Complete the 12 sentences below. Choose the best answer for each one.
1Not until the audit was complete ............... that the reserves had been overstated.
Wrong!
After 'Not until' at the front, use inversion: "did the board admit".
2Rarely ............... such sustained interest from investors outside the sector.
Wrong!
After fronted 'Rarely', the auxiliary comes before the subject, so the correct answer is "has a launch generated".
3So unexpected ............... that the moderator briefly suspended the debate.
Wrong!
With 'So' fronted before an adjective, use inversion: "was the response".
4Far more quickly than ..............., the new regulations changed hiring practices across the industry.
Wrong!
After a fronted comparative phrase with 'than', formal English often uses inversion; here the correct form is "did the analysts expect".
5Under no circumstances ............... removed from the secure archive without written approval.
Wrong!
After 'Under no circumstances' at the start, invert the modal and subject: "should confidential files be".
6Only after several patches ............... installed did the platform become stable enough for public use.
Wrong!
After 'Only after' begins the sentence, the main clause is inverted: "had the software been".
7Seldom ............... the disagreements that shaped the final policy.
Wrong!
A fronted limiting adverbial such as 'Seldom' takes inversion, so use "do committee minutes reveal".
8No sooner ............... speaking than the recording equipment failed.
Wrong!
The pattern is 'No sooner had + subject + past participle ... than ...', so the answer is "had the witness begun".
9Nowhere else ............... such a complete archive of early satellite images.
Wrong!
After the negative place adverbial 'Nowhere else' is fronted, use inversion: "can researchers access".
10Only when the legal risks have been quantified ............... the merger proposal.
Wrong!
When 'Only when' introduces the sentence, invert the auxiliary and subject in the main clause: "will the committee reconsider".
11Little ............... that the offhand remark would dominate the next day's headlines.
Wrong!
Fronted 'Little' meaning 'not much' requires inversion, so choose "did the spokesperson realise".
12Not only ............... administrative costs, but it also improves transparency for applicants.
Wrong!
With 'Not only' at the beginning, invert the auxiliary and subject: "does the scheme reduce".
Exercise complete
0 out of 12
correct answers
Answers
- Not until the audit was complete did the board admit that the reserves had been overstated.
- Rarely has a launch generated such sustained interest from investors outside the sector.
- So unexpected was the response that the moderator briefly suspended the debate.
- Far more quickly than did the analysts expect , the new regulations changed hiring practices across the industry.
- Under no circumstances should confidential files be removed from the secure archive without written approval.
- Only after several patches had the software been installed did the platform become stable enough for public use.
- Seldom do committee minutes reveal the disagreements that shaped the final policy.
- No sooner had the witness begun speaking than the recording equipment failed.
- Nowhere else can researchers access such a complete archive of early satellite images.
- Only when the legal risks have been quantified will the committee reconsider the merger proposal.
- Little did the spokesperson realise that the offhand remark would dominate the next day’s headlines.
- Not only does the scheme reduce administrative costs, but it also improves transparency for applicants.