Inversion happens when we reverse (invert) the normal word order of a structure, most commonly the subject-verb word order. For example, a statement has the subject (s) before the verb (v), but to make question word order, we invert the subject and the verb, with an auxiliary (aux) or modal verb (m) before the subject (s)

1. Inversion
&
fronting
Charles Dickens started
his literary career by
writing for magazines.
Indeed, his first novel,
The Pickwick Papers,
was serialised in a
magazine before being
published as a book.
Only later did Dickens
produce full novels to be
published as complete
books.

2. 1. Reasons for inversion and fronting
Inversion and fronting are both ways of changing the
normal word order of a sentence.
• Fronting brings adjectives and adverbs to the beginning of the
sentence.
Compare: NON-FRONTED The actors were a mixed bunch. Pacino was
the least inspiring of the lot.
FRONTED The actors were a mixed bunch. Least inspiring of the lot
was Pacino.
The fronted statement places more emphasis on the adjective phrase
least inspiring.
• Normal statement word order is subject + verb.
Inversion is the word order in questions (Are you ready?), but we also
use it for emphasis in statements. Compare:
NON-lNVERTED He was late and he didn't apologise.
INVERTED Not only was he late, but he didn’t (even) apologise.
The inverted statement emphasises the inverted action more.

3. 2. Subject-auxiliary inversion (Part one)
after adverbs with 'restrictive’/
negative meaning
(e.g. hardly, scarcely, rarely,
little, never, seldom)
Little did we realise the true extent of his involvement.
Never had they experienced such behaviour.
Hardly had the guests arrived when the bell for supper was rung.
only + time expression or
prepositional phrase
Only later did Dickens produce full novels...
Only with a great deal of effort was he able to escape.
only + conjunction (inversion in
main clause)
Only if the weather improves will the golf tournament take place.
in no way, at no time, under no
circumstances, on no account
At no time during the operation did the patient regain consciousness.
Under no circumstances can refunds be given.
not + only/time expression/
person or thing
Not only is he late, he hasn’t even brought a present.
Not since records began has youth unemployment been so high.
Not a single stone was left unturned in the search.
We invert the auxiliary/modal verb (do, have, should, etc.)
and subject after these phrases:

4. 2. Subject-auxiliary inversion (Part Two)
no sooner... than No sooner had we set out than the skies opened.
clauses beginning with neither
or ' nor
They have no intention of paying and neither have we.
We couldn’t face the customers and nor could the boss.
clauses beginning with may
which describe a strong wish
May he live to regret this decision!
after fronted comparisons,
also, such and so*
The captain is refusing to play under these conditions and so are the rest of
the team.

5. 2. Subject-auxiliary inversion
(Part Three)
➢Expressions with no, not, etc. not listed above (e.g. no
doubt) cannot be inverted:
❌ No doubt will he give us a key.
✅ No doubt he will give us a key.
➢We do not invert the subject and auxiliary after only if
there is no time expression or prepositional phrase
immediately after it:
❌ Only can members park there.
✅ Only members can park there.
✅ Only on Sundays can members park there.

6. 3. Subject-verb inversion (Part one)
➢ We occasionally invert a main verb and subject after prepositional phrases
(e.g. between the trees) or adverbs of place (e.g. here, there, outside) and
adverbs of time (e.g. next, then, first, now, finally). We can use a form of be or
verbs of place and movement (e.g. stand, sit, lie, come, go, climb, run, sail, fly)
before the subject.
place adverbs/prepositional phrases + be or verbs of
place/movement:
Here lies the body of our late lamented sovereign.
All along one wall climbed a beautiful rambling rose.
time adverbs + be or verbs of place/movement:
For the first hour the teams seemed evenly matched.
Then came the turning point in the game as Ed scored.
That was the final instalment of the book of the week. Next is the
news..

7. 3. Subject-verb inversion (Part Two)
➢ We often use this pattern to form a link with the information in the previous
sentence, and it is common in formal literary English.
➢ We don't use inversion if the subject of the clause is a pronoun:
Here comes the bus.→
❌ Here comes it.
✅ Here it comes.

8. 3. Subject-verb inversion (Part Three)
➢ We can also use inversion in as and than clauses in formal English:
Mr Slater is expecting a pay rise, as are several other salesmen
in the team.
Social security officials are far more vigorous in handling suspect
benefit claimants than is the Inland Revenue in dealing with
suspected tax evasion.
So be it.
Long live the king!
➢ Inversion is common in certain fixed expressions, often with subjunctives.

9. 4. Fronting adjective and adverbial
phrases (Part one)
comparative and
superlative adjectives*
The first act was dire. Much more exciting was the
play's second act. Many of the monuments are truly
awesome. Best of all is the Colosseum.
so + adjective + that
clause
So intense was the heat (that) the firefighters were
unable to enter the building for two hours.
also + adverbial
phrase
Members of the royal family attended the funeral.
Also at the service were several ambassadors.
such
They led a life of poverty. Such is the fate of most
orphans in this area.
➢ We can place the following at the beginning of the sentence with inversion of
the subject and a form of the verb be:

10. 4. Fronting adjective and adverbial
phrases (Part Two)
adverbial phrases describing
position and participle verbs
of position and movement
(e.g. stand, attach, lie)
After showing us around the house, the agent took us outside. At
the back of the house was an untidy garden, much of which was
taken up by a large and unkempt lawn. Standing in the corner of
the garden was a massively overgrown silver birch tree, which
towered over the roof of the garage. Attached to the roof was an
unsightly FM aerial.
infinitive clauses
For years 1 have been writing to the President.
To meet him is my most fervent wish.
infinitive without to
(if it 'echoes' an earlier verb)
He said he would arrive on'time. And arrive on time he did.
➢ We can front verbs and adjectives using as and though:
Try as she might, she simply couldn't open the jam jar.
Battered though he was, he never lost his will to succeed.

11. 5. Fronting objects and complements
• The house was large and sprawling, with two wings and a dark
attic. Hilary spent most of her time in the drawing room or the
garden. The attic she rarely visited.
• Ben awaited his new roommate anxiously. He hoped that he
was intelligent and talkative. Then Oliver arrived. Intelligent he
certainly was, but in every other way Ben was disappointed.
➢ In literary language, we also front previously
mentioned objects or complements:

12. Extra Notes Part one
1. Inversions with negative Adverbs:
• Auxiliary+S+Verb(inf)
Never, Never before, Never in one's life, Never again, Rarely, Seldom
Hardly ever, Barely, Scarely ever, Neither, Nor
EG. - Never in mid-summer does it snow.
− Rarely do they
− Hardly ever does he speak in the public
− Nor do I
• No+ N + Auxiliary+S+Verb(inf)
Not any+ N+ Auxiliary+ S+ Verb(inf)
Eg: No money shall I lend you from now on = Not any money shall I lend you
from now on
2. Inversions with NO & NOT

13. Extra Notes Part Two
3. Inversions with ONLY
• Auxiliary+S+Verb(inf)
Only with, Only once, Only in this way, Only then, Only later
Only in, on, at + N
Eg: Only once did I meet her
• S +BE/V, Auxiliary+S+Verb(inf)
only after
only when
only if
Eg. Only after he had graduated, did he start looking for a job.
Only after all gest had gone home, could we relax
• Only by + Ving, Auxiliary+S+Verb(inf)
Eg. Only by practising E every day, can you speak it fluently

14. Extra Notes Part Three
4. Inversions with some phrases
• Auxiliary+S+Verb(inf)
At no time.
On no condition.
On no occasion.
On no account.
Under no circumstances (The modal verb is usually “Should”).
For no reason.
In no way.
No longer.
In Vain.
Not for one moment.
Eg. For no reason will you play truant.
The money is not to be paid under any circumstances
= Under no circumstances is the money to be paid.
On no condition shall we accept their proposal

15. Extra Notes Part Four
5. No sooner + past perfect, than + past simple
Hardly/Bearly/Scarely + past perfect + When/ before + past
simple
yz
Eg. No sooner had I arrived home than the telephone rang.
Barely had he sat down, when there was a knock at the door.
6. Not only....... but...... also.....
• Not only + auxiliary + S + V, but.... also....
• but S+ v/be …….. as well.
• ……………………too.
Eg. Not only is he good at E but he also draws very well.
Not only does he sing well but he also plays musical instruments perfectly.
Not only do they rob you, they smash everything too.
7. Just as … so
• “Just as I love films, so does my brother love sports.”
• “Just as Americans love baseball, so do Europeans love soccer.”
• “Just as French is spoken in France, so is English spoken in England.”

16. Extra Notes Part Five
8. Inversion after “SO”
• So+ adj/ adv + auxiliary + S+V+ that clause
Eg. So dark is it that I can't write.
So busy am I that I don't have time to look after myself.
So difficult was the exam that few students pass it.
So attractive is she that many boys run after her.
• + Auxiliary+S+Verb(inf) So many
So little
So few
So much
So + Adj
Eg. So much beer did he drink that he didn’t know the way to home.
• SUCH + be + N+ clause
Eg. Such was the force of the storm that all the trees were uprooted.
9. Inversion with ”such”

17. Extra Notes Part Six
10. Inversions with: not until, adverbs of time
• + auxiliary+ S+ V(inf)
Not until/ till+ clause/ adv of time, Not since.
I won't come home till 10 o'clock.
=Not until/ till 10 o'clock that will I come home.
=It is not until 10 o'clock that I will come.
I didn’t know that I had lost my key till I got home.
= Not until/ till I got home did I know that I had lost my key.
Jeff had not been back to the village since his childhood.
= Not since his childhood had Jeff been back to the village.
e.g. Nowhere does he mention my book.
Nowhere do I feel as comfortable as I do at home.
Nowhere does it say that I cannot park here.
11. Inversions with Nowhere+ Auxiliary+ S+V

18. Extra Notes Part Seven
12. Inversions with Adverb, adverb phrases of place
• Adverb, adverb phrases of place + MainV + N
e.g.: Near the end of September came several bad storms.
In the door stood her father.
In the cave were found skulls of prehistoric men.
At the head of our village stands an old pagoda.
• Present Participle
Lurking in the corner stood a chicken.
Walking around the trees was my friend Alice who is Asian.
• Past Participle
Gone were the memorable days.
Believed by many is the story of the Loch Ness monster.
Long gone are the days when this was fashionable.
13. Inversions with Participles

19. Extra Notes Part Eight
14. Inversions with prepositions
• Preposition + Verbs of motion + S
Down, in, from, over, up, away, etc.
Eg. Away went the runner.
Round the corner came an old traction engine, steam pouring from its chimney.
Note: Inversion is possible with noun phrases but is not used with pronouns.
Away they went.
Round the corner it came, steam pouring from its chimney.
On the horizon he could make out some hills.
Up the hill they came, more and more of them.

20. Extra Notes Part Nine
15. Inversions with conditional sentences
A. Type 1: If clause = should + S + V
Should she come late, she will miss the train.
Should he lend me some money, I will buy that house.
B. Type 2: If clause= Were S +to V
Were + S +……..
If I were you I would work harder = Were I you, I would work harder.
If I knew her I would invite her to the party = Were I know her, I would invite her
to the party
C. Type 3: If clause = Had +S + PP
If my parents hadn't encouraged me, I would have taken pass exam.
= Had my parents not encouraged me, I would have taken pass exam.

21. End.
Quotes For You:
If you fulfill your obligations everyday you don’t need to
worry about the future. - Jordan B. Peterson
Meanwhile, surround yourself with people who challenge
you, teach you, and push you to be your best self.
– Bill Gates
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