Content tagged with "inversion"

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Conditionals and inversion

In formal English, the subject and the auxiliary can be inverted in the if-clause with if omitted:

IF, EVEN IF, ONLY IF, AS LONG AS, PROVIDED, SUPPOSING, UNLESS, BUT FOR, IF NECESSARY, IF SO, IN CASE etc.

IF and WHEN

When can replace if in zero conditionals:

If you heat water to 100 degrees Celsius, it boils.
When you heat water to 100 degrees Celsius, it boils.

In the other types of conditionals, we cannot use when instead of if.

ONLY AFTER, ONLY IF, ONLY IN THIS WAY etc., NOT UNTIL

When only after, only if, only in this way etc. are placed at the beginning of the sentence for rhetorical effect, the subject and auxiliary are inverted:

Subject-auxiliary inversion

In this type of inversion, the subject and the auxiliary switch positions. In the present and past simple, the auxiliaries do/does and did come before the subject, which is followed by the bare infinitive. The word order is the same as in questions.

Subject-auxiliary inversion after SO + adverb / adjective and SUCH

When adverbial or adjectival phrases starting with so are placed at the beginning of the sentence for emphatic effect, the subject and auxiliary are inverted:

Subject-auxiliary inversion in echo tags

Echo tags are used in reaction to an affirmative or negative statement. They are formed in the same way as question tags (with the inversion of the subject and auxiliary), but an affirmative statement is followed by an affirmative tag and a negative statement is followed by a negative tag:

Subject-auxiliary inversion in question tags

Question tags are placed after declarative sentences and are usually used in spoken language to keep up the flow of conversation. Affirmative sentences are usually followed by negative tags and expect the answer yes:

Subject-auxiliary inversion in questions

Questions are formed from statements by inverting the subject and auxiliary. In the present and past simple, the auxiliaries do/does and did come before the subject, which is followed by the bare infinitive. Be as a main verb can also come before the subject:

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