Inwersja jest używana w zdaniach twierdzących, najczęściej po określonych wyrażeniach, by nadać im siłę lub formalny ton.
[Wyrażenie] + operator + podmiot + czasownik + reszta zdania
Przykład:
Never have I heard such a beautiful voice.
(zamiast: I have never heard…)
| Wyrażenie | Przykład zdania |
|---|---|
| Never | Never have I seen such chaos. |
| Rarely / Seldom | Rarely do we go out during the week. |
| Hardly / Scarcely / Barely + when | Hardly had I arrived when it started raining. |
| No sooner… than | No sooner had she finished than the phone rang. |
| Only then / Only after / Only when | Only after the meeting did we understand the problem. |
| Not only… but also | Not only was he late, but he also forgot the report. |
| Little | Little did she know what would happen next. |
| Under no circumstances | Under no circumstances should you touch that button. |
| On no account | On no account must this room be entered. |
Gdy zgadzamy się z czymś w formie przeczącej.
I don’t like coffee. – Neither do I.
He hasn’t arrived yet. – Nor has she.
W formalnym stylu można zastąpić „if” przez inwersję.
| Zwykłe zdanie warunkowe | Zdanie z inwersją |
|---|---|
| If I had known, I would have helped. | Had I known, I would have helped. |
| If he were here, he would help. | Were he here, he would help. |
| If you should need help, call me. | Should you need help, call me. |