Inversion with Negative Adverbials - Ace English Club

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Get 20% Off Your First Month — Use Code EARLYBIRD20

Get 20% Off Your First Month — Use Code EARLYBIRD20

Get 20% Off Your First Month — Use Code EARLYBIRD20

Get 20% Off Your First Month — Use Code EARLYBIRD20

Get 20% Off Your First Month — Use Code EARLYBIRD20

Get 20% Off Your First Month — Use Code EARLYBIRD20

Get 20% Off Your First Month — Use Code EARLYBIRD20

Get 20% Off Your First Month — Use Code EARLYBIRD20

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Grammar
C1

Inversion with Negative Adverbials

Inversion involves moving the negative word or phrase to the beginning of a sentence for emphasis.

In this lesson, you’ll learn how inversion works and practise using them.

How to use inversions?

Usage

Used to emphasise information in a sentence.

Structure

Move the negative adverbial or phrase to the beginning of the sentence then swap the subject and auxiliary verb.
If no auxiliary verb, use do/does/did in the inversion.

For Example

Hardly had she finished when the boss arrived.
No sooner had she arrived than the film started.
Not only did he get a new office, but he got more money too!

Examples

1. Never have I felt so nervous.

2. Only when I went to Italy did I realise how much I liked art.

3. Rarely have we time to just sit and relax.

Practise

Rewrite the sentences using inversion.

Common mistakes learners make

Forgetting to invert the subject and auxiliary verb
Using inversion in the wrong place (only after negative adverbial)

Common mistakes learners make

Forgetting to invert the subject and auxiliary verb
Using inversion in the wrong place (only after negative adverbial)

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