INVERSION
Date: 2015-10-07; view: 419.
The order of words in which the predicate or its part is placed before the subject is called INVERSION.
There are two main kinds of inversion. In the more common kind , only part of the predicate comes before the subject:
Have you everseena tyrannosaurus? (partial inversion)
In the other sort of inversion, the whole predicate comes before the subject:
Out rushedthe students. (full inversion)
On the cupboard was sittinga chimpanzee. (full inversion)
Inversion may be required by the grammatical structure (for example, in question). It is called grammatical inversion.
If inversion is the result of emphasis, it is called emphatic inversion. This sort of inversion is not obligatory.
The main cases of inversion are as follows:
1. In questions:
Are you hungry?(partial inversion)
Have you a cat? (full inversion)
NOTE 1: Inversion is not used in:
a) Indirect questions: I wonder what you are doinghere.
b) Questions to the subject: Who speaksEnglish here?
c) the first part of tag questions: You are a student, aren't you?
d) Suggestive questions: You are joking, eh?
You don't understand anything? – No. You mean you do?
NOTE 2: The parenthesis do you think (say, write, etc)… does not call for inverted word order. Do-you-think-questions are constructed without any other question-forming words:
Do you think they will won? Êàê âû ñ÷èòàåòå, îíè âûèãðàþò?
What do you think they are doing? êàê âû äóìàåòå, ÷òî îíè äåëàþò?
How long do you think she will stay here? Êàê âû ïîëàãàåòå, ñêîëüêî îíà çäåñü ïðîáóäåò?
Why do you think she said so? Êàê âû äóìàåòå, ïî÷åìó îíà ýòî ñêàçàëà?
Who do you think will break the window? Êòî ïî-âàøåìó, ðàçîáü¸ò îêíî?
Where did you say he lost the key? Ãäå, âû ñêàçàëè, îí ïîòåðÿë êëþ÷?
What did you say his name was? Êàê, âû ñêàçàëè, åãî çîâóò?
2. In sentences introduced by there.
There is a fly on the ceiling.
Once upon a time there lived three little pigs.
Then there camelightning.
There must be something in it.
There is no stopping it.
3. In sentences beginning with so, neither or nor, if the statements are applied to new subjects:
I like whisky. – So does my horse.
They don't have money. – Neither dowe.
I'll be back. – So will I.
(Here the subjects in the sentences express different people or things.)
NOTE: If the statements are applied to the same subject (and express surprised agreement), there is no inversion:
It's raining. – So it is.
You forgot to put on your shoes. – Good heavens, so I did!
You can't do it. – No more I can.
There is a fly in your coffee. – So there is.
(Here the subjects in the sentences express the same people or thing.)
4. In exclamatory sentences with Subjunctive I expressing wish, indignation, concession, etc.
Long live the dean! (wish)
May you never feel what I then felt. (wish)
Be it so! (concession)
Come what may! (despair)
Confound these flies!
Far beit from me to spoil the fun!
Maysuccess attend you!
Costwhat may!
You'll wince at what comes next, but comeit must.
5. In the imperative mood, if there is a subject expressed by a pronoun in set phrases – survivals of the old word order.
Mind you what I say.
Don'tyou worry.
6. In exclamatory sentences which are negative in form but positive in meaning.
Wouldn't that be fun!(=That would be fun.)
Haven'tI told you! (=I have told you.)
AmI not fed up! (=I am fed up.)
7. In conditional clauses if the conjunction is omitted, but only when the predicate contains an auxiliary or modal verb, or when the verb “to be”and “to have” are used as predicates.
Were she here, she would be eating something. (unreal condition, present)
Had I seen you yesterday, I would have asked you. (unreal condition, past)
Should you goto the zoo, feed the elephants. (problematic condition)
8. In clauses of concession, if part of the predicate followed by a concessive “as” is at the end of the sentence.
a) Partial inversion if the subject is expressed by a pronoun:
Tired as they were, the students came to the lesson.
Tiredthough she was,she went on chewing.
Tryas I would, nothing came of it.
b) Full inversion (or partial) if the subject is expressed by a noun:
Tired as were the students, they came to the lesson.
Tryaswould John, nothing came of it.
9. In the principal clause of a complex sentence with a subordinate clause of result:
a) Partial inversion if the subject is expressed by a pronoun:
So tiredI was that I couldn't speak Swahili.
So loud did she sing, that everybody ran away.
b) Full inversion if the subject is expressed by a noun:
So tired were the students, that they couldn't speak Swahili.
So loud sangMary,that everybody ran away.
10. Sometimes after “as” in a literary style:
Helen knew grammar badly, as didmost of the students.
11. When the sentence begins with one of the following adverbs: here, there (meaning “âîò” and “âîí”), now, then, but only if the subject is a noun. The whole predicate is put before the subject. Do and did are not used.
Here isyour change!
There goesthe prime minister!
NOTE: No inversion is used if the subject is a pronoun.
Here she comes!
12. If a long adverbial expression, especially a prepositional one, opens the sentence; but only if the subject group is lengthy. Here inversion is common with intransitive verbs like come, lie, stand., walk, etc. The whole verb is put before the subject. Do and did are not used .
Round the corner walkeda funny prime minister.
Down the frozen river camea sledge drawn by dogs.
On the stairs was sittinga big bad wolf.
13. If the sentence begins with an adverb of direction (in, out, up, down, away, off, etc), but only if the subject is a noun.
Out jumpedMr Du Maurier.
In bouncedthe landlady.
Away creptthe bugs.
Along camea spider.
NOTE: There is no inversion if the subject is a pronoun.
Down he fell.Away they ran.
14. If the sentence begins with an adverb, a conjunction or an emphatic particle with a negative or restrictive meaning: seldom, rarely, never, never ever, only, not only, hardly, neither, nor, at no time, in no way, under no circumstances, on no account, by no means, not a, no sooner … than, hardly … when, scarcely … when, not until, nowhere, only then, etc.
Seldom haveI seensuch a remarkable creature.
Seldom ishe sober.
Rarely couldshe have been faced with so difficult a choice.
Never again willI comehere.
Not until the teacher came didthe students stop shouting.
Little doesshe careabout my words.
Only then didthey noticeme.
Under no circumstances canthe bank acceptcheques.
Not only didJohn lose all his money, but he also was hungry.
Only in a few countries doesthe whole of population enjoya reasonable standard of living.
At no time wasthe President awareof the fact.
On no account arevisitors allowedto feed the water rats.
Not a word didshepronounce.
NOTE: Mind the special use of tenses and conjunctions in sentences with no sooner … than, hardly … when, scarcely … when.
Hardly hadI arrivedwhen I had a new problem.
Scarcely hadwe started lunch when dinner began.
No sooner hadJohnenteredthe hall than the light went out.
(The Past Perfect is used in the first part, the Past Indefinite in the second.)
15. Sometimes if emphasized “so” or “thus” precedes the predicate.
So worethe day away.
Thus wasthe country plundered by the invaders.
16. Sometimes if the predicative opens the sentence.
Fine and sunny was the morning when we had a grammar lesson.
Sweet wasthat evening.
Such islife.
Almost visible was the heat!
But: Right you are!(partial inversion with pronouns)
17. In a rather old-fashioned literary style in exclamations after how and what.
Howunspeakably vulgaryou aresometimes!
‘How brightyour garden looks!' said Gandalf.
How coldit is! (But not: *How cold is it!)
18. Often with verbs of reporting say, ask, answer, etc, only if the subject is a pronoun.
‘Let's go,' shoutedMary. (or: … Mary shouted.)
NOTE: There can be no inversion if the subject is a pronoun:
‘Let's go,' she shouted.
19. Sometimes in the stylistic device called CHIASMUS [kai'æzməs] (a rhetorical inversion of the second parallel structure).
She rose up and down sathe.
He went to the door, to the door wenthe.
20. In stage directions.
Enterthe King.
ExitHamlet.
Exeunt[‘eksiənt] Hamlet and Ophelia.
Soundtrumpets.
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