What is Inversion?
Inversion simply refers to the reversal of the normal order of subject and verb, so that the verb precedes the subject. In English, we distinguish two kinds of inversion.
a) Subject-operator inversion: - in this type, the operator (an auxiliary verb or the main verb be) is placed before the subject, for example in questions or in statements introduced by a negative word:
i. The weather is improving.
Is the weather improving?
ii. He did not say a word.
Not a word did he say.
b) Subject-verb inversion: - in this type, the main verb (often the verb be or a simple verb of position or motion) is placed before the subject, in limited circumstances, especially when an adverbial of place introduces the sentence:
i. Your sister is there.
There’s your sister.
ii. The rain came down.
Down came the rain.
iii. The old city lies beneath the castle ramparts.
Beneath the castle ramparts lies the old city.
Subject-verb inversion is normally limited as follows:
· The verb phrase consists of a single verb word, in the past or present
· The verb is an intransitive verb of position (be, stand, lie, etc.) or verb of motion (come, go, fall, etc.).
· The topic element (X in the diagram above) is an adverbial of place or direction (e.g., down, here, to the right, away):
a. Brenda, here is a pen.
Here's a pen, Brenda.
b. McKenzie comes here.
Here comes McKenzie.
c. The castle stood there at the summit in its mediaeval splendor.
There, at the summit, stood the castle in its mediaeval splendour.
d. The pillars lay to the right of the Hall entrance.
To the right lay the pillars of the Hall entrance.
e. The car went away like a whirlwind.
Away went the car like a whirlwind.
f. The gigantic aircraft rolled slowly out of its hanger.
Slowly out of its hangar rolled the gigantic aircraft.
i) Adverbial of direction and position can be fronted:
Mohan ran into the house.
Ø Into the house ran Mohan.
An apple tree stands on the ground.
Ø On the ground stands an apple tree.
ii) After the expressions ‘so’, ‘neither’, or ‘nor’ to express that the same is true of someone or something else:
Gita is looking for a new job:
So is Rita.
Rita is not looking for a new job. How about Sita?
Neither/Nor is Sita.
iii) Subject verb inversion does not take place with a fronted topic when the subject is a personal pronoun:
Here it is. (NOT *Here is it) Away they go! (NOT *Away go they)
Common rules:
a) A negative element/adverbial and frequency adverbs are fronted for emphasis (especially in <formal> and rather <rhetorical style) (see 303)
a. He did not say a word.
Not a word did he say.
b. The door should not be left unlocked under any circumstances.
Under no circumstances should the door be left unlocked.
c. James could in no way have passed that test without cheating.
In no way could James have passed that test without cheating.
d. Ramesh had seldom met a lively person.
Seldom had Ramesh met a lively person.
e. Ankita rarely gets involved in gossip.
Rarely does Ankita get involved in gossip.
Hardly ever do they talk to their neighbors.
f. He didn’t spend a penny of the money.
Not a penny of the money did he spend.
g. I have never seen such a crowd of people.
Never have I seen such a crowd of people.
h. The dormitories could barely house one hundred students.
Barely could the dormitories house one hundred students.
i. I never believed those rumours.
Never did I believe those rumours.
j. The tradition exists nowhere else in Africa.
Nowhere else does the tradition exist in Africa.
k. There is hardly any butter left.
Hardly is there any butter left.
l. Ian seems to be doing very little research.
Very little research does Ian seem to be doing.
m. The committee agreed to our plan only after a long argument.
Only after a long argument did the committee agree to our plan.
n. In American history there has rarely been a political campaign that clarified issues less.
Rarely in American history has there been a political campaign that clarified issues less.
o. A greater fuss was never made about any man than about Lord Byron.
Never was a greater fuss made about any man than about Lord Byron.
p. She did not manage to sell a single painting.
Not a single painting did she manage to sell.
b) Inversion is also obligatory after the fronting of words of negative meaning such as never, hardly, scarcely, few, little, seldom, rarely, (see 584-5):
a. I hardly left before the trouble started.
Hardly had I left before the trouble started.
b. Navin had scarcely left home when the police arrived.
Scarcely had Navin left the home when the police arrived.
c. He little realized how much suffering he had caused.
Little did he realize how much suffering he had caused.
· Notice that the dummy operator ‘do’ is used for the inversion where there is no other operator in the normal-order sentence:
a. He little realized ...
- Little did he realize ...
c) Expressions beginning with only/not only:
a. When the plane had landed, Raj only managed to open his eyes.
Only when the plane had landed did Raj manage to open his eyes.
b. If they agree to these terms, we will only be able to work with them.
Only if they agree to these terms, will we be able to work with them.
c. It was not only a long process, but it was also quite complicated.
Not only was it a long process, but it was also quite complicated.
d) Subject- Operator Inversion (Board Exam 2078; solution)
a. I realized my mistake only later.
Only later did I realize my mistake.
b. The view from the top is even better.
Even better is the view from the top.
c. You will not tell him his matter under any circumstances.
Under no circumstances will you tell him his matter.
d. Nature seldom offers such a brilliant spectacle.
Seldom does nature offer such a brilliant spectacle.
(Note: operator means auxiliary verbs)
