What is inversion?
Used in
- Questions
- Emphasis
- Conditional sentences
Questions
The most common use of inversion is forming questions (interrogative sentences).
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| Affirmative Sentence | Question |
|---|---|
| Earth is small compared to other planets | Is Earth small compared to other planets? |
| I am thirsty | Am I thirsty? |
| My name is Mark | Is my name Mark? |
If there is no auxiliary verb in the sentence, one needs to be added when you invert the word order.
Examples
| Affirmative Sentence | Question |
|---|---|
| Andrew had health problems | Did Andrew have health problems? |
| It belongs to Emma | Does it belong to Emma? |
| She looked tired | Did she look tired? |
Emphasis
Use inversion to show emphasis.
Examples
- Little did she know how much work was left.
- On no account must you sleep at school.
- Never should you forget who your boss is.
- Only then can you belong to me.
- Here comes the sun.
Note
The structure is rarely used in spoken English. Most often, you will find it in books.
Conditional Sentences
Inversion is also used in formal conditonal sentences.
Examples
- Were I you, I would visit my grandfather.
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