Focus on Words

EMPHASIS
Explanation: Inversion
Inversion is a change in normal word order, such as the placement of a verb before
its subject.
Inversion can be grammatical and emphatic. The latter is used to give emphasis or
to be rhetorical in more formal situations, in political speeches, on the news, and also
in literature. Some native speakers may also use them occasionally in day-to-day
conversation.
1. In normal everyday English, inversion is used:
• to make questions: e.g. Does he? Can you?
• after so, neither, nor: e.g. So do I. Neither do I. Nor do I.
2. In formal English conditional sentences can be formed by inversion of subject and
auxiliary.
Also, if is removed:
e.g. Were I you, I would visit my father (=If I were you, I would visit my father.)
Had I known this fact before, I wouldn’t have come here. (If I had known this fact
before, I wouldn’t come here.)
3. Inversion not only can be used to form questions and conditional sentences. Also,
we can use inversion for emphasis. In written English, as well as in a very formal
style, inversion is used after certain words and expressions. They are then followed
by the interrogative (i.e. inverted) form of the verb.
• After negative adverbs and adverbial expressions the most important of which are:
hardly ever, scarcely ever, at no time, under no circumstances/on no account, not
only ... but also, little, nowhere, not till, so, neither/nor.
e.g. Under no circumstances can we accept these documents.
In no way can he be held responsible.
At no time did she say she would come.
• After adverbial expressions of place:
e.g. Round the corner came the postman.
• After seldom, rarely, never:
e.g. Seldom have I seen such a beautiful view.
Rarely did he pay anyone a compliment.
Never had I felt so happy.
• After hardly/scarcely ... when, no sooner ... than when one thing happens after another:
e.g. Hardly had I begun to speak when I was interrupted. Scarcely had we started our
meal when the phone rang. No sooner had I arrived than they all started to argue.
• After adverbial expressions beginning with 'only:
e.g. Only after the meeting did I realize the importance of the subject.
• After exclamations with here and there:
e.g. Here comes the winner! There goes all our money!
• With the construction to ... that. This is a common inversion, usually used with an
adjective and the verb be. It can also be used with much:
126