from http://www.eslhandouts.com/materials/inversion.doc


Practice1              Choose the most suitable words underlined. Circle the correct version.


1.     Jim promised that he would never/never would he tell anyone else.

2.     Not until it was too late I remembered/did I remember to call Susan.

3.     Hardly had we settled down in our seats than/when the lights went out.

4.     Only after checking three times I was / was I certain of the answer.

5.     At no time I was aware / was I aware of anything out of the usual.

6.     Only Catherine and Sally passed / did they pass the final examination.

7.     So the waves were high / So high were the waves that swimming was dangerous.

8.     Only when Pete has arrived / has Pete arrived can we begin the programme.

9.     No sooner had it stopped raining than/when the sun came out.



Practice2              Rewrite each sentence, starting as shown, so that the meaning stays the
same.


1 I had no sooner gone to bed than someone rang my doorbell.

No sooner _________________________________________________________________________________.


2 I have seldom stayed in a worse hotel.

Seldom ___________________________________________________________________________________.


3 I have never heard such nonsense.

Never ____________________________________________________________________________________.


4 I realized only then that I had lost my keys.

Only then _________________________________________________________________________________.


5 The economic situation has rarely been worse.

Rarely ____________________________________________________________________________________.


6 The manager not once offered us an apology.

Not once __________________________________________________________________________________.


7 You should not send money to us under any circumstances.

Under no circumstances ______________________________________________________________________.


8 I understood Hamlet only after seeing it on the stage.

Only after _________________________________________________________________________________.


9 The embassy staff little realized that Ted was a secret agent.

Little _____________________________________________________________________________________.


Practice3              Rewrite each sentence, starting as shown, so that the meaning stays the
same.

1 It was only when the office phoned me that I found out about the meeting.

Not until __________________________________________________________________________________.


2 The facts were not all made public until later.

Only _____________________________________________________________________________________.


3 The response to our appeal was so great that we had to take on more staff.

Such _____________________________________________________________________________________.


4 Harry broke his leg, and also injured his shoulder.

Not only __________________________________________________________________________________.


5 The police didn't at all suspect that the judge was the murderer.

Little _____________________________________________________________________________________.


6 The bus driver cannot be blamed for the accident in any way.

In ________________________________________________________________________________________.


7 The snowfall was so heavy that all trains had to be cancelled.

So _______________________________________________________________________________________.




2 Rewrite the sentences using the opening expressions given.

1 A change in employment law has rarely been greeted with so much enthusiasm.

Rarely ______________________________________________________________________________.

2 Employers should never discriminate against job applicants on the grounds of creed, ethnicity or
gender.

On no account ________________________________________________________________________.

3 She had just been promoted to head of department when the company was put into administration.

Hardly ______________________________________________________________________________.

4 He had to answer countless abusive phone calls. In addition, he worked alternate weekends.

Not only ____________________________________________________________________________.

5 This is the first time they have shown such concern for the safety of their staff.

Never before _________________________________________________________________________.

6 We can only shortlist candidates after we’ve gone through all the applications.

Only after ___________________________________________________________________________.

7 We may not leave the premises without clocking off.

Under no circumstances ________________________________________________________________.

8 Work is more stressful in call centres than anywhere else.

Nowhere ____________________________________________________________________________.

9 He was dismissed immediately after complaining about the working conditions.

No sooner ___________________________________________________________________________.

10 Staff were not allowed to make personal phone calls from the office. They were not allowed to
use the Internet either.

Staff were not allowed to make personal phone calls from the office. Neither ______________________
____________________________________________________________________________________.