1. BY
Anyul R. Martinez Angel.
Sara María Bautista Rivera.

2. What is an Inversion?
 Inversion means
putting the verb before
the subject.
 FUNCTION: Provides
emphasis on an
specific element while
adding sophistication
to the structure as a
whole.

4. • I can play the guitar.
•Javier wrote an essay.
•Janneth is an English Teacher.
•Paola is learning English.
•I am late.
The most common use of inversion is
forming questions (interrogative sentences).

5. • You are not hungry, ________? (Are you hungry?)
•They are depressed, ________? ( I know they are.)
•You ______stay longer, can you? No, I really can't
•Don`t you speak like that! Will you?
•_____ is a great presentation. Is ____ it?
•Nobody knew the topic. _____they?
•There is something you want to say. _____there?
Tag questions
(other tipe of inversions).

6. Echo Tags questions
(other tipe of inversions).
•a)"I'm so hungry!" b)"Oh, are you?“’a)’’Yes I am’’
___________________________? Implicit question (IQ)
•a)"I'm sorry, I can't stay any longer." b)"Can't you?“
___________________________? IQ
•a)"They always have lunch at 12." b)"Do they really?“
____________________________? IQ
•a)"My sister has just passed her driving test."
b)"Has she?“
_____________________________? IQ

8. When “so”, “Neither” and “nor” are used to make
short agreements they are followed by an
Inversion.
 "I am not into Reggaeton music."
"Neither am I." (Or: "Nor am I.")
 “Anyul Does not like Vallenato Music”
“Neither do I” (“Nor do I”)
 "I am bad in Salsa dancing."
"So am I.“
 Anny buys only high heels shoes,
and so does Sara.

10. There are some words and phrases that
function as adverbials that sometimes
need an inversion.
 Javier rarely speaks to himself.
Rarely does Javier speak to himself.
 Seldom does Javier get invited to
parties. (seldom = rarely)
 Never have we seen such a breathtaking
view.
 At no time did the prisoner look as if he
might confess.
 Not only is she a great dancer but she is
also an amazing mathematician.

11.  Not until she took up rock climbing did
she overcome her fear of heights.
 Under no circumstances* will
prisoners be allowed to give interviews
to the media.
 Little** did she realize that her
grandmother was really a wolf.

12. The following three are used to describe an
event that happened immediately after
another.
 Hardly had he stepped outside when it
started to rain.
 Scarcely had he stepped
outside when it started to rain.
 No sooner had he stepped
outside than it started to rain.

13. The following sentences with "only" include inversions.
Note that it is not always the first verb that is inverted.
 Only after he arrived at the airport did
he look for his passport.
 Only if you look through this dark glass will
you be able to see the spots on the sun.
We accepted the invitation.
 Only later did we suspect it might be a
trap.
 Only by threatening extreme physical
violence was the teacher able to control the
class.

14. Conditionals with inversions

15. Formal Conditional Sentences
(other tipe of inversions).
Luis Pepita`s Grandfather is sick (Real siatuation)
Unreal present situations
•If I Were you, I would visit my grandfather
Were I you, I would visit my grandfather.
Normal Conditional
Sentence
=
Conditional Sentence
with Inversion
If I were you, I would visit
my grandfather.
Were I you, I would be visit
my grandfather.

16. Formal Conditional Sentences
(other tipe of inversions).
My parents came to visit me (Real siatuation)
Unreal past situations
•If I had known they were coming, I would have cooked a cake.
Had I known they were coming, I would have cooked a cake.
Normal Conditional
Sentence
=
Conditional Sentence
with Inversion
If I had known they were
coming, I would have cooked a
cake.
Had I known they were coming, I
would have cooked a cake.

17. •If I were a doctor, I would be rich.
Xx Were I a doctor, I would be rich. _________
•If I had taken the subway, I would have arrived on time.
Xx Had I taken the subway, I would have arrived on
time.__________
•If you should have any questions, please feel free to contact
me.
Xx Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact
me.__________
•If I were you, I would look for a new job.
Xx WereI you,I would look for a new job._________
If I had known about the party, I would have gone.
Xx Had I known about the party,I would have gone._________
PRESENT OR PAST SITUATIONS?

18. Inversions with "as"

19. •Anny is from Colombia, as is Sara.
•Estefania wants to leave
early today, as does Monica.
•That chocolate cake was
delicious, as was the coffee.
•Javier is handsome, as isAlex Rose.
We use ‘as’ inversion if we are using as for comparisons.

20. In direct speech
if the quotation precedes the reporting verb, the
subject and the reporting verb can be inverted:
"I'm so sorry," Leidy said / said Leidy.
If the subject is long, usually there is inversion:
"Good morning," said the stranger in the black
jacket.

22.  So excited were they that they couldn't sit still.
 Such was their excitement that they began to jump up
and down.
 So quickly did he run that the others couldn't catch up
with him. (He ran so quickly that the others couldn't catch
up with him.)
 So strong was the wind that we couldn't open the
window. (The wind was so strong that we couldn't open
the window.)
 So + adjective can be replaced with such:
 Such was the wind that we couldn't open the
window. (The wind was such that we couldn't open the
window.)

24. A few very literary sentences begin with
an adjective and include an inversion.
 Blessed are the children who are still
unaware of what the future holds.
 Gone* are the days when I could have
been happy.
*Here the past participle is used like an
adjective.
 Strange as it may seem, we were sorry
to leave in the end. (However there is no
inversion in the following sentence)

25. http://youtu.be/kUTn63TAsCs