English — Grammar: Inversion (after negative adverbials) — 3rd Year Secondary (Literary Stream) — Baccalaureate — Algerian Program

Inversion after Negative Adverbials

Inversion is used in formal English after certain negative or restrictive adverbial expressions at the beginning of a sentence.

Structure

Negative adverbial + auxiliary/modal + subject + main verb

Common Negative Adverbials

• Never: Never have I seen such beauty.
• Rarely: Rarely does he arrive on time.
• Seldom: Seldom do we visit them.
• Hardly: Hardly had I left when it started raining.
• No sooner: No sooner had I arrived than the phone rang.
• Not only: Not only did he pass, but he got the highest mark.
• Under no circumstances: Under no circumstances should you lie.

Exercises

1. Rewrite with inversion: I have never seen such a beautiful sunset.
2. Rewrite: He not only sings well, but also plays guitar.