Inversion After Negative Adverbials
In formal English, inversion occurs after negative adverbials or expressions. This means the auxiliary verb comes before the subject.
- Example: “Never have I seen such beauty.”
- Explanation: In statements where we use adverbs like “never,” “rarely,” “seldom,” or “not only,” inversion is used.
Exercises:
- Rewrite these sentences using inversion:
- I have rarely seen such an incredible performance.
- Not only did she finish the race, but she also won.
- I have never heard such an awful story.
- I have rarely seen such an incredible performance.
- Fill in the blanks with the correct inversion:
- (Never / I / see) such a beautiful painting before.
- (Only / he / be) so upset if something happened to his dog.
- (Never / I / see) such a beautiful painting before.
Answer Key:
- Rarely have I seen such an incredible performance.
Not only did she finish the race, but she also won.
Never have I heard such an awful story. - Never have I seen such a beautiful painting before.
Only would he be so upset if something happened to his dog.