At a glance
- 1Put the negative word firstNever
- 2helping verbhave
- 3subjectI
- 4main verb + the restseen such a view.
Words that bring inversion
- Negative wordsNever, Rarely, Seldom, Little, Not until, Under no circumstances
- Time pairsNo sooner … than, Hardly … when
- Only + timeOnly then, Only after, Only when
- Conditionals without ifHad I known, Were I you, Should you need
- So, neither, norSo do I. Neither can she.
Negative words first
Never have I seen such a beautiful sunset.
Not only did he forget my birthday, but he also forgot my name.
Under no circumstances should you open this door.
Hardly had we arrived when it started to rain.
Rarely do we see snow here.
Only then did I understand the problem.
negative / limiting word+auxiliary+subject+verb
| Normal | Inversion |
|---|---|
| I have never seen… | Never have I seen… |
| We seldom go out. | Seldom do we go out. |
| He not only sings but also dances. | Not only does he sing, but he also dances. |
| You should not touch it in any situation. | Under no circumstances should you touch it. |
| As soon as we arrived, it rained. | No sooner had we arrived than it rained. |
Conditionals without if
- Had I known, I would have helped. (= If I had known)
- Should you need help, call me. (= If you need help)
- Were it not for you, I would have failed. (= If it were not for you)
Here, there, so and neither
Here comes the bus!
"I love football." "So do I."
"I can't swim." "Neither can I."
Practice
Answer the questions. Get 7 out of 10 to finish this lesson.