Inversion 1

Index

Change the normal sentence into one with inversion. You may have to change some of the words. ANSWERS + EXPLANATION

1) We have seldom heard such wonderful music.
Seldom such wonderful music.

2) Mark never uses dirty language.
Never dirty language.

3) The man knew very little about the matter she asked about.
Little about the matter she asked about.

4) You can't get such a good meal anywhere else.
Nowhere else such a good meal.

5) I never went to that leisure centre.
At no time to that leisure centre.

6) You mustn't leave your little brother home alone.
On no account your little brother home alone.

7) He hardly ever comes to work on time.
Hardly ever to work on time.

8) They not only apologised but also sent us a card.
Not only but also sent us a card.

9) I have rarely seen someone eat so much.
Rarely someone eat so much.

10) We in no way like this plan.
In no way this plan.

Answers

We use inversion when we move negative adverbials barely, hardly, rarely, never etc. to the beginning of a sentence.

In the following expressions, the inversion comes in the first part of the sentence:
never (before) barely, seldom, rarely, little, hardly ever, nowhere (else), on no account, under no circumstances, not only... but (also), only then, only later, in no way, only in this way.
NEGATIVE ADVERB + AUX/MODAL VERB + SUBJECT + MAIN VERB
Customers seldom buy these laptops. => Seldom do customers buy these laptops.
They only discovered his secret then. => Only then did they discover his secret.
I had never seen the film. => At no time had I seen the film.

1) have we heard 2) does Mark use 3) did the man know 4) can you get 5) did I go 6) must you leave 7) does he come 8) did they apologise 9) have I seen 10) do we like