Inversion / Verb before the Subject

INVERSION means putting the verb before the subject. Υπάρχουν δυο τρόποι για να κάνουμε inversion:

A. verb + subject

1. Με τα here και there στην αρχή της πρότασης + ρήματα κίνησης:

• Here comes the sun, little darling! Here comes the sun, and I say "It's all right"...
• Here comes the rain again, falling on my head like a memory, falling on my head like a new emotion
• There goes all my money! To clothes!
• Here comes the teacher (but: Here she comes => Δηλ. όταν αναφερόμαστε με αντωνυμία δεν έχουμε inversion. 

Με αντωνυμίες δεν έχουμε inversion  :

• Oh! No! Here we go again!
• There you go - I knew you'd forget if you didn't write it down. (I told you so)

2. Στον πλάγιο λόγο όταν το υποκείμενο του εισαγωγικού ρήματος είναι όνομα έχουμε optional inversion:

•  "I don't like the hotel" Bob said. 
•  "I don't like the hotel" said Bob.

 

Μη inversion όταν το υποκείμενο του εισαγωγικού ρήματος είναι αντωνυμία:

• "I don't like the hotel" he said.

B. be / have / modal / auxiliary verb + subject + verb

 

1. To make questions : Does he live alone?   Can you do it by yourself?   2. Μετά από τα ακόλουθα: so as neither nor          - I love you. - So do I. She was a talented musician and so was her sister. She was a talented musician as was her sister.  - I don't love you. - Neither do I. - I don't love you. - Nor do I. Also they can be used in the following way (also including an inversion). Jennifer buys only organic fruit and vegetables, and so does Hugh. They don't mind the higher prices, and neither do we. (Or: ...nor do we.) More examples: Italy produces many excellent wines, and Spain does too. Italy produces many excellent wines, as does Spain. France is a founder member of the EU. Belgium is a founder member too. France is a founder member of the EU, as is Belgium. 3. Inversion with so and such NOTE: So συνοδευόμενο από επίθετο              Such (sometimes it can be replaced by so great) So excited were they that they couldn't sit still (No inversion: They were so excited that...) So filthy were his clothes that we all gagged from the smell. So beautiful was the girl that nobody could talk of anything else. (No inversion: the girl was so beautiful that nobody could talk of anything else) So delicious was the food that we ate every last bite. (No inversion: the food was so delicious that we ate every last bite) Such was their excitement that they began to jump up and down = So great was their excitement that.... Such an awful time we had that we left after only thirty minutes. 4. Στην αρχή της πρότασης, μετά από επιρρηματική έκφραση του τόπου: Round the corner came the postman. On the doorstep was a bunch of flowers. Outside the house was a sports car (όχι: outside the house it was a sports car) 5. Στην αρχή της πρότασης, μετά από αρνητικές εκφράσεις όπως: Under no circumstances will I ever go back there again! In no circumstances will I ever go back there again! In no way do I agree with what you're saying / In no way will I ever go back there again! At no time did she say she would come. Not only was the car slow, but (also) it was also very uncomfortable. Not only is she a great dancer but she is also an amazing mathematician. * Not (even) once did you call for help. On no account should you do anything without asking me first. By no means did I mean to mock you. Only then did I understand the problem. Only later did she really think about the situation. Only in this way could John earn enough money to survive. * She is not only a great dancer but she is also an amazing mathematician. (No inversion)   6.  Στην αρχή της πρότασης, μετά από λέξεις όπως:           Seldom have I seen such a beautiful view. Rarely did he pay anyone a compliment * Never (before) had I felt so happy. Little did he imagine how dangerous it would be / Little did he know! Nowhere have I ever had such bad service.  * We use the auxiliary verb "does" in the same way we do in questions although this isn't a question. 7. Σε εξιστόρηση (a) όταν βρίσκονται στην αρχή της φράσης και (b) όταν ένα γεγονός συμβαίνει μετά από ένα άλλο:          Hardly  (ever) had I begun to speak when I was interrupted. Scarcely had we started our meal when the phone rang. Barely had I opened the book to read when my neighbour put on some music at full blast.  No sooner had I arrived than they all started to argue. NOTE: The past perfect tense is used to describe the event that happened first. 8. Όταν τα ακόλουθα βρίσκονται στην αρχή της πρότασης το inversion το παθαίνει η κύρια που ακολουθεί.         Only after the meeting did I realize the importance of the subject. Only after he arrived at the airport did he look for his passport. Only when the plane landed safely did he calm down Only if you look through this dark glass will you be able to see the spots on the sun. We accepted the invitation. Only later did we suspect it might be a trap * (περίπτωση n5). Only by threatening physical violence was the teacher able to control the class. Not until / till I heard my name did I believe I had won the race**.  Not since Lucy left college had she such a wonderful time.      ** It was not until I heard my name that I believed I had won the race. (No inversion) 9.  A few very literary sentences begin with an adjective and include an inversion. "Tender is the night" Blessed are the children who are still unaware of what the future holds. Gone* are the days when I could have been happy. * Here the past participle is used like an adjective. However there is no inversion in the following sentence: Strange as it may seem, we were sorry to leave in the end.        10. Conditionals with inversions: should / were / had (στην αρχή υποθετικών προτάσεων): Type 1: Should he call, tell him I'm out (If he should call, tell him I'm out). Type 2: Were I you, I wouldn't trust him (If I were you, I wouldn't tryst him). Type 3: Had I been told, I would have offered my help ( If I had been told, I would have offered my help). NOTE 1:  should, were and had are the only verbs that can be inverted in this way NOTE 2: were is also used with he, she and it.