How to use inversions for dramatic effect

1. INVERSION
NOISREVNI
B2, EOI CARTAGENA
Isabel Bastida & Ana Mena

2. Match the speakers to the sentences
1. “No sooner had I turned the corner than I saw these three men breaking the
shop window”
2. “Rarely has this country been in such need of strong leadership”
3. “Under no circumstances can we be late with the figures for next year”
4. “At no time in recent history have we seen such rapid technological change”
A newsreader
A politician
A father / mother
A university lecturer
A witness
An accountant

4. 1. WHAT’S INVERSION?
• Inversion implies a change in the normal word order
of a sentence.
• Normal statement word order is SUBJECT+VERB
• Inversion is the word order in questions, but we can
also use it for emphasis in statementsfor emphasis in statements:
“He was late and he didn’t apologise”
“Not only was he late, but he didn’t apologise”

5. 2. INVERSION TYPES
DIRECT QUESTIONS
Have you ever abstained from voting?
Are you happy with the result of the US
election?
SO-SUCH
Such was the intensity of the fight, that
Sanchez decided to resign.
So surprising was the result that Hillary’s
supporters burst into tears.

6. 2. INVERSION TYPES
MAY (wishes)
May you have a prosperous New Year!
May all your wishes come true!
AFTER AS/ THAN (literary)
After the election night, Trump was
flushed with happiness, as were most of
his advisors.
The opposition tried to reduce expenses
harder than did the members of the
government.

7. 2. INVERSION TYPES
EXPRESSIONS OF PLACE (literary)
There goes the new US president.
There he goes*
SO/ NEITHER/ NOR (agreeing)
I can’t understand how Trump won the
election.
Neither can I
I want politicians to keep there promises.
So do I

8. 2. INVERSION TYPESFor a more formal or literary style, we can omit IF and use inversion in 2nd and 3rd Conditional.
In 1st Conditional we can use SHOULD instead of IF
CONDITIONAL SENTENCES
Had the Democrats had a different
candidate, they might have won the
election.
Were politicians honest, people would
trust them. Should you need my help, let
me know

9. 2. INVERSION TYPES:
The dramatic effect
NEGATIVE AND RESTRICTIVE EXPRESSIONS
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES
AT NO TIME
ON NO OCASSION
NO SOONER … THAN
ON NO CONDITION
NOT UNTIL MUCH LATER
NOT UNTIL
ONLY THEN, ONLY AFTER, ONLY
IF/ ONLY WHEN
NOT ONLY …, BUT (ALSO)
NOT + OBJECT
HARDLY, SELDOM, RARELY,
SCARCELY
LITTLE
NEVER, NEVER BEFORE
• Under no circumstances will our party raise taxes.
• No sooner had Rajoy been re-elected than he passed
his first new law.
• Not only did Trump win in swing states, but he also
won in states Democrats had a large advantage
according to polls.
• Only when/ Not until/ Only after all the votes were
counted, did people believe Trump had won.
• Hardly had the voting finished when opposing voices
in the streets started to complain.
• Never before had forming a government taken so long
in Spain.
NO
NOT/ ONLY
ADVERB

10. • Choose the right option to complete the sentences.
1. _________ should children be allowed to drive.
a) no sooner b) under no circumstances c) not until
2. _________ after months of planning were they ready for the conference.
a) rarely b) only c) never
3. _________ had I left than I heard them laughing.
a) no sooner b) only when c) on no account
4. In no way _________ question his honesty.
a) did I ever b) I ever did c) had I ever
YOUR TURN

11. • Choose the right option to complete the sentences.
5 . _________ about such tragedy.
a) Little I knew b) Little knew I c) Little did I know
6. At no time before I accepted the job _________ that it would imply to be
accessible at all times.
a) did I tell b) was I told c) I was told
7. Not since the 1960s _________ attended an anti-war protest.
a) have so many people b) did so many people c) had so many people had
8. Directly in front of them _________
a) stood a castle b) did the castle stand c) did a castle stood
9. No sooner _________ back on the pitch than it started to rain.
a) had the team been b) did the team have been c) did the team be
YOUR TURN

12. • Rewrite these sentences.
1 . You come to realise the significance of the murder only in the last few
pages of the book.
Only in the last ______________________________________________
2. The first women’s team didn’t come into existence until 1996.
Not until 1996 _______________________________________________
3. He was an artist and a poet as well as being a military leader.
Not only ____________________________________________________
4. He started to become deaf soon after composing his best symphony.
No sooner___________________________________________________
5. You will not be allowed to enter the auditorium once the play has started.
Under no circumstances ________________________________________
YOUR TURN

13. • Rewrite these sentences.
6 . The actors came onto the stage to thank the audience.
Onto the stage ______________________________________________
7. The coach had no idea about the doping scandal.
Little_______________________________________________
8. On few occasions the team has given such a bad performance.
Rarely ____________________________________________________
9. Origami cultivates your patience and improves your creativity.
Not only ___________________________________________________
10. Children are not allowed to enter the gig venue.
On no account ________________________________________
YOUR TURN