Negative Adverbials
Conditional Inversion
About Inversion exercises
Inversion means putting the auxiliary verb before the subject in a statement. It is used for emphasis, mostly in formal writing and speech. The sets sit at C1 and C2 level and have two groups: inversion after negative adverbials and conditional inversion without if.
After a negative or restrictive adverbial at the start of a sentence, use question word order: Never have I seen such a view. Hardly had we sat down when the phone rang. Not only did she win, but she also broke the record. Under no circumstances should you open the door. If there is no auxiliary, add do, does or did. Conditional inversion replaces if with had, were or should: Had I known, I would have called. Were it not for your help, we would have failed. Should you need anything, ask at the desk. Conditional inversion keeps the meaning of the if-clause: Had I known means the same as If I had known.
- Never, seldom and rarely with an auxiliary before the subject
- Hardly had... when and no sooner had... than
- Not until, not only and only then
- Under no circumstances and little did he know
- Fronting so, such, nor and neither
- Conditional inversion: had I known, were I to, should you need, were it not for