1

Inverted Subjects and Verbs

Structure and Written Expression Skills 15-19 (pages 131-139)
Longman Preparation Course for the TOEFL Test



Inverted subjects and verbs: What are they?
Invert means to change the position of two things.

There are several cases when we invert the subject and verb of a
sentence. That is, the subject and verb (or subject and helping
verb) change places.
When we make a question
When the sentence starts with a place expression (sometimes)
When the sentence begins with certain negative expressions
When we use a conditional without the word if
When the sentence has a comparison (sometimes)

Lets look at each of these cases.
2


Inverted subjects and verbs: Questions
In many questions, the subject and verb are inverted:

Sacramento is the capital of California. (with the verb be)
S V

Is Sacramento the capital of California?
V S

Why is Sacramento the capital of California?
V S


The students all passed the test. (with another verbnot be)
S V

Did the students all pass the test?
V S V

When did the students pass the test?
V S V

3
Inverted subjects and verbs: Questions
For right now, were not going to look at the details of how to
form different kinds of questions. Maybe Ill make a separate
tutorial about that later.
The important thing to remember right now is that question
words like who, what, which, and where, can also be used in
other kinds of sentences that are not questions.
Question: Who are you?
Noun clause: I dont know *who you are+.
Noun clauses: The man [who is here] has a beard.
The questions have question word order.
The other kinds of clauses dont have question word order. Their
word order is like the order in a normal statement: SVO.
4
Inverted subjects and verbs: Place expressions
When a sentence starts with a word or phrase that tells where,
we sometimes invert the subject and verb.
We often do this in sentences that start with the words there,
here, and nowhere. (There, here, and nowhere are not the
subjects of these sentences.)
There is a big spider on your shoulder. (Spider = subject)
Look! There are two Starbucks only a block apart.
(Starbucks = subject)
Here are the books that I borrowed. (Books = subject)
Here in my hand is a shiny, new dime. (Dime = subject)
Nowhere will you find a perfect place to live. (You = subject)
Nowhere else have I seen such beautiful flowers. (I = subject)
5
Inverted subjects and verbs: Place expressions
We cant always invert the subject and verb in sentences that start
with a prepositional phrase telling where--only if the phrase is
necessary to make a complete idea. This usually happens in
sentences saying simply that something exists or telling where it
is.
On the desk was an antique telephone. (Subject = telephone)
In every classroom are a map and a globe.
(Subject = a map and a globe)

We dont invert the subject and verb when the verb is telling what
happened, and the preposition phrase just gives more information
about where it happened.
On the desk, the mayor had placed a photograph of his family.
In every classroom, you will find a map and a globe.
6
Exercise 16.
Page 134.
7
8
1. In front of the house were some giant trees.

2. There a big house on the corner.

3. In the cave was a vast treasure of gems and jewels.

4. To the north the stream is that the settlers will have to cross.

5. Around the corner are the offices that you are trying to find.

6. At the Italian restaurant was the food too spicy for my taste.

7. Nowhere in the world farmers can grow such delicious food .

8. In the backyard the two trees are that need to be pruned.

9. Around the recreation hall and down the path are the tents where we
will be staying this week.

10. In the apartment next to mine, a family was that had a lot of pets.
c
I
c
I
c
I
I
I
c
I
is a big house
is the stream
the food was
can farmers
are the two trees
was a family
Inverted subjects and verbs: Negatives
When a sentence begins with certain negative and almost-
negative expressions, we invert the subject and verb.
Never had she seen such noisy children. (Subject = she)
Only once will we make this offer. (Subject = we)
Seldom was he as happy as at that moment. (Subject = he)

When these words come later in the sentence, we use normal
word order.
She had never seen such noisy children.
We will make this offer only once.
He was seldom as happy as at that moment.
9
Inverted subjects and verbs: Negatives
These negative and almost-negative words cause the subject and
verb to change positions:



Sometimes these words are part of a phrase with other words:
No sooner had I opened the door than I saw a big monster.
Not only was he late, but he didnt even apologize.
Only occasionally does she go to the movies.
At no time should you talk to strangers.
1
0
no
not
never
neither
nor
barely
hardly
only

rarely
scarcely
seldom
Exercise 17.
Page 136.
11
12 12

1. Never the boy wrote to his sisters.

2. On no occasion did they say that to me.

3. Steve did not win the prize, nor did he expect to do so.

4. Only once.in my life gone I have to New York City.

5. Did he go out of the house at no time.

6. Seldom their secretary has made such mistakes.

7. No sooner had she hung up the phone than it rang again.

8. Sheila did not arrive late for work, nor she left early.

9. Barely had he finished the exam when the graduate assistant
collected the papers.

10. The police did not arrive in time to save the girl, and neither did
the paramedics.
I
C
C
I
I
I
C
I
C
C
did the boy write
have I gone
He went
has their secretary
did she leave
Inverted subjects and verbs: Conditionals
Conditional sentences usually use the word if:

Real or possible conditions (Present/future time: It might be true):
Ill pick you up *if you want me to+.
*If it rains+, well cancel our picnic.
[If you should need help], please let me know.

Unreal or impossible conditions (Present time: It isnt true.)
[If I were rich], I would buy a new car.
We would help you [if we could].

Unreal or impossible conditions (Past time: It wasnt true.)
[If he had studied harder], he would have passed the test.
The meeting would have ended sooner [if the chairman
hadnt talked so long+.
1
3
Inverted subjects and verbs: Conditionals
However, we can sometimes make conditionals in another way. If
the conditional clause has the helping verbs had, were, or should
(but not others), we can omit if and invert the subject and verb:

[If you should need help], please let me know.
[Should you need help], please let me know.

[If I were rich], I would buy a new car.
[Were I rich], I would buy a new car.

[If he had studied harder], he would have passed the test.
[Had he studied harder], he would have passed the test.

The meeting would have ended sooner [if the chairman
hadnt talked so long+.
The meeting would have ended sooner [had the chairman
not talked so long]. (Dont say: hadnt the chairman talked so long)
1
4
Inverted subjects and verbs: Conditionals
In conditionals that dont have the helping verbs had, were, or
should, we cant omit if and invert the subject and verb.

Ill pick you up *if you want me to+. (Dont change!)
*If it rains+, well cancel our picnic. (Dont change!)
We would help you [if we could]. (Dont change!)

We dont use the conditional without if very often in everyday
speech. It sounds very formal and old-fashioned. However, we
find it in formal writing and on the TOEFL test.

1
5
Inverted subjects and verbs: Comparisons
We can make comparisons using an adjective: ADJECTIVE+er
(bigger, happier) or more + ADJECTIVE (more beautiful, more
exciting). After that, we usually use than and a noun or pronoun.
Elephants are bigger than mice.
I am taller than you.
I think chemistry is more interesting than math.

We can make comparisons using an adverb (more + ADVERB).
Turtles move more slowly than rabbits.
You have learned this lesson more quickly than I.
(Or in more casual speech, .more quickly than me.)

And we can make comparisons with more + NOUN.
John has more money than Bob.
Our team got more points than the other team.
1
6
Inverted subjects and verbs: Comparisons
Sometimes we put a sentence after than.
Elephants are bigger than mice are.
I think chemistry is more interesting than math is.
He has more money than I do.
You have learned this lesson more quickly than I have.

In this case, we can invert the order of the subject and verb in the
clause after than.
Elephants are bigger than are mice.
I think chemistry is more interesting than is math.
He has more money than do I.
You have learned this lesson more quickly than have I.

We dont have to invert the word order. Both ways are fine.
When we invert the order after than, it sounds very formal. Its
probably best not to use it in your own writing.
1
7
Summary
In this section, you have learned about these things:
We can invert the subject and verb:
When we make a question
When the sentence starts with a place expression
(sometimes)
When the sentence begins with certain negative words
When we use a conditional without the word if
When the sentence has a comparison (sometimes)

1
8