Inversion

There are two cases of inversion:

1) Inversion may be required by the grammatical structure of a given type of the sentence. Thus, in interrogative sentence, the finite verb must, as a rule, precede the subject:

Eg: Is she a student of your department?

Have they come yet?

The same word order is obligatory for a subordinate clause of unreal condition when the conjunction “IF” is omitted:

Eg: Had we time, we should readily go with you.

Were she not so busy, she would help us.

2) Inversion may be the result of emphasis. When some word in the sentence is put in prominent position to make it emphatic, the structure of the sentence may require an inverted order of subject and predicative verb:

Eg: Never has she sung beautifully.

Out rushed the children.

An inverted order of subject and predicative verb takes place in the following cases:

1- In questions, except an interrogative word (who, whose, which, what, how, etc.) is the subject of the sentence or modifies the subject.

Eg: Has the road been opened to the public?

How did you manage to do that hard task?

But: Who teaches English here? How many of you are going to start next week?

2- In sentences expressing Wish and Concession (nhượng bộ):

Eg: Long live the Vietnamese Nation!

So be it!

3- In the Imperative Mood if there is a subject expressed by a pronoun in set phrases – survival of the old word order:

Eg: Mind you what I say. Don’t you forget to do that.

4- In Conditional Clause 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:

Eg: Should my friend call, kindly tell him to wait for me.

Had I seen the car earlier, I should have warned her.

Had he more time, he would go with them.

5- When Auxiliary Verb or Modal Verb is repeated to apply a preceding statement to a new subject. Affirmative sentences open with ‘So’ , negative sentences open with ‘Neither’, ‘Nor’, ‘No More’:

Eg: A says: I have finished my work. à B says: So have I.

He got up at six thirty. So did everybody in the room.

He didn’t do his homework. Neither did she.

I am not pleased with his work. No more am I.

6- When the sentences begin with the following words: here, there, now, then, but only if the subject is a noun. If the subject is a personal pronoun, no inversion takes place.

Eg: Here are a few funny stories.

There goes the last train. We have missed it.

Now come the end of our lesson today.

But: Here they are. There she comes.

7- If a long adverbial expression, especially preposition one, opens the sentence; but only if the subject group is lengthy:

Eg: Through the open windows came the roaring sound of the big factory.

In the center of the room, under the chandelier, stood the head of the family to host that big party.

8- Often with the verb to say, to answer, to ask, etc. except when the verb is in an analytical form or followed by an object denoting the person addressed:

Eg: “Where do you come from?”, asked he.

“If you do not hurry, we will miss our train,” said Mrs. Bailey to her friend.

9- If an adverb, a conjunction, or an emphatic particle with a negative or restrictive meaning begins the sentence: hardly, little, neither, nor, no sooner…than, not only, scarcely…when, etc. :

Eg: Nowhere was the life so hard and terrible as that east-end mountain.

Never before have they suffered such a serious discrimination.

No sooner had she got onto the compartment than the light went out.

Seldom have I seen such wonderful flowers.

Little did she know the true meaning of love.

Only then did they realize that they had been in the big trap.

Hardly did I think it possible.

10- If the predicate begins the sentence, the inversion is used though sometimes the normal word order remains:

Eg: Fine and sunny was the morning when we started our journey.

Clearly and loudly did he speak that everybody could hear him.

11- If an emphasized “So” preceding an adverbial modifier, or an emphasized “Thus” is put at the head of the sentence:

Eg: So rapidly did she gain confidence that she could have her own keys to the house.

Thus was the country plundered by the invaders.

He was so good a man.