Complete the 12 sentences below. Choose the best answer for each one.
1No sooner ............... than the fire alarm went off.
Wrong!
"Had the meeting started" is correct because "No sooner" is followed by inversion with the past perfect.
2Only then ............... the seriousness of the problem.
Wrong!
"Did she realize" is correct because fronted "Only then" requires inversion in the main clause.
3Rarely ............... such dedication in a volunteer team.
Wrong!
"Have I seen" is correct because fronted "Rarely" requires subject-auxiliary inversion.
4Not until the final vote ............... the proposal.
Wrong!
"Did the committee approve" is correct because fronted "Not until" requires inversion in the main clause.
5............... any assistance, please contact the front desk.
Wrong!
"Should you need" is correct because formal conditional inversion can replace "if" here.
6At no point ............... his plans to resign.
Wrong!
"Did he mention" is correct because fronted negative expressions such as "At no point" require inversion.
7............... the confusion that nobody knew where to sit.
Wrong!
"Such was" is correct because this emphatic fronting pattern uses inversion after "Such."
8Only recently ............... the cause of the error.
Wrong!
"Have the researchers identified" is correct because fronted "Only recently" does not require inversion, so the sentence was rewritten to make only this option fit naturally as a question.
9Only after reading the appendix ............... the full argument.
Wrong!
"Did I understand" is correct because fronted "Only after" requires inversion in the main clause.
10Hardly ............... when the phone rang.
Wrong!
"Had she arrived" is correct because "Hardly" is followed by inversion with the past perfect in this structure.
11Under no circumstances ............... to share confidential files.
Wrong!
"Are employees permitted" is correct because fronted negative phrases require inversion.
12Only when the lights went out ............... to panic.
Wrong!
"Did the audience begin" is correct because fronted "Only when" requires inversion in the main clause.
Done.
Score: 0/12
Answers
- No sooner had the meeting started than the fire alarm went off.
- Only then did she realize the seriousness of the problem.
- Rarely have I seen such dedication in a volunteer team.
- Not until the final vote did the committee approve the proposal.
- should you need any assistance, please contact the front desk.
- At no point did he mention his plans to resign.
- Such was the confusion that nobody knew where to sit.
- Only recently have the researchers identified the cause of the error.
- Only after reading the appendix did I understand the full argument.
- Hardly had she arrived when the phone rang.
- Under no circumstances are employees permitted to share confidential files.
- Only when the lights went out did the audience begin to panic.
