Transcript Inversion - mclaflevel5

Inversion
1.Introduction
The normal word order for English
sentences is :
Subject+verb .
Example : ‘She is laughing .’
We cannot change the word order .
We cannot say : ‘Laughing she is’ nor ‘Is she
laughing’ (at least not in an affirmative sentence)
1. Introduction
But in certain cases we can change the word
order to :Verb+Subject.
‘Off walked (VERB) the dragon (SUBJECT) into the sunset’
->The normal word order is :
‘The dragon (SUBJECT) walked (VERB) off into the sunset’
‘Never have ( AUX. VERB) I (SUBJECT) heard such a ridiculous
story’
->The normal word order is :
‘I (SUBJECT) have ( AUX. VERB) never heard such a ridiculous story’
Introduction
When do we use inversion?
For emphasis
To make the sentence more dramatic
In literary or formal language
(especially negative sentences)
In the cartoon, why did the little angels
use inversion?
Uses of inversion :
1. Simple inversion :
COMPLEMENT+’TO BE’+SUBJECT
Examples :
 The night is tender .
-> ‘Tender is the night’ (poetic)
 His real plan is to take over the world.
-> ‘To take over the world is his real plan .’
Uses of inversion :
2. with adverbs of place (under , in etc.) and direction
(into,off etc.)
Example : ‘The police searched the house .
Under the floorboards they found a body’
‘Under the floorboards’ (adverb of place) is at
the beginning of the sentence.
->Normal word order :
‘They found the body under the floorboards’
Inversion : adverbs of place/movement
If we use inversion , we put the subject after the verb ‘to
be’ . The adverb is at the beginning of the sentence!
->Under the floorboards was a body.
->In the doorway was a tall stranger.
We also put the subject after intransitive verbs which
indicate position or movement towards
(but not if the verb is followed by an adverb of manner)
(position : hang,lie,live.sit.stand )
->Under the floorboards lay a body.
->In the doorway stood a tall stranger.
(movement :come,walk,run,fly,go,swim etc.)
->Up the street walked the protesters.
->Into the room came a tall stranger.
But not usually : Up the street slowly walked the protesters .
->The protesters walked up the street slowly .
Inversion : adverbs of place/movement
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Practice : Rewrite these sentences to
make them more dramatic or literary.
A dark wood was at the bottom of the
garden.
The car stopped suddenly and Nick
jumped out .
A lovely necklace hung around her neck.
The horse ran down the hill.
The horse ran down the hill quickly.
Answers
1. At the bottom of the garden was a dark
wood.
2. The car stopped suddenly and out
jumped Nick.
3. Around her neck hung a lovely necklace .
4. Down the hill ran the horse .
5. The horse ran down the hill quickly.
3.Inversion :
‘Here comes..’ and ‘There goes…’
We use these to talk about things and
people moving towards or away from the
speaker.
Examples :
‘My bus is coming’
->’Here_____________’.
‘My bus is leaving!’
->_______________! (I´ve lost it)
‘Antoni is coming’
->’_______________’
3.Inversion :
‘Here comes..’ and ‘There goes…’
Answers:
‘My bus is coming’
->’Here comes my bus’.
‘My bus is leaving!’
->’There goes my bus! (I´ve lost it)
‘Antoni is coming’
->’Here comes Antoni’
4. Inversion : ‘Hardly’/’No sooner’
When two events in the past happen at the same
time or in quick succession , we often join them
together in one sentence .
Example :
I got out of the car . A thief grabbed my briefcase.
->When/As soon as I got out of my car , a thief
grabbed my suitcase .
Here there is no inversion .
4. Inversion : ‘Hardly’/’No sooner’
Hardly had the President arrived when a
group of protesters started booing .
No sooner had I finished my supper than I
began to feel unwell .
What tenses are used in these sentences?
Is there inversion?
Which words are used at the beginning of
the second part of each sentence?
4. Inversion : ‘Hardly’/’No sooner’
What tenses are used in these sentences?
The past perfect and the simple past .
Is there inversion?
Yes . The auxiliary verb ‘had’ before the
subject (like in a question)
Which words are used at the beginning of
the second half of each sentence?
HardlyWHEN
No sooner->THAN
4. Inversion : ‘Hardly’/’No sooner’
Now we try and join the sentences
with ‘hardly’ or ‘no sooner’ .
I got out of the car . A thief grabbed my
briefcase .
4.Inversion : ‘Hardly’/’No sooner’
Now we try and join the sentences with ‘hardly’ or ‘no sooner’ .
I got out of the car . A thief grabbed my briefcase.
Step 1 .Which action happens first?
Put it in the PAST PERFECT tense .
->I had got out of the car . A thief grabbed my suitcase .
Step 2. In the first sentence put the auxiliary verb first
->Had I got out of the car . A thief grabbed my suitcase.
Step 3.
HARDLY+1st sentence+WHEN+2nd sentence
->Hardly had I got out of the car when a thief grabbed my
suitcase.
NO SOONER +1st sentence+THAN+2nd sentence
->No sooner had I got out of the car than a thief grabbed my
suitcase.
4.Inversion : ‘Hardly’/’No sooner’
1.
2.
3.
4.
Now try and join these sentences .
We arrived in Berne . It started to
snow .
The police left . He took out a huge
knife .
They set off . The baby began to
cry .
I got into the shower . The phone
rang .
4.Inversion : ‘Hardly’/’No sooner’
1. No sooner had we arrived in Berne
than it started to snow .
2. No sooner had the police left than
he took out a huge knife .
3. Hardly had they set off when the
baby began to cry .
4. Hardly had I got into the shower
when the phone rang .