Questions
Negatives
(Necessary) Prepositional Phrases of Place
Conditionals
Comparisons
1. Questions
He is a doctor.
He ate an apple.
Is he a doctor?
Did he eat an apple?
(Direct inversion)
(With "do")
2. Negatives
He is a doctor.
He ate an apple.
Not only is he a doctor, (but) he is also a
millionaire.
Not only did he eat an
apple, (but) he also ate an orange.
3. Prepositional Phrases of Place (Necessary)
On the table is a book.
On the table (there) is a book.
The prepositional phrase is
necessary here, because without it, the sentence would be
incomplete: ("is a book" is not a complete sentence.)
Inversion is necessary.
At the restaurant, the food was too spicy.
(inversion is not necessary)
Without the prepositional
phrase, the sentence the food was too spicy is still
complete.
This structure is typically used with linking verbs (be,
appear, seem, etc.) or words that function as linking verbs.
In the doorway appeared two strangers.
On the table lies my textbook.
In the kitchen, he ate an apple.
In the doorway were two strangers.
On the table is my textbook.
(Action verb: no inversion necessary.)
4. In some situations, the conditional if is omitted
and an inversion is used in its place. (Only with verbs,
were, should or had.) Note the following examples:
If I were a doctor, I
would be rich.
Were I a doctor, I would
be rich.
If I had taken the
subway, I would have arrived on time.
Had I taken the subway,
I would have arrived on time.
If you should have any
questions, please feel free to contact me.
Should you have any
questions, please feel free to contact me.
If I had known you were
coming, I would have baked a cake.
Had I known you were
coming, I would have baked a cake.
If I go to Chicago, I
will visit my grandmother.
XX Go I to Chicago, I
will visit my grandmother.
If I have enough money,
I will buy a horse.
XX Have I enough money,
I will buy a horse.
5. Comparisons with than may also be inverted, but
the inversion is optional. Note the following examples.
He has more marbles than
John does.
He has more marbles than
does John.
He has more marbles than
John. (informal okay.)
**Be careful. On the
TOEFL, when comparisons are used, sometimes
important words are left out or in error, thereby
requiring only one of the possible options.
**Be careful. On the TOEFL, when
comparisons are used, sometimes important words are left out
or in error, thereby requiring only one of the possible
options.
She loves her cat more
than Jim.
She loves her cat more
than she loves Jim.
She loves her cat more
than Jim loves her cat./more than Jim does.
My dog is smarter than
Jack.
My dog is smarter than
Jack's.
My dog is smarter than
Jack's dog.
My dog is smarter than
that of Jack.
My classes are more
challenging than those of Mindy.
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