INVERSIONES C1 C2

Inversion is a reversal of normal word order, especially the placement of a verb ahead of the subject. Inversion is used in several different situations in English, such as question forms, negative adverbials, and conditional sentences.

For example, 

Hardly, Scarcely, Barely, No sooner

Generalmente el verbo que describe el primer hecho suele ir en pasado perfecto  (utilizaríamos el auxiliar HAD) o pasado simple (en cuyo caso el auxiliar sería DID o, si fuera un verbo TO BE, pues antecedemos al sujeto el verbo en pasado)

_ A los adverbios hardly, scarcely y barely le sigue la palabra WHEN.

– Al adverbio no sooner le sigue THAN (porque SOONER es el comparativo de SOON y los adjetivos y adverbios comparativos se comparan con «than»).

 Ejemplos :

 Inversión: Hardly had I got home when my mum called.

Orden normal: I had hardly got home when my mum called.

 Inversión: Scarcely had she finished her examen when she realized she didn’t asnswer to the last question.

Orden normal: She had scarcely finished her examen when she realized she didn’t asnswer to the last question.

 Inversión: Barely had they parked when one of the car’s tyre blew out.

Orden normal: They had barely parked when one of the car’s tyre blew out.

 Inversión: No sooner had I been fired than the company went bankrupt. 

Orden normal: I had no sooner been fired than the company went bankrupt.

 Never, rarely, little, under no circumstances, on no condition/account, in no way, not only

 Cuando estas palabras se colocan al comienzo de una oración para conseguir un efecto enfático, el sujeto y el auxiliar invierten sus posiciones.

Ejemplos:

 Inversión: Never (before) had she faced such a troublesome situation.

Orden normal: She had never faced such a troublesome situation (before).

 Inversión: Rarely have there been so many worries about the millennial generation's lifestyle.

Orden normal: There have rarely been so many worries about the millennial generation's lifestyle.

 Inversión: Little did I know that I would later be affected by that bad decision.

Orden normal: I knew little that I would later be affected by that bad decision.

 Inversión: Under no circumstances are you allowed to smoke on a plane.

Orden normal: You are not allowed to smoke on a plane under any circumstances.

 Inversión: On no condition will the bank bear responsibility for misurderstandings in the contract.

Orden normal: The bank will not bear responsibility for misurderstandings in the contract. 

 Inversión: In no way am I to be blamed for your responsibilities.

Orden normal: I am in no way to be blamed for your responsibilities.

 Inversión: Not only wasn’t he on time, but he didn’t even apologize for his delay.

Orden normal: He was not only late, but he didn’t apologize for his delay either.

 Inversión: Not only did he succeed to set up a big company, but he had also made a killing in just a few months. 

Orden normal: He not only succeeded to set up a big company but he had also made a killing in just a few months.

Only after, only by, only if, only in this way, only then, only when, not until

Si la palabra only no va seguida de las preposiciones con las que aparece en las estructuras de arriba, no se realiza la inversión.

Ejemplos:

Only after finishing the housework can you go out.

Orden normal: You can go out only after finishing your homework.

Only after you have finished the housework can you go out. 

Orden normal: You can go out only after you have finished your homework.

Only by working out can you get fit. 

Orden normal: You can get fit only by working out.

Only if everybody reached an agreement would I accept this position.

Orden normal: I would accept this position only if everybody reached an agreement.

Only in this way do kids pay attention to you. 

Orden normal: Kids pay attention to you only in this way.

Only then did they realize it was a trap.

Orden normal: They realized it was a trap only then.

Only when she begged did he help her.

Orden normal: He helped her only when she begged.

Only when I was pulled over by the police did I realize I had been driving without lights. 

Orden normal: I noticed that I had been driving without lights only when I was pulled over by the police.

Esta última frase se puede reformular de otra forma:

Not until I was pulled over by the police did I realize I has been driving without lights

Orden normal: I noticed that I had been driving without lights only when I was pulled over by the police.

Conditionals

Por otro lado, también podemos usar invertir el «if» de los condicionales con el auxiliar «had», el verbo «were» y el modal «should».

Condicinoal normal: If it had not rained, the accident wouldn’t have happened.

Inversión con condicional: Had it not rained, the accident wouldn’t have happened.

Condicional normal: If he had followed his drive, he would have succedeed.

Inversión con condicional: Had he followed his guts, he would have succedeed.

Expressions

Bastante más literario y formal, también te puedes encontrar con inversiones en inglés de nivel avanzado como estas:

On the table was all the treasure we had found. (Oración normal: All the treasure we had found was on the table.)

Round the corner came the knights. (Oración normal: The knights came round the corner.)

 

 

f) So + adjective…that

 

So stunning was the bride that nobody could talk of anything else. (Oración normal: The bride was so stunning that nobody could talk of anything else.)

So tasty was the food that we ate every last bite. (Oración normal: The food was so tasty that we ate every last bite.)

 

 

EXTRA TIP. Sube de nivel introduciendo también

pasivas de nivel avanzado en tu Speaking y Writing.

 

 

A continuación os dejamos una tabla con la mayoría de las inversiones en inglés que hemos analizado a lo largo de este artículo.

 

Hardly Hardly had I fallen asleep when the telephone rang.

Barely Barely did I think of my cousin when I came across him on the street.

Never Never had she seen such a mesmerizing sight before.

Seldom Seldom do we see such a stunning display of dance.

Rarely Rarely will you delight yourself with such moving music.

Only then Only then did I understand why he acted like that.

Not only … but Not only does he love pigging out but (also) he (also) smokes.

No sooner No sooner had we got home than the police rang the doorbell.

Scarcely Scarcely had I thought I would be alone when a bunch of people came.

Only later Only later did she think of her actions.

Nowhere Nowhere have I ever had such bad customer service.

Little Little were we aware of the side effects long exposure to a screen can cause!

Only in this way Only in this way could Jessica make a living.

In no way In no way do I think along your lines!

On no account On no account should you do a move without asking me first