Invert the subject and verb with negative

The subject and verb can also can inverted after certain negative related expressions. When negative expression, such as no,not,or never, come at beginning of sentence, the subject and verb are inverted.

Not once did I miss a question

Never has mr. jones taken a vacation

At no time can the woman talk on the telephone

In the first example the negative expression not once causes the subject I to come after the helping verb did. The second example the negative word never causes the subject mr.jones to come after the helping verb has. The last example the negative expression at no time causes the subject woman to come after the helping verb can.

        Certain word in English, such as hardly, barely, scarcely, and only, act like negatives. If one of these words comes at the beginning of a sentence, the subject and verb are also inverted.

        Hardly ever does he take time off.

        (this mean that he almost never takes time off.)

        Only once did the manager issue overtime paychecks.

(this mean that the manager almost never issued overtime paychecks)

The first example the “almost negative” expression hardly ever causes the subject he to come after the helping verb does. In the second example the “almost negative” expression only once causes subject manager to come after the helping verb did.

        When a negative expression appears in front of a subject and verb in the middle of sentence, the subject and verb are also inverted. This happens often with the negative word neither and nor.

        I do not want to go, and neither does tom

        The secretary is not attending the meeting, nor is her boss.

In the first example the negative neither causes the subject tom to come after helping verb does. In the second example the negative nor causes subject boss to come after verb is.

The following example show how this sentence pattern could be tested in structure question on the TOEFL test

Example from the paper and the computer  TOEFL®test             Only in extremely dangerous situation _________stopped A.  Will be printing presses B.   The printing presses will be C.   That the printing presses will be D.  Will the printing presses be

 

In this example you should notice that the sentence begins with the negative only, so an inverted subject and verb are needed. Answer (D) contains a correctly inverted subject and verb, with the helping verb will, the subject printing presses, and the main verb be, so answer (D) is the best answer.

The following chart lists the negative expression and the sentence pattern used with them:

Inverted subject and verbs with negative

No             not            never      neither      nor Barely       hardly       only         rarely        scarcely     seldom

When negative expression appears in front of a subject an verb (at the beginning of a sentence or in the middle of a sentence) the subject and verb are inverted.                                                                 V S                Rarely                          were they so happy