English Grammar (Advanced) — Inversion

Not only do inverted sentences give your writing some style, they also get you higher points on the IELTS or TOEFL essay score.

In this video we look at another complex sentence structure that you can add to your toolbox for better English writing. In inverted clauses (such as the one above) the verb comes before the subject.

This structure is very formal and is not limited to clauses beginning with NOT ONLY. There are many examples of inversions, such as:
✔ Hardly had she arrived…
✔ Should you feel inclined to…
✔ Neither do you.
And many more.

There is a lot to take in in this lesson, but recognizing these structures will not only make your writing better, it will help your reading as well (notice that not only in the last sentence does not lead to an inversion—find out why in the video).

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[TheMrmack]

Not only does Adam make extraordinary videos but he's also a superb teacher.

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Not only did I enjoy this video but also shared with over 4 people

[tahsinulhaque]

8:00
Hardly (in the beginning) acting as an adverb!
Never in a while had I thought this way.
Thanks 😊

[aprilspencer]

Thank you so much for your every "formal" lesson, sir. I'm so glad to find out your channel. Your lessons are maily focused on the students of TOEFL, IELTS, etc and that is the main reason that I fond of your channel.

[prashantmishra]

Hi Adam!
Little did I know how beautifully you made whole bunch of inversion an act of awesome rendition of great length.That's because, it's simply incomparable.
Thanks.

[belensueldo]

Little did I know about this part of grammar that I need to improve

[yannreminiac]

I have a score B1 on TOEIC but i need to pass an Ielts general training..so it's very interesting but not easy to understand..it's good to have these examples to use for the exam..thanks you Adam...😉😉

[rosegold]

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[same]

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[ZinMinHein]

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[ThaoPham-fsce]

not only do you make me happy with your lesson, but you also are a fantastic teacher

[saif-gnqr]

Certainly, the if clause is the easiest to understand, apart from not only, but. Thanks Adam. great video

[rakeshkumarmadella]

Thank u so much Adam. For your great lecturers. I really love it and watch them again and again to improve my writing skills.

[siamakalaei]

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[vidz]

Great video, Adam!

I have a doubt. I used to be under the impression that we should not use modal verbs in if-clause, but when I heard your example with should in it, I have got a little confused.

Could you please share a video where I can get everything about conditionals?

[balajielango]

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[quantum-t]

Hi Adam. I gotta say wow, that's been one of the most informative videos on the English topic I've watched. thx

[dtznvzj]

"Little did I work on the weekend" -> Is this full inversion or partial one?
"Here comes the bus" -> Is this full inversion or partial one?

Can you explain about the difference between full and partial inversion?

[Godblessme]

Thanks 🙏🙏🙏 so much Adam. You are simply top notch in teaching.