Inversion/Emphasis

Index

Complete the sentences using the words in bold. Use two to five words. Put in commas where necessary.

1) It was not until I opened the safe that I realised it was empty.
REALISE

2) He's always on time. We appreciate this.
WAY

3) You can't use my new laptop at any time.
TIME

4) She had hardly left home when it started to rain.
THAN

5) I don't live in Cambridge, and Mary doesn't either.
NEITHER

6) I haven't eaten such a tasty pizza anywhere.
ELSE

Test Answers!

ANSWERS 1: DID I REALISE
EXPLANATION
INVERSION => ONLY WHEN/IF/AFTER/ONCE ... + AUX + SUBJECT + VERB ...
More Examples:
Only when we had left, did the child burst into tears. V ONLY WHEN ... + AUX + SUBJECT + VERB ...
Only when did the child burst into tears we had left. X After ONLY WHEN the inversion comes in the second part of the sentence!

ANSWERS 2: WE APPRECIATE IS THE WAY
EXPLANATION
EMPHASIS (PSEUDO-CLEFT SENTENCES) => WHAT-CLAUSE + BE + (TO) + EMPHASISED WORD/PHRASE
More Examples:
What I didn't like was the end of the film. V
What she wanted was (to) take a long nap. V

ANSWERS 3: NO TIME CAN YOU USE
EXPLANATION
INVERSION => AT NO TIME + AUX/MODAL VERB + SUBJECT + MAIN VERB
More Examples:
At no time had I seen the film. V AT NO TIME + AUX/MODAL VERB + SUBJECT + MAIN VERB
At no time did Jack accept that she would come. V

ANSWERS 4: HAD SHE LEFT HOME THAN
EXPLANATION
INVERSION => NO SOONER + HAD + SUBJECT + PAST PARTICIPLE ... THAN ...
More Examples:
No sooner had they got married than they started to argue. V
No sooner had they got married when they started to argue. X NO SOONER + HAD + SUBJECT + PAST PARTICIPLE ... THAN ...

ANSWERS 5: NEITHER DOES MARY
EXPLANATION
INVERSION => NEITHER/NOR + AUX/BE + SUBJECT/PRONOUN
More Examples:
Magda didn't curl her hair. Neither/Nor did Alice. V
~~Magda didn't curl her hair. Neither/Nor Alice did.~~ X NEITHER + AUX/BE + SUBJECT/PRONOUN

ANSWERS 6: ELSE HAVE I EATEN
EXPLANATION
INVERSION => NOWHERE (ELSE) + AUX/MODAL VERB + SUBJECT + MAIN VERB
More Examples:
Nowhere else will you find such nice people. NOWHERE (ELSE) + AUX/MODAL VERB + SUBJECT + MAIN VERB
Nowhere else can you buy cheaper petrol than here.