INVERSION EXERCISE - WITH ANSWERS

INVERSION
Choose the best answer to complete each of the following
sentences
1.Never ______ me again.
A. will she love B. she loves C. she won’t love D. she will
love
2.Not only ______ but she is also intelligent.
A. she is beautiful B. beautiful she is C. is she
beautiful D. beautiful is she
3.No sooner _______ out than it rained.
A. did I go B. I went C. had I gone D. I had
gone
4.Seldom ______ the guitar.
A. he plays B. does he play C. he doesn’t play D. he does
play
5.Hardly _____ a word when her son came back.
A. couldn’t she say B. she could say C. she
couldn’t say D. could she say
6.Often ______ a meeting.
A. do we have B. we do have C. have we D. we have
7.Many a time ______ he wants to marry me.
A. said he B. he said C. has he said D. he has
said
8.Only at weekend _____ my kids to Water Park.
A. I don’t take B. do I take C. I take D. I do
take
9.So old _____ that she couldn’t dance.
A. she wasn’t B. she was C. wasn’t she D. was she
10. ______ here yesterday, you would have met
me.
A. Were you B. You were C. Had you been D. You

had been
11. On the battle field _____.
A. the tanks did lie B. the tanks lay C. did the
tanks lie D. lay the tanks
12. Nowhere ______ such cooperative staff.
A. you can find B. you found C. you could find D. can you
find
13. Never before ______ in an earnest attempt to
resolve their differences.
A. have the leaders of these two countries met
B. the leaders of these two countries have meet
C. have the leaders of these two countries meet
D. met the leaders of these two countries
14. Only by studying hard ______ this exam.
A. can you pass B. you can pass C. pass you can D. can pass
you
15. Seldom ______ a newspaper.
A. buy Anna B. does Anna buy C. bought
Anna D. Anna does buy
16. Not only _____ at the post office, ______ at
the grocery store.
A. does Mary work / but she also works
B. works Mary / but she also works
C. does Mary work / but does she also work
D. works Mary / but does she also work
17. No sooner _________ the house than the
phone started to ring.
A. had she entered B. she had entered C.
entered she D. had entered she
18. Beside the roadside__________.

A. a horse stood B. does a horse stand
C. did a horse stand D. stood a horse
19. Only after they send you an application
________.
A. can you applyB. you can applyC. do you apply D. did you
apply
20. At no time ______ greater opportunities.
A. did women had B. has women hadC. does
women have D. have women had
21. Not once ______ into her eyes.
A. he looked B. does he looked C. did he
lookD. looked he
22. On no account ______in the office be used
for personal materials.
A. the photocopy machines B. should the photocopy
machines
C. the photocopy machines should D. does the
photocopy machines
23. Rarely _______ permission to return to
homes contaminated during a toxic waste accident.
A. is people given B. do people given C.
people given D. are people given
24. In front of the gate ______ the guard.
A. did B. does C. did stand D. stood
25. Only on rare occasions _______ to the
theatre.
A. do they go B. they went C. go they D. went
they
26. Only once a day ______ home.
A. does Mary leave B. left

Mary
C. Mary leaves D. will Mary left
27. On the island _______ the only presentation
of the Indian’ handicraft.
A. remains B. does it remainC. did it remain D. remain
it
28. _______ an emergency arise, call 911.
A. Can B. Does C. Should D. Will
29. _______ has the work been so easy.
A. Never B. Only by C. when D. For
30. Little ______ what is in store for him.
A. he knows B. does he know C. knows he D. knew he
31. _______ the reservoir, the ancient village
couldn’t have been discovered.
A. Had the drought not lowered B. If had the drought not
lowered
C. The drought had not lowered D. Not had the drought
lowered
32. Up ______ when it saw its master.
A. jumped the dog B.
did the dog jump
C. the dog jumped D.
does the dog jump
33. ______ have playing cards been used for
card games but also for fortune- telling.
A. Not as much B. Not only C. But also D. Never
34. ______ he driving too fast, but recklessly as
well.
A. Not only was B. Neither was C. Was not only D. Was
either

35. Only once ______ late to school.
A. he came B. did he came C. came he D. did he
come
36. Such ______ that he would stop at nothing.
A. his ambition was B. did his ambition
C. does his ambition D. was his ambition
37. Scarcely _______ the expense of new
equipment ______ problem.
A. should / considered B. did / be considered
C. should / be considered D. was / be considered
38. Down_____ for three days last week.
A. the rain poured B.
did the rain pour
C. poured the rain D.
do the rain pour
39. ______ had the restaurant opened ______
people were flocking to eat there.
A. hardly / than B. no sooner / that C. no
sooner / than D. hardly / that
40. Under the tree ______ full of food.
A. a basket was B. was a basket C. are a basket D. were a
basket

Rewrite the sentences without changing their meanings
1. Her grief was so great that she almost fainted.
→
So……………………………………………………………………
…….
2. He got down to writing the letter as soon as he returned from his
walk.

→ No sooner……………………………………
…………………………
3. She had hardly begun to speak before people started interrupting
her.
→
Hardly………………………………………………………………
……
4. I only realized what I had missed when they told me about it later.
→ Only
when…………………………………………………………………
5. You won’t find a more dedicated worker anywhere than Mrs.
John.
→
Nowhere………………………………………………………….
………
6. The outcome of the election was never in doubt.
→ At no
time………………………………………………………………….
7. He forgot about the gun until he got home.
→ Not
until…………………………………………………………………
…
8. The only way you can become a good athlete is by training hard
everyday.
→ Only by……………………………….
……………………………………
9. John didn’t celebrate until he received the offer of promotion in
writing.
→ Not until
………………………………………………………… ………

10. It was only when I left home that I realized how much my father
meant to me.
→ Only when
………………………………………………….……………
11. Alice and Charles did not decide to move to a bigger house until
after the birth of their second child.
→ Only when
…………………………………………………………… ….
12. Just as she put the phone down, it rang again.
→ Scarcely ………………………………
……………………………
13. It isn’t worth considering his suggestion for a moment.
→ Not for a moment
…………………………………………………… …
14. She was so disgusted at her behaviour that he severed all
contract with her.
→ Such
…………………………………………………………… ………
15. If you had given it on time, you would have got a high mark.
→ Had
…………………………………………………………………… …
16. We stepped outside the front door, and it began to rain
→ No sooner ………………………………………
………………………
17. The film had never before laid on such a sumptuous celebration.
→ Never
………………………………………………………………………
18. He is my friend as well as yours.
→ Not only
……………………………………………………………………

19. As soon as they arrived on the beach, it started to rain.
→ Hardly
………………………………………………………… …………
20. He seldom gave his wife a present.
→ Seldom
…………………………………………………………… ……
KEY TO INVERSION
1. Multiple choice:
1.A 2. C 3.C 4. B 5. D 6. A 7. C 8. B 9. D 10.
C
11.D 12.
D
13.A 14.
A
15.
B
16.
A
17.
A
18.
D
19.
A
20.
D
21.C 22.
B
23.D 24.
D

25.
A
26.
A
27.
A
28.
C
29.
A
30.
B
31.A 32.
A
33.B 34.
A
35.
D
36.
D
37.
C
38.
C
39.
C
40.
B
2. Rewrite the sentences without changing their meanings:
1. So great was her grief that she almost fainted

2. No sooner had he returned from his walk than he got down to
writing the letter
3. Hardly she begun to speak when people started interrupting her
4. Only when they told me about it later did I realize what I had
missed
5. Nowhere will you find a more dedicated worker than Mrs. John.
6. At no time was the outcome of the election.
7. Not until he got home did he forget about the gun
8. Only by training hard everyday can you become a good athlete
9. Not until did John receive offer of promotion in writing that he
celebrated.
10. Only when I left home did I realize how much my father meant
to me.
11. Only when Alice and Charles (had) had their second children did
they decide to move to a bigger house.
12. Scarcely had she put the phone down when it rang again
13. Not for a moment is it worth considering his suggestion
14. Such was his disgust at her behaviour that he severed all contact
with her.
15. Had you given it on time, you would have got a high mark
16. No sooner had we stepped outside the front door, and it began to
rain
17. Never before had the film laid on such a sumptuous celebration
18. Not only is he your friend, but he’s mine, too / but he’s also
mine.
19. Hardly had they arrived on the beach when it started to rain
20. Seldom did he give his wife a present