Inversion
EN Study
Inversion - basic
Nejvíce se používá: Never, A little, So / such, Kondicionály.
- Clause x sentence
- Sentence - celá věta, souvětí
- Clause - jedna věta
Question form of the main verb
- Not only did he fail to report the accident, but he also later denied that he had been driving the car.
- Never have I enjoyed myself more!
Changing the normal position of verb and subject
- Along the street came a strange procession.
Inversion after negative adverbials
Adverbial occurs at the beginning of a clause
This only occurs when the adverbial occurs at the beginning of a clause. Formal language, political speeches. Not usual in everydy spoken language.
- Never have I heard a weaker excuse!
- I have never heard a weaker excuse! (Less formal, everyday language)
Time expressions: never, rarely, seldom
With the present perfect or past perfect, or with modals such as can and could. Often contain comparatives.
- Rarely can a minister have been faced with such a problem.
- Málokdy může ministr čelit takovému problému.
- Seldom has the team given a worse performance.
- Málokdy tým podával horší výkon.
- Rarely had I had so much responsibility.
- Málokdy jsem měl tolik zodpovědnosti.
Time expressions: hardly, barely, scarcely, no sooner
These refer to an event which quicky follows another in the past. Usually used with the past perfect, no sooner can be followed by the past simple.
No sooner -> than x Hardly -> when.
- Hardly had the train left the station, when there was an explosion.
- Jakmile/sotva vlak opustil nádraží, došlo k výbuchu.
- Scarcely had I entered the room when the phone rang.
- Sotva jsem vešel do místnosti, když zazvonil telefon.
- No sooner had I reached the door than I realised it was locked.
- Sotva jsem došel ke dveřím, než jsem si uvědomil, že jsou zamčené.
After only
Other examples: only if/when, only then, only later. Usually with the past simple.
Only after... / Až potom...
- Only after posting the letter did I remember that I had forgotten to put on a stamp.
- Až potom, co jsem hodil dopis do schránky, jsem si vzpomněl, že jsem zapomněl nalepit známku.
Phrases containing no / not
These include: under no circumstances, on no account, at no time, in no way, on no condition, not until, not only...
- On no condition are they to open fire without a warning.
- V žádném případě nesmí střílet bez varování.
- Not until I got home did I notice that I had the wrong umbrella.
- Až když jsem se vrátil domů, všiml jsem si, že mám špatný deštník.
Little
Little also has a negative or restrictive meaning.
- Little does the government appreciate what the results will be.
- Vláda málo oceňuje jaké budou výsledky.
Inversion after so / such with that
Inversion only occurs if so/such is the first word in the clause.
- So devastating were the floods that some areas may never recover.
- Such was the force of the storm that trees were uprooted.
Inverted conditional entences without if
Were, had, should
More formal, méně pravděpodobné.
- Were they to escape, there would be an outcry.
- If they were to escape, there would be an outcry.
- Should you hear anything, let me know.
- If you should hear anything, let me know.
- Had I known, I would have protested strongly.
- If I had known, I would have protested strongly.
- Should you change your mind, just let me know.
- Ustálená vazba, používá se i v běžné řeči
Inversion after as
In formal or written language.
- We were short of money, as were most people in our neighbourhood.
- I thought, as did my colleagues, that the recession would soon be over.
Inversion after so, neither and nor
Agreeing or disagreeing.
- A: I am going home. B: So am I.
- A: I don't like it. B: Neither do I.