n v e r s i o n ( 1 )
A In statements it is usual for the verb to follow the subject. Sometimes, however, this word order
is reversed. We can refer to this as INVERSION. Compare:
• Her father stood in the doorway. —* In the doorway stood her father.
• He had rarely seen such a sunset. —• Rarely had he seen such a sunset.
• He showed me his ID card. I only let him in then. —• Only then did / let him in.
Notice how the subject comes after the verb (e.g. stood) or an auxiliary (e.g. had, did). Units 119
and 120 study the circumstances in which inversion takes place. Some of these are also looked at
in earlier units and brought together here.
D Inversion after adverbial phrases of direction and place
When we put an adverbial phrase, especially of direction or place, at the beginning of a sentence,
we sometimes put an intransitive verb in front of its subject. This kind of inversion is found
particularly in formal or literary styles:
• Dave began to open the three parcels. Inside the first was a book of crosswords from his
Aunt Alice, (or, less formally Inside the first there was a book of crosswords...)
With the verb be we always use inversion in sentences like this, and inversion is usual with
certain verbs of place and movement, such as climb, come, fly, go, hang, lie, run, sit, stand:
Sf • Above the fireplace was a portrait of the Duke, (not ...a portrait of the Duke was.)
• • In an armchair sat his mother, (rather than ...his mother sat.)
Inversion doesn't usually occur with other verbs. We don't invert subject and verb when the
subject is a pronoun. So, for example, we don't say 'In an armchair sat she.'
P In speech, inversion often occurs after here and there, and adverbs such as back, down, in, off,
oup, round, etc.:
• • Here comes Sandra's car. • I lit the fuse and after a few seconds up went the rocket.
n Inversion in conditional sentences
We can use clauses with inversion instead of certain kinds of z/-clauses. (See Unit 100.) Compare:
• It would be a serious setback, if the talks
were to fail.
• If you should need more information,
please telephone our main office.
• If Alex had asked, I would have been able
to help.
• It would be a serious setback, were
talks to fail.
• Should you need more information
telephone our main office.
• Had Alex asked, I would have been
to help.
the
please
able
The sentences with inversion are rather more formal than those with 'if. Notice that in negative
clauses with inversion, we don't use contracted forms:
• Had he not resigned, we would have been forced to sack him. (not Hadn't he...)
Inversion in comparisons with 'as' and 'than'
• The cake was excellent, as was the coffee, (or ...as the coffee was.)
• I believed, as did my colleagues, that the plan would work, (or ...as my colleagues did...)
• Research shows that children living in villages watch more television than do their
counterparts in inner city areas, (or ...than their counterparts do...)
We prefer to use inversion after as and than in formal written language. Notice that we don't
invert subject and verb when the subject is a pronoun.
Adverbials of direction and place = Conditionals

He is never late.
Use:comes