Complete the 12 sentences below. Choose the best answer for each one.
1Only after the audit ............... how serious the cash-flow problem had become.
Wrong!
After the negative adverbial 'Only after the audit', subject-auxiliary inversion is required, so the correct answer is "did the board realise".
2Rarely ............... such unanimous support from both unions and management.
Wrong!
A fronted negative-frequency adverb such as 'Rarely' requires inversion, so the correct answer is "has a proposal received".
3Under no circumstances ............... into the archive without written authorisation.
Wrong!
With the fronted negative phrase 'Under no circumstances', inversion is required, so the correct answer is "should visitors be allowed".
4Not until several hours after the meal ............... to appear.
Wrong!
When 'Not until' is fronted, the following main clause takes inversion, so the correct answer is "did the symptoms begin".
5So hostile ............... that the minister abandoned the press conference within minutes.
Wrong!
When 'so + adjective' is fronted for emphasis, the verb comes before the subject, so the correct answer is "was the response".
6Not a single risk ............... during the investor briefing.
Wrong!
A fronted negative object such as 'Not a single risk' requires inversion in the clause that follows, so the correct answer is "did she mention".
7Little ............... that the apparently minor delay would jeopardise the entire launch.
Wrong!
The fronted negative adverb 'Little' triggers inversion, so the correct answer is "did we suspect".
8Only if both parties sign the revised schedule ............... valid beyond June.
Wrong!
When an 'Only if' condition is fronted, the main clause takes inversion, so the correct answer is "will the contract remain".
9No sooner ............... than a fresh dispute over staffing levels emerged.
Wrong!
The fronted phrase 'No sooner' requires inversion with the auxiliary before the subject, so the correct answer is "had the negotiations resumed".
10At the far end of the table ..............., silent but visibly unconvinced.
Wrong!
After a fronted place expression in a formal descriptive style, the lexical verb can precede a full noun subject, so the correct answer is "stood the finance director".
11The budget cuts ..............., but the cancellation of the training programme is harder to justify.
Wrong!
When the object 'The budget cuts' is fronted, it should not be repeated by a pronoun in the same clause, so the correct answer is "I can defend".
12"We cannot accept those terms," ............... after a brief consultation with her team.
Wrong!
After fronted direct speech, formal narrative style often places the reporting verb before a full noun subject, so the correct answer is "said the chief negotiator".
Answers
- Only after the audit did the board realise how serious the cash-flow problem had become.
- Rarely has a proposal received such unanimous support from both unions and management.
- Under no circumstances should visitors be allowed into the archive without written authorisation.
- Not until several hours after the meal did the symptoms begin to appear.
- So hostile was the response that the minister abandoned the press conference within minutes.
- Not a single risk did she mention during the investor briefing.
- Little did we suspect that the apparently minor delay would jeopardise the entire launch.
- Only if both parties sign the revised schedule will the contract remain valid beyond June.
- No sooner had the negotiations resumed than a fresh dispute over staffing levels emerged.
- At the far end of the table stood the finance director, silent but visibly unconvinced.
- The budget cuts I can defend, but the cancellation of the training programme is harder to justify.
- “We cannot accept those terms,” said the chief negotiator after a brief consultation with her team.
