Inversion To Express Emphasis

4th ESO
INVERSION TO EXPRESS EMPHASIS

Certain expressions with negative or restrictive meaning can be put at the beginning of a sentence for emphasis. This happens mainly in written English or ina very formal style of speaking, such as a public speech. Notice that the order of the subject and the verb is reversed. Inversion can also take place with certain conditional sentences. Compare thefollowing sentences:

ADV + VB AUX + SUJ + VB + COMPL
"Never had I been asked to accept a bribe" = " I had never been..."))

I have never seen such a badly behaved child!Never have I seen such a badly behaved child!

One rarely finds such a splendid example of his work.
Rarely does one find such a splendid example of his work.

I had hardly glanced at the reportwhen I was asked for my opinion.
Hardly had I glanced at the report when I was asked for my opinion.


A.- Inversion can take place after negative adverbials such as NEVER (IN MY LIFE), NOWHERE,NOT FOR ONE MINUTE/MOMENT, NOT ONLY .. (BUT) (ALSO), NEVER AGAIN, RARELY, AT NO TIME, IN NO WAY, ON NO ACCOUNT, IN NO CIRCUMSTANCES, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES, NEVER BEFORE, LITTLE, SELDOM, SCARCELY.((Estas palabras ya tienen suficiente significado por si solas y suelen ir seguidas de la inversión directamente. Sabemos cual es el auxiliar que se utiliza por la oración que nos dan.))

Never had heeaten such a huge meal.
Nowhere will you come across a more hospitable nation.
Rarely do you meet a man of such integrity.
Not only did she write short stories, but she was also a painter oftalent.
At no time was I ever informed.
In no way can this government deny its guilt.
On no account will I compromise my ideals.
Little did anyone realize the seriousness of the situation.

B.-Inversion can take place in certain established sentence patterns. HARDLY ... WHEN, NO SOONER ... THAN

Hardly had the two strangers arrived when the majority of the guests departed.
No sooner had we...