INVERSIONNOISREVNI

B2, EOI CARTAGENA Isabel Bastida & Ana Mena

Match the speakers to the sentences 1. “No sooner had I turned the corner than I saw these three men breaking the

shop window”2. “Rarely has this country been in such need of strong leadership”3. “Under no circumstances can we be late with the figures for next year”4. “At no time in recent history have we seen such rapid technological change”

A newsreaderA politicianA father / motherA university lecturerA witnessAn accountant

1. WHAT’S INVERSION?

• Inversion implies a change in the normal word order of a sentence.

• Normal statement word order is SUBJECT+VERB• Inversion is the word order in questions, but we can

also use it for emphasis in statementsfor emphasis in statements: “He was late and he didn’t apologise” “Not only was he late, but he didn’t apologise”

2. INVERSION TYPES

DIRECT QUESTIONS

Have you ever abstained from voting?

Are you happy with the result of the US election?

SO-SUCH

Such was the intensity of the fight, that Sanchez decided to resign.

So surprising was the result that Hillary’s supporters burst into tears.

2. INVERSION TYPES

MAY (wishes)

May you have a prosperous New Year!May all your wishes come true!

AFTER AS/ THAN (literary)

After the election night, Trump was flushed with happiness, as were most of his advisors.

The opposition tried to reduce expenses harder than did the members of the government.

2. INVERSION TYPES

EXPRESSIONS OF PLACE (literary)

There goes the new US president.There he goes*

SO/ NEITHER/ NOR (agreeing)

I can’t understand how Trump won the election.Neither can I

I want politicians to keep there promises.So do I

2. INVERSION TYPESFor a more formal or literary style, we can omit IF and use inversion in 2nd and 3rd Conditional.

In 1st Conditional we can use SHOULD instead of IF

CONDITIONAL SENTENCES

Had the Democrats had a different candidate, they might have won the election.

Were politicians honest, people would trust them. Should you need my help, let me know

2. INVERSION TYPES: The dramatic effect

NEGATIVE AND RESTRICTIVE EXPRESSIONS

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCESAT NO TIMEON NO OCASSIONNO SOONER … THANON NO CONDITION

NOT UNTIL MUCH LATERNOT UNTILONLY THEN, ONLY AFTER, ONLY IF/ ONLY WHENNOT ONLY …, BUT (ALSO)NOT + OBJECT HARDLY, SELDOM, RARELY, SCARCELYLITTLENEVER, NEVER BEFORE

• Under no circumstances will our party raise taxes.• No sooner had Rajoy been re-elected than he passed

his first new law.• Not only did Trump win in swing states, but he also

won in states Democrats had a large advantage according to polls.

• Only when/ Not until/ Only after all the votes were counted, did people believe Trump had won.

• Hardly had the voting finished when opposing voices in the streets started to complain.

• Never before had forming a government taken so long in Spain.

NO

NOT/ ONLY

ADVERB

• Choose the right option to complete the sentences.

1. _________ should children be allowed to drive. a) no sooner b) under no circumstances c) not until

2. _________ after months of planning were they ready for the conference. a) rarely b) only c) never

3. _________ had I left than I heard them laughing. a) no sooner b) only when c) on no account

4. In no way _________ question his honesty.

a) did I ever b) I ever did c) had I ever

YOUR TURN

• Choose the right option to complete the sentences.

5 . _________ about such tragedy.

a) Little I knew b) Little knew I c) Little did I know

6. At no time before I accepted the job _________ that it would imply to be accessible at all times. a) did I tell b) was I told c) I was told

7. Not since the 1960s _________ attended an anti-war protest. a) have so many people b) did so many people c) had so many people had

8. Directly in front of them _________ a) stood a castle b) did the castle stand c) did a castle stood

9. No sooner _________ back on the pitch than it started to rain.

a) had the team been b) did the team have been c) did the team be

YOUR TURN

• Rewrite these sentences.

1 . You come to realise the significance of the murder only in the last few pages of the book.

Only in the last ______________________________________________

2. The first women’s team didn’t come into existence until 1996.

Not until 1996 _______________________________________________

3. He was an artist and a poet as well as being a military leader.

Not only ____________________________________________________

4. He started to become deaf soon after composing his best symphony.

No sooner___________________________________________________

5. You will not be allowed to enter the auditorium once the play has started.

Under no circumstances ________________________________________

YOUR TURN

• Rewrite these sentences.

6 . The actors came onto the stage to thank the audience.

Onto the stage ______________________________________________

7. The coach had no idea about the doping scandal.

Little_______________________________________________

8. On few occasions the team has given such a bad performance.

Rarely ____________________________________________________

9. Origami cultivates your patience and improves your creativity.Not only ___________________________________________________

10. Children are not allowed to enter the gig venue.

On no account ________________________________________

YOUR TURN