INVERSION WITH NEGATIVE ADVERBIALS
http://www.learnglish.net/archives/2264
When a negative or restrictive expression is placed at the beginning of a sentence for emphasis, it is usually followed by auxiliary verb + subject. When there is no auxiliary verb, do is used as auxiliary. These structures are generally rather formal.
Time
Hardly | Hardly had we arrived home when we heard the shocking news. |
Barely … when | Barely had I opened the book to read when my neighbour put on some music at full blast. |
No sooner … than | No sooner had the shop open its doors than it went bankrupt. |
Only
Only if | Only if we invest more money can we save the company from the crisis. |
Only when | Only when I sleep can I forget about the incident. |
Only now | Only now am I able to understand what really happened. |
Only … | Only at 7 could I fall asleep |
Not
Not only … but also | No only will you have a good result, but you will also be the best. |
Not once | Not once did she look at me at the party. |
Not since | Not since I was child have I had such a great time. |
Not … | Not in a million years will I go back to that hotel. |
No
Under no circumstances | Under no circumstances should we allow this to happen. |
In no way | In no way am I related to Luis Barcenas. |
Nowhere | Nowhere were the people more excited than in the streets of Manhatan. |
No way (common in informal speech) | No way are we going to pay for the damages. |
Never/ rarely/ seldom/ little
Never | Never (before) have I met such a stupid person. |
Rarely | Rarely have there been so many cases of corruption before. |
Seldom | Seldom have we seen him in his office since he took the job. |
Little | Little did we know about him when we hired him. |
This kind of inversion is also common with the third conditional. The word if disappears and the auxiliary verb is placed before the subject.
If you hadn’t been so stupid, you would have realised that she is a nice
girl.
Hadn’t you been so stupid, you would have realised that she is a nice
girl.
If I had seen the thief, I would’ve called the police immediately.
Had I seen the thief, I would’ve called the police immediately.