Inversion

The order of words in which the predicate or its part is placed before the subject is called INVERSION.

There are two main kinds of inversion. In the more common kind , only part of the predicate comes before the subject:

Have you ever seen a tyrannosaurus? (partial inversion)

In the other sort of inversion, the whole predicate comes before the subject:

Out rushed the students. (full inversion)

On the cupboard was sitting a chimpanzee. (full inversion)

Inversion may be required by the grammatical structure (for example, in question). It is called grammatical inversion.

If inversion is the result of emphasis, it is called emphatic inversion. This sort of inversion is not obligatory.

The main cases of inversion are as follows:

1. In questions:

Are you hungry? (partial inversion)

Have you a cat? (full inversion)

NOTE 1: Inversion is not used in:

1. Indirect questions: I wonder what you are doing here.

2. Questions to the subject: Who speaks English here?

3. the first part of tag questions: You are a student, aren’t you?

4. Suggestive questions: You are joking, eh?

You don’t understand anything? – No. You mean you do?

NOTE 2: The parenthesis do you think (say, write, etc)… does not call for inverted word order. Do-you-think-questions are constructed without any other question-forming words:

Do you think they will won? Как вы считаете, они выиграют?

What do you think they are doing? как вы думаете, что они делают?

How long do you think she will stay here? Как вы полагаете, сколько она здесь пробудет?

Why do you think she said so? Как вы думаете, почему она это сказала?

Who do you think will break the window? Кто по-вашему, разобьёт окно?

Where did you say he lost the key? Где, вы сказали, он потерял ключ?

What did you say his name was? Как, вы сказали, его зовут?

2. In sentences introduced by there.

There is a fly on the ceiling.

Once upon a time there lived three little pigs.

Then there came lightning.

There must be something in it.

There is no stopping it.

3. In sentences beginning with so, neither or nor, if the statements are applied to new subjects:

I like whisky. – So does my horse.

They don’t have money. – Neither do we.

I’ll be back. – So will I.

(Here the subjects in the sentences express different people or things.)

NOTE: If the statements are applied to the same subject (and express surprised agreement), there is no inversion:

It’s raining. – So it is.

You forgot to put on your shoes. – Good heavens, so I did!

You can’t do it. – No more I can.

There is a fly in your coffee. – So there is.

(Here the subjects in the sentences express the same people or thing.)

4. In exclamatory sentences with Subjunctive I expressing wish, indignation, concession, etc.

Long live the dean! (wish)

May you never feel what I then felt. (wish)

Be it so! (concession)

Come what may! (despair)

Confound these flies!

Far be it from me to spoil the fun!

May success attend you!

Cost what may!

You’ll wince at what comes next, but come it must.

5. In the imperative mood, if there is a subject expressed by a pronoun in set phrases – survivals of the old word order.

Mind you what I say.

Don’t you worry.

6. In exclamatory sentences which are negative in form but positive in meaning.

Wouldn’t that be fun! (=That would be fun.)

Haven’t I told you! (=I have told you.)

Am I not fed up! (=I am fed up.)

7. In conditional clauses if the conjunction is omitted, but only when the predicate contains an auxiliary or modal verb, or when the verb “to be” and “to have” are used as predicates.

Were she here, she would be eating something. (unreal condition, present)

Had I seen you yesterday, I would have asked you. (unreal condition, past)

Should you go to the zoo, feed the elephants. (problematic condition)

8. In clauses of concession, if part of the predicate followed by a concessive “as” is at the end of the sentence.

a) Partial inversion if the subject is expressed by a pronoun:

Tired as they were, the students came to the lesson.

Tired though she was, she went on chewing.

Try as I would, nothing came of it.

b) Full inversion (or partial) if the subject is expressed by a noun:

Tired as were the students, they came to the lesson.

Try as would John, nothing came of it.

9. In the principal clause of a complex sentence with a subordinate clause of result:

a) Partial inversion if the subject is expressed by a pronoun:

So tired I was that I couldn’t speak Swahili.

So loud did she sing, that everybody ran away.

b) Full inversion if the subject is expressed by a noun:

So tired were the students, that they couldn’t speak Swahili.

So loud sang Mary, that everybody ran away.

10. Sometimes after “as” in a literary style:

Helen knew grammar badly, as did most of the students.

11. When the sentence begins with one of the following adverbs: here, there (meaning “вот” and “вон”), now, then, but only if the subject is a noun. The whole predicate is put before the subject. Do and did are not used.

Here is your change!

There goes the prime minister!

NOTE: No inversion is used if the subject is a pronoun.

Here she comes!

12. If a long adverbial expression, especially a prepositional one, opens the sentence; but only if the subject group is lengthy. Here inversion is common with intransitive verbs like come, lie, stand., walk, etc. The whole verb is put before the subject. Do and did are not used .

Round the corner walked a funny prime minister.

Down the frozen river came a sledge drawn by dogs.

On the stairs was sitting a big bad wolf.

13. If the sentence begins with an adverb of direction (in, out, up, down, away, off, etc), but only if the subject is a noun.

Out jumped Mr Du Maurier.

In bounced the landlady.

Away crept the bugs.

Along came a spider.

NOTE: There is no inversion if the subject is a pronoun.

Down he fell. Away they ran.

14. If the sentence begins with an adverb, a conjunction or an emphatic particle with a negative or restrictive meaning: seldom, rarely, never, never ever, only, not only, hardly, neither, nor, at no time, in no way, under no circumstances, on no account, by no means, not a, no sooner … than, hardly … when, scarcely … when, not until, nowhere, only then, etc.

Seldom have I seen such a remarkable creature.

Seldom is he sober.

Rarely could she have been faced with so difficult a choice.

Never again will I come here.

Not until the teacher came did the students stop shouting.

Little does she care about my words.

Only then did they notice me.

Under no circumstances can the bank accept cheques.

Not only did John lose all his money, but he also was hungry.

Only in a few countries does the whole of population enjoy a reasonable standard of living.

At no time was the President aware of the fact.

On no account are visitors allowed to feed the water rats.

Not a word did she pronounce.

NOTE: Mind the special use of tenses and conjunctions in sentences with no sooner … than, hardly … when, scarcely … when.

Hardly had I arrived when I had a new problem.

Scarcely had we started lunch when dinner began.

No sooner had John entered the hall than the light went out.

(The Past Perfect is used in the first part, the Past Indefinite in the second.)

15. Sometimes if emphasized “so” or “thus” precedes the predicate.

So wore the day away.

Thus was the country plundered by the invaders.

16. Sometimes if the predicative opens the sentence.

Fine and sunny was the morning when we had a grammar lesson.

Sweet was that evening.

Such is life.

Almost visible was the heat!

But: Right you are! (partial inversion with pronouns)

17. In a rather old-fashioned literary style in exclamations after how and what.

How unspeakably vulgar you are sometimes!

‘How bright your garden looks!’ said Gandalf.

How cold it is! (But not: *How cold is it!)

18. Often with verbs of reporting say, ask, answer, etc, only if the subject is a pronoun.

‘Let’s go,’ shouted Mary. (or: … Mary shouted.)

NOTE: There can be no inversion if the subject is a pronoun:

‘Let’s go,’ she shouted.

19. Sometimes in the stylistic device called CHIASMUS [kai’æzməs] (a rhetorical inversion of the second parallel structure).

She rose up and down sat he.

He went to the door, to the door went he.

20. In stage directions.

Enter the King.

Exit Hamlet.

Exeunt [‘eksiənt] Hamlet and Ophelia.

Sound trumpets.