This post is a bit different from my previous articles because it is incomplete, for now at least! I have been fascinated by this subject for years but had never got round to exploring it further. Thanks to Arthur Conan Doyle, lostinclassics and you the time has finally come! We’re not talking about essential grammar here. This is an aspect of language to be enjoyed for the beauty of the sound of it. That’s the pleasure of reading classic novels. In fact, this stylistic device is most often used in formal or old-fashioned writing. Just like archaic or obsolete language, it can surprise you when you meet it. First we need to clear up two terms: fronting and inversion. Fronting is moving (a word or phrase) to the beginning of a clause or sentence, typically for emphasis or contrast. This can sometimes, but not always, involve inversion, switching the order of the subject and the auxiliary verb. This is a big subject that I will have to come back to this, but for today we will look at some of the most common structures where inversion occurs. For now I have provided mostly random examples but I thought it could be fun to complete the examples with quotes from your favourite classic novels and authors. Finding quotes is a long job so I will be updating as I find them as I read. Be sure to check back and I will confirm on Facebook when I have finished. Maybe you can help me out. The best way to overcome fears is to face them straight on, so later I will ask you transform some phrases using inversion. Don’t be afraid, the next time you see inversion, it will be like meeting an old friend. Why invert? Inversion can be used to add formality, for dramatic effect or for emphasis (something that in spoken language we can usually express with our tone of voice ). Never in her life had she seen his manners so little dignified, never had he spoken with such gentleness as he as on this unexpected meeting. (Pride and Prejudice) How does it work? When writers use inversion, they move the adverb or adverb phrase to the beginning of the sentence, and then reverse the normal word order of the subject and the auxiliary verb, just as you would do in a question. If there is no auxiliary verb, for example in the present simple or past simple, add it first before switching. Children love their parents. Eventually they come to judge them. Rarely do they forgive them. (Oscar Wilde) Under no circumstances did I want to meet him again. When is it used? Inversion is usually used with negative adverbs and adverb phrases including Adverbs of frequency Never – Never had I seen such a beautiful view. Rarely – Rarely do I get the chance to completely relax Hardly ever – Hardly ever do I eat out Seldom – Seldom do you get an opportunity like this Only Only once – Only once in my life have I experienced really low temperatures. Only later / then – Only later did I realise that I had forgotten to pay Only in this way – Only in this way can you lose weight No At no time – At no time should you drink and drive No sooner – No sooner have you feasted on beauty with your eyes than your mind tells you that beauty is vain and beauty passes – Virginia Woolf Nowhere ( lack of information ) – Nowhere does it say that dogs are not allowed In no way – In no way am I responsible for your actions On no account – On no account are you to speak with him Under no circumstances – Under no circumstances will we issue a refund No way – No way am I coming with you Not Not only…but also – Not only was the room dirty, but the food was also bad Not for nothing – Not for nothing do they call him ‘Dirty Den’ Not until much later / long after – Not until much later did it occur to me to call the police Not even – Not even with my glasses on could I read the small print In a subordinate clause with no inversion in the main clause Not until – Not until I got home did I realise I had lost my keys Not since – Not since I was a child have I had so much fun Only if – Only if it were really hot would I want to swim in there Only when / after – Only when I arrived home, did I start to feel bad Only by – Only by experiencing real sadness, can you feel joy Instead of if in conditionals with had / were and should Had I known you were sick, I would have visited you Were it for me, you would get the promotion Should you need help, call me In adverbial expressions of place "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit." J.R.R. Tolkein With so + adjective /adverb or such …that So big was the dish that I had to couldn’t finish So fast did he drive that I was nearly sick Such was the power of his voice that the whole audience sat up With adverbs of time No sooner….than – Not sooner had he came on the stage than I recognized him Scarcely….when / before – Scarcely had we taken off when we heard a strange noise from the engine Barely….when / before – Barely had I opened my mouth before he interrupted me Hardly…. When / before – Hardly had we started the test when the fire alarm went off With little or at no time + verb of cognition ( imagine, know, realize, suspect, understand, be aware ) meaning have no idea Little did I know John had already invited Jack to the party At no time did I suspect that the student was cheating Now it’s your turn! REWRITE THE FOLLOWING ADVICE ON HOLIDAY SAFETY USING INVERSION 1. Never stay in the seawater if you are tired or cold. Under no... 2. Children should never be left alone on the beach or in the water At no... 3. Never swim just after a meal or after consuming alcohol Under no... 4. Never swim in the sea at night On no... 5. Only swim at night in a pool if there are other people about. Not unless... 6. Don’t go out in the sun without applying sunscreen Only after.. 7. The only way of avoiding dehydration is to keep drinking plenty of non-alcoholic drinks Only by... Let me know if you find any other examples of inversion as you read, telling me where you read it and I will add them!
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What is this?When I started lostinclassics I looked for language lessons in the books I was reading, such as for example the use of phrasal verbs or inversion in conditionals and I explained them through examples found in the text. I also did reviews of the books I read and tried to give some advice on how to read classics using the various resources I know of. Then I switched to just reviews and lately I have been doing a bit of creative writing inspired by my reading. Who knows what I will come up with next! Archives
September 2020
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