INVERSIONS WITH NEGATIVE ADVERBIALS

INVERSION WITH NEGATIVE ADVERBIALS

Words or phrases used to express limitation, emphasis, or dramatic effect are called negative adverbials. They often appear at the beginning of sentences, and in such cases, inversion of the subject and verb is required. This structure adds emphasis and makes the statement more striking or surprising. Because it sounds formal, it is more commonly used in written English.

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INVERSION: FORMATION

When negative adverbials are placed at the beginning of a sentence, the usual word order changes. This change is known as inversion. The structure of an inversion is: NEGATIVE ADVERBIAL + AUXILIARY VERB + SUBJECT + MAIN VERB + COMPLEMENTS Example: Seldom does the teacher let the class out early. (vs. The teacher seldom lets the class out early.)

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NEGATIVE ADVERBIALS

Inversions are common with the following negative or limiting adverbials: seldom, rarely, little, barely, nowhere (else), never (before), not (even) once, hardly ever, only + time expression, not only … but also, in no way, no sooner … than, on no account, under no circumstances, not since + time expression, etc.

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INVERSION: EXAMPLES

1. Seldom Seldom does she go out at night. (vs. She seldom goes out at night.) 2. Rarely Rarely have I seen such a beautiful sunset. (vs. I have rarely seen such a beautiful sunset.)

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INVERSION: EXAMPLES

3. Little Little did he know what was about to happen. (vs. He knew little about what was about to happen.) 4. Barely Barely had we arrived when it started to rain. (vs. We had barely arrived when it started to rain.)

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INVERSION: EXAMPLES

5. Nowhere (else) Nowhere else will you find such kindness. (vs. You will not find such kindness anywhere else.) 6. Never (before) Never before have I been so nervous. (vs. I have never been so nervous before.)

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INVERSION: EXAMPLES

7. Not (even) once Not even once did he apologise. (vs. He did not even apologise once.) 8. Hardly ever Hardly ever does she complain. (vs. She hardly ever complains.)

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INVERSION: EXAMPLES

9. Only + time expression Only yesterday did I realise the truth. (vs. I only realised the truth yesterday.) 10. Not only … but also Not only did she win the race, but she also broke the record. (vs. She won the race and also broke the record.)

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INVERSION: EXAMPLES

11. In no way In no way is this behaviour acceptable. (vs. This behaviour is in no way acceptable.) 12. No sooner … than No sooner had I sat down than the phone rang. (vs. I had no sooner sat down than the phone rang.)

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INVERSION: EXAMPLES

13. On no account On no account should you open this door. (vs. You should not open this door on any account.) 14. Under no circumstances Under no circumstances must you tell anyone. (vs. You must not tell anyone under any circumstances.)

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INVERSION: EXAMPLES

15. Not since + time expression Not since 2010 have I visited London. (vs. I have not visited London since 2010.)

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INVERSION WITH "ONLY" AND "NOT UNTIL"

With the expressions only after, only by, only if, only when, and not until, inversion occurs in the main clause. Examples: 1.Only after Only after trying the recipe several times was she able to get the whipped cream. (vs. She was able to get the whipped cream only after trying the recipe several times.)

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INVERSION WITH "ONLY" AND "NOT UNTIL"

2. Only by Only by hard work will we be able to accomplish this great task. (vs. We will be able to accomplish this great task only by hard work.)

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INVERSION WITH "ONLY" AND "NOT UNTIL"

3. Only if Only if you have a nourishing diet will you have a healthy life. (vs. You will have a healthy life only if you have a nourishing diet.)

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INVERSION WITH "ONLY" AND "NOT UNTIL"

4. Only when Only when the teacher arrived did the class become quiet. (vs. The class only became quiet when the teacher arrived.)

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INVERSION WITH "ONLY" AND "NOT UNTIL"

4. Not until Not until the meeting ended did she realise the mistake. (vs. She did not realise the mistake until the meeting ended.)

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