Complete the 12 sentences below. Choose the best answer for each one.
1Never before ............... so nervous as I did while giving evidence in court.
Wrong!
After the fronted negative phrase 'Never before', we use inversion, so the correct answer is "had I felt".
2Only after the figures were checked twice ............... how serious the loss was.
Wrong!
When 'Only after' begins the sentence, the main clause takes inversion, so the correct answer is "did we realise".
3Not until midnight ............... the power to the whole district.
Wrong!
A fronted 'Not until' phrase requires inversion in the following clause, so the correct answer is "did the engineers restore".
4Rarely ............... such a large audience on a weekday evening.
Wrong!
With a negative adverbial like 'Rarely' at the front, we invert the subject and auxiliary, so the correct answer is "does a documentary attract".
5Under no circumstances ............... the animals, however harmless they may seem.
Wrong!
After the fronted negative expression 'Under no circumstances', we use inversion, so the correct answer is "should visitors feed".
6Little ............... that her casual remark would change the direction of the meeting.
Wrong!
Fronted negative 'Little' meaning 'not at all' is followed by inversion, so the correct answer is "did she suspect".
7............... the committee rejected immediately, but the revised version received serious attention.
Wrong!
A fronted object does not normally need inversion, so the correct answer is "The first proposal".
8............... she certainly was, although she refused to take all the credit herself.
Wrong!
Fronted adjective complements use normal subject-verb order, not question-style inversion, so the correct answer is "Proud of the team".
9Opposite the station ..............., its faded posters still visible behind the glass.
Wrong!
With a fronted place expression, formal/literary English often uses verb-subject order, so the correct answer is "stood an old cinema".
10"We cannot delay any longer," ..............., closing the file with a sigh.
Wrong!
After fronted direct speech, formal narrative style can put the reporting verb before the subject, so the correct answer is "said the manager".
11The alarm did not sound, and nor ............... why the backup system had failed.
Wrong!
After fronted 'Nor', we use inversion to add a second negative idea, so the correct answer is "could anyone explain".
12So convincing ............... that even the sceptical jurors began to change their minds.
Wrong!
With fronted 'So + adjective' followed by a result clause, we use inversion, so the correct answer is "was the witness".
Answers
- Never before had I felt so nervous as I did while giving evidence in court.
- Only after the figures were checked twice did we realise how serious the loss was.
- Not until midnight did the engineers restore the power to the whole district.
- Rarely does a documentary attract such a large audience on a weekday evening.
- Under no circumstances should visitors feed the animals, however harmless they may seem.
- Little did she suspect that her casual remark would change the direction of the meeting.
- The first proposal the committee rejected immediately, but the revised version received serious attention.
- Proud of the team she certainly was, although she refused to take all the credit herself.
- Opposite the station stood an old cinema, its faded posters still visible behind the glass.
- “We cannot delay any longer,” said the manager, closing the file with a sigh.
- The alarm did not sound, and nor could anyone explain why the backup system had failed.
- So convincing was the witness that even the sceptical jurors began to change their minds.
