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2.4.- Inversion.

Señal de tráfico con dos flechas con diferente orientación.

As you know, the normal order for declarative sentences in English is:

Subject + Verb + Complements.

However, there are some cases where the subject comes after the verb, apart from interrogative sentences. This is what in English is called inversion of the subject. An example appears in the introduction of the situation at the beginning of the unit:

  • Only with his help will he be able to succeed.

Inversion of the subject happens in sentences introduced by the following words and expressions:

  • Never (before).
  • Rarely.
  • Seldom.
  • Hardly.
  • No sooner
  • Only.
  • Not only…but also.
  • Not until.
  • Not even.
  • In no way.
  • By no means.
  • On no account.
  • Nowhere.
  • Under no circumstances.
  • Little.

Some exemples:

  • Only with his help will he be able to succeed.
  • Hardly had Alan Bennet left when his assistant arrived.
  • On no account must reception be left alone.

As you can see from the examples the new order is:

Initial element + Auxiliary verb + Subject + Main verb.

The same order as in any interrogative sentence.

A piece of advice

When there is no auxiliary verb in the sentence, we must use do/does/did after the expression which requires inversion:

  • We rarely prepare picnic lunches. (Subject + rarely+ main verb).
  • Rarely do we prepare picnic lunches. (Rarely + auxiliary verb do + subject + main verb).

Ejercicio Resuelto

Click to read the Spanish translation: