)

• With not until and only, you have to be careful about which verb to invert.
✓ Not until I had finished my homework was I allowed to go out.
✘ Not until had I finished my homework I was allowed to go out.
✓ Only when I had finished my homework was I allowed to go out.
✘ Only when had I finished my homework I was allowed to go out.

Form - Other inversions


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