Complete the 12 sentences below. Choose the best answer for each one.
1No sooner ............... than the fire alarm went off.
Wrong!
After "No sooner", use past perfect inversion, so "had the meeting started" is correct.
2Only then ............... the seriousness of the problem.
Wrong!
After fronted "Only then", use inversion in the main clause, so "did she realize" is correct.
3Rarely ............... such dedication in a volunteer team.
Wrong!
After fronted "Rarely", use subject-auxiliary inversion, so "have I seen" is correct.
4Not until the final vote ............... the proposal.
Wrong!
After fronted "Not until", use inversion in the main clause, so "did the committee approve" is correct.
5............... any assistance, please contact the front desk.
Wrong!
In a formal conditional without "if", use inversion, so "should you need" is correct.
6At no point ............... his plans to resign.
Wrong!
After fronted "At no point", use inversion, so "did he mention" is correct.
7............... the confusion that nobody knew where to sit.
Wrong!
The emphatic pattern before a result clause is "Such was", so "Such was" is correct.
8Only recently ............... the cause of the error.
Wrong!
After fronted "Only recently", use inversion, so "have the researchers identified" is correct.
9Only after reading the appendix ............... the full argument.
Wrong!
After fronted "Only after", use inversion in the main clause, so "did I understand" is correct.
10Hardly ............... when the phone rang.
Wrong!
In the pattern "Hardly... when", use past perfect inversion, so "had she arrived" is correct.
11Under no circumstances ............... to share confidential files.
Wrong!
After fronted "Under no circumstances", use inversion, so "are employees permitted" is correct.
12Only when the lights went out ............... to panic.
Wrong!
After fronted "Only when", use inversion in the main clause, so "did the audience begin" is correct.
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.
