The subject and verb can also be inverted after
certain negatives and related expressions. When negative expressions such as no,
not, or never come at the beginning of a 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. In
the second example, the negative word never causes the subject Mr.
Jones to come after the helping verb has. In the last example, the
negative expression at no time causes the subject woman (and its
modifier) to come after the helping verb can.
Certain words in English, such as hardly, barely,
scarcely, and only, act like negatives when they refer to time. If
one of these words comes at the beginning of a sentence, the subject verb also
inverted.
hardly ever does he take time off.
(This means
that he almost never takes time off.)
Only once did the manager issue overtime paychecks.
(This means
that the manager almost never issued overtime paychecks.)
In 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
the subject manager (and its modifier) to come after the helping verb did.
Two other negative words that cause the subject and
verb to invert are neither and nor. When these two words are
found in the middle of a sentence, the subject and verb that follow them are
inverted.
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 the helping verb does. In the second sentence, the negative nor
causes the subject boss (and its modifier) to come after the verb is.
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