This document discusses different types of inversion in English grammar: 1. Inversion can occur after "so" or "such" adjectives when the main verb is "be", used for emphasis. It only occurs if "so"/"such" is the first word. Inversion is more common with "so" than "such". 2. Inversion is also used in conditional forms to sound more formal, replacing "if" with inverted verbs like "should", "were", "had". 3. Inversion can follow adverbial phrases of direction/place at the start of a sentence, particularly with verbs of movement/location like "climb", "come", "fly", etc

1. Inversion after so/such with that
• This occurs with so and adjectives or with such
when the main verb is be.
• It is used for emphasis.
• Inversion only occurs if so /such is the first word in
the clause.
• It is more common with so than with such.
:

2. Inversion after so with that
'So'
'So + adjective ... that' combines with the verb 'to be'.
Examples
So strange was the situation that I couldn't sleep.
So difficult is the test that students need three months to prepare.
Her business was so successful that Marie was able to retire at the
age of 50. OR
So successful was her business, that Marie was able to retire at the
age of 50.

3. Inversion after such with that
'Such'
We can use such + be at the beginning of a clause to
emphasise the extent or degree of something.
Examples
Such is the popularity of the play that the theatre is
likely to be full every night, OR
The play is so popular that the theatre is likely to be full
every night.

4. Some more examples
• So excited were they that they couldn't sit still.
• Such was their excitement that they began to jump
up and down
• So exciting was the soap opera, that I forgot to do
my English homework.
• Such was the popularity of the soap opera, that the
streets were deserted whenever it was on.

5. Inversion in Conditional Forms
Sometimes conditional forms are inverted as a
means of sounding more formal.
In this case, the conditional 'if' is dropped and
the inverted forms takes the place of the 'if
clause'.

6. Inversion in Conditional Forms
Should you see Nigel, give him my regards.
Were I in your shoes, I would make a formal complaint.
Had I known it was her birthday, I would have bought
her a gift.
Note that "should", "were" and "had" are the only verbs
that can be inverted in this way. (And "were" is also
used with he, she and it.)

7. Inversion in Conditional Forms
First conditional
• If you hear anything, let me know
• Should you hear anything , let me know
Second Conditional
• If my mum found out , I would be in trouble
• were my mum to find out, I would be in trouble
Third conditional
• If I had known, I would have protested strongly
• Had I known , I would have protested strongly

8. Inversion after adverbial phrases of
direction and place
When we put an adverbial phrase, especially of
direction or place, at the beginning of a
sentence, we sometimes put an intransitive verb
in front of its subject.
This kind of inversion is found particularly in
formal or literary styles

9. Inversion after adverbial phrases of
direction and place
Inversion is usual with certain verbs of place and
movement, such as climb, come, fly, go, hang,
lie, run, sit, stand:
- In an armchair sat his mother
- Up the tree climbed the boy
- Into the classroom run the students

10. Inversion after adverbial phrases of
direction and place
In speech, inversion often occurs after here and
there, and adverbs such as back, down, in,
off,up, round, etc
Here comes Sandra’s car.
There goes my inspiration