Инверсия в английском языке: Never have I, Only then did I

Обычный английский порядок слов:

subject + verbI had never seen anything like it.

Но если некоторые отрицательные или ограничительные выражения вынести в начало предложения, появляется subject–auxiliary inversion:

Never + auxiliary + subject + main verbNever had I seen anything like it.

Инверсия похожа на порядок слов в вопросе, но это не вопрос

Never have I seen... заканчивается точкой и остаётся утверждением.

Зачем английскому инверсия

Инверсия может выполнять несколько функций: усиливать отрицательность, создавать контраст, делать стиль более формальным или драматичным, а иногда заменять if в условных предложениях.

Нейтрально

I had never felt so nervous.

Сильнее

Never had I felt so nervous.

Инверсия после отрицательных и ограничительных выражений

Если такое выражение стоит в начале предложения и относится ко всему высказыванию, auxiliary обычно ставится перед subject.

Начало	Пример
never	Never have I seen such a view.
rarely	Rarely do we get an opportunity like this.
seldom	Seldom does he complain.
little	Little did I know what would happen.
nowhere	Nowhere could we find a taxi.
under no circumstances	Under no circumstances should you open the door.
on no account	On no account must this information be shared.
at no time	At no time did he admit responsibility.

Когда появляются do, does и did

Если в обычном предложении нет auxiliary, после фронтированного negative expression нужен do-support.

Обычно

He rarely complains.

С инверсией

Rarely does he complain.

Never did I expect this.
Seldom does she make mistakes.
Little did they realize how serious it was.

После did — base form

Не: Only then did I understood.
Правильно: Only then did I understand.

Never, rarely, seldom, hardly ever

Never have I heard such nonsense.
Rarely do we see such dramatic changes.
Seldom has she spoken so openly.
Hardly ever does he travel alone.

Если эти слова остаются в обычной позиции, инверсии нет:

I have never seen it. → Never have I seen it.

Little, nowhere и отрицательные фразы

Little в конструкции Little did I know означает «я почти не представлял».

Little did I know that everything was about to change.
Nowhere have I seen a better example.
In no way can this be considered a failure.
Under no circumstances should you disclose the password.

Only then, only after, only when, only by

Only + adverbial + auxiliary + subject + verb

Only then did I understand the problem.
Only after the meeting did we learn the truth.
Only when he apologized did she agree to talk.
Only by working together can we solve this.

Инверсия — в главной части

Only when he arrived did we start.
Не нужно: Only when did he arrive...

Not until...

Если Not until выносится в начало, subordinate clause сохраняет обычный порядок, а main clause получает инверсию.

Нейтрально

I didn't realize my mistake until I got home.

С инверсией

Not until I got home did I realize my mistake.

Not only... but also

Когда Not only стоит в начале clause, после него возникает инверсия.

Not only did he apologize, but he also offered to pay.
Not only is the hotel expensive, but it's also far from the centre.
Not only has she finished the project, but she has also presented it.

No sooner... than

Конструкция описывает два события, когда второе произошло почти сразу после первого.

No sooner had + subject + V3 + than...No sooner had we arrived than it started to rain.

Hardly, scarcely и barely

Похожая модель:

Hardly / Scarcely had + subject + V3 + when/before...

Hardly had I sat down when the phone rang.
Scarcely had they arrived when the meeting began.

Не путайте связки

Классическая пара: no sooner ... than.
Для hardly/scarcely чаще используется when или before.

Условная инверсия: Had I known, Were I you, Should you need...

В формальном английском некоторые conditional clauses можно построить без if.

Third Conditional

С if

If I had known, I would have called.

Инверсия

Had I known, I would have called.

Were...

Were I you, I'd wait.
Were the situation different, we might agree.

Should...

Should you need any help, call me.
Should anything change, we'll let you know.

Такие формы особенно характерны для формального письма, условий, инструкций и делового стиля.

So do I, Neither do I и Nor do I

Это ещё один частотный вид инверсии — согласие с утверждением другого человека.

I love jazz. — So do I.
I'm tired. — So am I.
I can't drive. — Neither can I.
She didn't know. — Nor did I.

Here comes the bus: инверсия с направлением и местом

Иногда обычный lexical verb оказывается перед noun subject:

Here comes the bus.
There goes our train!
On the wall hung a large painting.

Но с pronoun обычно сохраняется другой порядок:

Noun

Here comes John.

Pronoun

Here he comes.

Инверсия после so и such в формальном стиле

В литературной или формальной речи встречаются усилительные конструкции:

So difficult was the exam that many students failed.
So quickly did events unfold that nobody could react.
Such was the confusion that the meeting had to be stopped.

В разговорном английском обычно выбирают более прямой порядок слов.

Когда инверсия не нужна

Negative expression не вынесено вперёд

I have never seen this before.

Only определяет subject

Only John knew the answer.

Здесь only относится к John, поэтому не нужно: *Only John did know...*

В subordinate clause после only/not until

Only when he arrived did we start.

Not until she called did I understand.

Насколько часто инверсия используется в живом английском

Не все конструкции одинаково формальны.

Конструкция	Стиль
So do I / Neither do I	обычная разговорная речь
Here comes the bus	обычная речь
Never have I...	эмфатично, но естественно
Only then did...	часто письменный / повествовательный стиль
Under no circumstances should...	формально
Had I known...	формальнее, чем If I had known

Частые ошибки

Ошибка

Never I have seen this.

Правильно

Never have I seen this.

Ошибка

Only then I understood.

Правильно

Only then did I understand.

Ошибка

Not until did he arrive...

Правильно

Not until he arrived did we start.

Упражнения на инверсию

Упражнение 1. Перепишите с инверсией

I had never seen such a beautiful place.
We only understood the problem then.
She rarely complains.
I didn't realize the truth until he explained it.

Показать ответы

1. Never had I seen such a beautiful place.

2. Only then did we understand the problem.

3. Rarely does she complain.

4. Not until he explained it did I realize the truth.

Упражнение 2. Уберите if

If I had known, I would have stayed.
If you should need anything, call me.
If I were you, I wouldn't do it.

Показать ответы

1. Had I known, I would have stayed.

2. Should you need anything, call me.

3. Were I you, I wouldn't do it.

Упражнение 3. Исправьте ошибки

Never I have heard that.
Only after the call I understood.
No sooner we had arrived than it started.
Rarely does he complains.

Показать ответы

1. Never have I heard that.

2. Only after the call did I understand.

3. No sooner had we arrived than it started.

4. Rarely does he complain.

Что важно запомнить

После fronted negative/restrictive expressions используется порядок auxiliary + subject.
Если auxiliary нет, появляются do / does / did.
Never, rarely, little, nowhere, under no circumstances часто запускают инверсию.
После Only then / Only after / Not until инверсия возникает в главной части.
No sooner обычно сочетается с than, hardly/scarcely — с when/before.
Had I known / Were I you / Should you need заменяют conditional clauses с if.
Если only определяет subject — инверсия не нужна: Only John knew.