Inversion & Cleft Sentences

Advanced English (C1) Inversion & Cleft Sentences

This lesson on using inversion and cleft sentences is part of an Advanced English course. There are also exercises for this topic.

Introduction

Inversion is a grammatical technique used to change the normal word order of a sentence. Inversion is a useful grammatical technique that can be used to add emphasis or create a more formal style of writing. By using inversion with adverbs such as “seldom,” “hardly,” and “little,” and phrases such as “not only” and “not until,” learners can increase their range of expression and adopt a more formal or dramatic way of speaking which may be more appropriate or effective in some circumstances.

Inversion with Seldom, Hardly, and Little
Inversion with Not Only
Inversion with Not Until

Introduction

When we make sentences in English we typically use a certain word order. For example:

We can go out at the weekend.

However, when we ask questions, we often change, or invert, the order o the subject and the modal or auxiliary verb. For example:

Can we go out at the weekend?

Sometimes we also use this alternative or inverted order in sentences that are not questions. This is called inversion. For example:

Seldom can we go out at the weekend.

We use inversion with a range of adverbs and adverbial phrases. In theory, or in certain contexts, you can use lots of different adverbs to make inverted sentences, however, this may sound poetic or anachronistic. Nowadays we tend to use typical and well-established forms to make inverted sentences. Have a look at some of the examples below and then check that you understand with the interactive exercises at the bottom of the page.

Inversion with Seldom, Hardly, and Little

Seldom, hardly, and little are adverbs that can be used to create a more formal or emphatic sentence. Inversion is used to invert the subject and auxiliary verb in the sentence. We use inversion with this type of adverb to say how infrequently or to what extent something is done. Here are some examples:

Seldom have I ever seen such a beautiful building. (I’ve hardly ever seen such a beautiful building.)
Seldom do I eat out. (I seldom eat out.)
Seldom can I understand him. (I can seldom understand him.)
Seldom must I travel for work. (I seldom need to travel to work.)
Seldom does he eat meat. (He doesn’t eat meat very often.)

Never had I heard such a ridiculous story. (I had never heard such a ridiculous story.)
Never have I even thought about it. (I have never even thought about it.)

Hardly had I arrived when everybody went home. (I had just finished eating when the waiter cleared the table.)
Hardly had I finished eating when the waiter cleared the table. (I had just started speaking when the phone rang.)

Little had I understood how difficult it would be. (I hadn’t understood how difficult it would be.)
Little did I expect him to accept the offer. (I didn’t really expect him to accept the offer.)
Little do people realise how fortunate they are. (People don’t realise how fortunate they are.)

Not Only

“Not only” is another phrase that can be used to create a more formal or emphatic sentence. Inversion is used to invert the subject and auxiliary verb in the sentence. Phrases with not only are used to combine two statements or facts. Here is an example:

Not only is he good looking, but he is also incredibly rich. (He isn’t just good looking, he’s also rich.)
Not only is this city dangerous, but it is also dirty. (This city is dangerous and dirty. )

Inversion with Not Until

“Not until” is a phrase that can be used with inversion to create a more formal or emphatic sentence. Inversion is used to invert the subject and auxiliary verb in the sentence. Note that in these examples the inversion is in the second part, or clause, of the sentence, after the adverbial expression of time. Here are some examples:

Not until I saw it with my own eyes did I realise how big the Grand Canyon was. (I didn’t realise how big the Grand Canyon was until I saw it with my own eyes.)
Not until I saw them together in a family photo did I realise that they were related. (I didn’t know that they were related until I saw them together in a family photo.)
Not until she explained could I understand the concept. (I couldn’t understand the concept until she explained it..)