ĐẢO NGỮ
A. TYPES OF INVERSIONS
B. PRACTICE EXERCISES
Exercise 1: Give the correct form of the verbs in the
blankets.
Question 1: Hardly the new law
(introduce)__________________ when the mistake was released.
Question 2: Not only you (be late)
__________________, but you also forgot to bring the documents.
Question 3: Only at the end of the interview I
(think)_____________ I had a chance of getting the job.
Question 4: Barely the politician
(start)_________________ to speak when the crowd began to boo.
Question 5: Seldom we (receive)______________
any apology when mistakes are made.
Question 6: My dad’s never been abroad, and nor
my mum (have)_________________.
Question 7: Never in all my life I (see)
________________ such a horrible thing.
Question 8: I (be)_____________ you, I’d start
looking for another job.
Question 9: At no time I
(suspect)___________________ that he was a killer.
Question 10: Nowhere I (have) ________________
ever such bad service.
Question 11: Not until you (grow up)
______________________ will we let you live independently.
Question 12: Only when the plane landed safely,
he (calm down) ______________________.
Question 13: Only after I
(check)__________________ that the burglars had left, did I call the police.
Question 14: No sooner the company
(launch)____________ its new product than it went bankrupt.
Question 15: Under no circumstances employees
(allow)________________ to leave the building without permission.
Question 16: Not only he (spend)___________ all
his money but he borrowed some from me as well.
Question 17: Scarcely I (open) _____________ the
front door when I heard a noise from the kitchen.
Question 18: Rarely people (care)_______________
about the environment enough to give up driving their cars.
Question 19: We (win) _______________ the
competition, we would have had a free trip to Moscow.
Question 20: No sooner I (accept) ___________
the job than they told me I had to work at weekends.
Question 21: So bad (be) __________her singing
that she was booed off the stage.
Question 22: Little he (say) ___________________
about it.
Question 23: Not until she left I (know)
___________ that she had been very important to me.
Question 24: In no way the shop (can hold)
___________ responsible for customers’ lost property.
Question 25: Only when Tom saw his wife’s face,
he (understand)_______________ the meaning of the comment.
Question 26: Only by training hard every day you
(become)__________________ a good athlete.
Question 27: First (come)______________ the
ambulance, then (come)___________ the police.
Question 28: On the grass an enormous frog (sit)
___________________.
Question 29: He had no money, nor he
(know)_____________ anybody from whom he could borrow.
Question 30: Not a word he (say) _________when
he saw his wife hand in hand with another man.
Exercise 2: Rewrite the following sentences using
inversions.
Question 1: The only reason the party was a
success was that a famous film star attended.
=> Had it not….
Question 2: He had hardly left the office when
the telephone rang.
=> No sooner…
Question 3: Alice and Charles did not decide to
move to a bigger house until after the birth of their second child.
=> Only when…
Question 4: If the river rises any higher, the
town will be flooded.
=> Should
Question 5: If I were you, I’d accept the offer.
=> Were
Question 6: If the chemical were leaked, a large
area of the sea would be contaminated.
=> Were …
Question 7: If it hadn’t been for Henry, I might
not have met you.
=> Had …
Question 8: Tom never seems worried about his
future.
=> Never …
Question 9: We won’t tell anybody the good news
until we’re certain it’s true.
=> Not until …
Question 10: There is a red flower tree near the
old pagoda.
=> Near …
Question 11: The dancer moved so gracefully that
he appeared to be skating.
=> So …
Question 12: She is so ignorant that she has
never paid attention to any boys.
=> Such …
Question 13: You should never park on double
yellow lines.
=> Under no circumstances …
Question 14: John certainly can’t be held
responsible for the accident.
=> In no way…
Question 15: The police didn’t at all suspect
that the judge was the murder.
=> Little…
Question 16: You won’t find fossils like this
anywhere else.
=> Nowhere else …
Question 17: She has never been so happy before.
=> Never before …
Question 18: She realized that she didn’t lock
the door after the train had left.
=> Only after …
Question 19: It isn’t often that temperatures in
Spain fall below 0˚C.
=> Seldom …
Question 20: The door to the basement isn’t to
be left open on any account.
=> On no account…
Question 21: The only way you can pass the exam
is learning hard.
=> Only by …
Question 22: I only watch television if I don’t
have anything else to do.
=> Only when …
Question 23: There was a great castle directly
in front of them.
=> Directly in front …
Question 24: Bob didn’t remember his mother’s birthday
and his sister’s either.
=> Bob didn’t remember his mother’s birthday, nor …
Question 25: They managed to get our attention
only by shouting and waving their arms.
=> Only by …
Question 26: This restaurant rarely gets so
crowded.
=> Rarely …
Question 27: You will only understand him if you
speak French.
=> Only if …
Question 28: I had barely started speaking when
he interrupted me.
=> Barely
Question 29: Harvard is one of the best
universities in the world.
=> One …
Question 30: The lion which was lying under the
tree was one of the biggest one I had ever seen.
=> Under …
Exercise 3: Mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate
the correct answer to each of the following questions.
Question 1: _______ had we arrived at the beach
when it started pouring with rain.
A. No
sooner B. Hardly
C. As
soon as D. The
minute
Question 2: Not only ______ to determine the
depth of the ocean floor, but it is also used to locate oil.
A. seismology
is used B. using
seismology
C. is
seismology used D. to
use seismology
Question 3: _______ the phone rang later that
night did Ann remember the appointment.
A. No
sooner B. Only
C. Not
until D. Just before
Question 4: Not only ______ in the field of
psychology but animal behavior is examined as well.
A. is
studied human behavior B. is
human behavior studied
C. did
human behavior study D. human
behavior studied
Question 5: _______ be impolite to our parents.
A. Not
in any circumstances should we B. In
any circumstances shouldn’t we
C. In
no circumstances should we D. No
circumstances should we not
Question 6: _______ more information, please
telephone our main office.
A. You
need B. Should you
need
C. You
should need D. If
you needed
Question 7: ______ in my seventies and rather
unfit, I might consider taking up squash.
A. Were
I not B. Was I not
C. Weren’t
I D. If I am not
Question 8: _______, I would invite her to the
party.
A. Had
I known her B. Should
I know her
C. Were
I know her D. Were I
to know her
Question 9: _______ I known what he was really
like, I would never have married him.
A. Have B. Did
C. Had D. Would
Question 10: Seldom _______ such a beautiful
sight.
A. have
I seen B. I have
ever seen
C. I
saw D. did I ever
see
Question 11: Rarely _______ last longer than an
hour.
A. do
tornados B. tornados
C. tornados
that D. tornados do
Question 12: On the battle field_______.
A. the
tanks lay B. did the
tanks lie
C. lay
the tanks D. lied
the tanks
Question 13: _______ pleased with himself.
A. Only
after John received the first prize was
he
B. Only
after John received the first prize he was
C. After
John received the first prize only was
he
D. After
John received the first prize only he was
Question 14: __________ received law
degrees as today.
A. Never
so many women have B. The
women aren’t never
C. Women
who have never D. Never
have so many women
Question 15: ___________________ most of the
soldiers gave up!
A. So
was the exercise difficult that B. So
difficult was the exercise that
C. So
was the exercise difficult that
did D. So difficult
was the exercise that did
Question 16: ______advised on what and how to
prepare for the interview, he might have got the job.
A. Had
he been B. If he had
C. Unless
he had been D. Were
he to be
Question 17: Only by making a good impression
_______ the job.
A. will
you give B. you will
be given
C. you
give D. will you be
given
Question 18: Little _______ that Ted was a
secret agent.
A. did
the embassy staff realized B. did
the embassy staff realize
C. the
embassy staff realized D. realized
the embassy staff
Question 19: On no account
________________________.
A. the
house should be left unlocked B. left
unlocked the house
C. should
the house be left unlocked D. should
the house left unlocked
Question 20: Only when _______ can we begin the
program.
A. has
Peter arrived B. Peter
has arrived
C. arrived
has Peter D. arrived
Peter has
Question 21: At no time _______ of anything out
of usual.
A. I
was aware B. was I
aware
C. do
I aware D. I aware
Question 22: Only if _______ can we get into the
house.
A. you
have a key B. have
you a key
C. do
you have a key D. have
a key do you
Question 23: _______ graduated from college.
A. Nowhere
does he found a job after he
had B. Not anywhere
did he find a job after had he
C. Nowhere
did he find a job after had he D. Nowhere
did he find a job after he had
Question 24: Scarcely _______ each other since
they had a quarrel.
A. do
they talk to B. have
they talked to
C. were
they talk to D. had
they talk to
Question 25: Tom:
“I don’t believe he’s telling the truth.”
Ann: “__________. The facts don’t add up.”
A. So
do I B. Neither I do
C. Neither
do I D. I don’t
neither
Question 26: Fiona:
“Jane bought a new dress this morning.”
Betty: “What a coincidence! __________ .”
A. So
have I B. Nor did I
C. So
did I D. Nor have I
Question 27: _______ during his dinner with us.
A. Not
did my grandfather say a single
word B. Not said a
single word did my grandfather
C. Not
my grandfather said a single
word D. Not a single
word did my grandfather say
Question 28: In no way _______ her wedding.
A. can
I come B. I can come
to
C. can
I come to D. can
come to
Question 29: Silently ________________.
A. approaching
them is a lion B. a
lion is approaching them
C. is
a lion approaching them D. a
lion approaches them
Question 30: Barely _______ drying her hair when
her first guests arrived.
A. had
she finish B. she
had finished
C. had
she finished D. had
finished she
Exercise 4: Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your
answer sheet to indicate the sentence that is closest in meaning to each of the
following questions.
Question 1: He got down to writing the letter as
soon as he returned from his walk.
A. No
sooner had he returned from his walk when he got down to writing the letter.
B. Not
until he returned from his walk did he get down to writing the letter.
C. Only
after he had returned from his walk did he get down to writing the letter.
D. Hardly
had he returned from his walk when he got down to writing the letter.
Question 2: She just had time to put up her
umbrella before the rain came down in torrents.
A. No
sooner had she put up her umbrella than the rain came down in torrents.
B. The
rain came down in torrents as soon as she just has time to put up her umbrella.
C. Only
when she had put up her umbrella did the rain come down in torrents.
D. If
she hadn’t time to put up her umbrella, the rain wouldn’t have come down in
torrents.
Question 3: If you want to save your eyesight,
you must operate immediately.
A. Unless
you want to save your eyesight, you mustn’t operate immediately.
B. Only
by operating immediately can you save your eyesight.
C. Provided
that you must operate immediately, you can save your eyesight.
D. If
you did operate immediately, you couldn’t save your eyesight.
Question 4: I only realized what I had missed
when they told me about it later.
A. Only
after I had realized what I had missed did they tell me about it later.
B. As
soon as they told me about it I realized what I had missed.
C. Only
when they told me about it later did I realize what I had missed.
D. They
told me about it and I realized what I had missed.
Question 5: The demand was so great that they
had to reprint the book immediately.
A. So
great was the demand that they had to reprint the book immediately.
B. So
great the demand was that they had to reprint the book immediately.
C. Such
great was the demand that they had to reprint the book immediately.
D. Such
was the demand great that they had to reprint the book immediately.
Question 6: She was so busy that she couldn’t
answer the phone.
A. She
was very busy that she couldn’t answer the phone.
B. So
busy was she that she couldn’t answer the phone.
C. She
was too busy not to answer the phone.
D. She
was very busy so that she couldn’t answer the phone
Question 7: She didn’t read the reference books.
She wouldn’t be able to finish the test.
A. Had
she read the reference books, she would have been able to finish the test.
B. If
she had read the reference books, she could finish the test.
C. Although
she didn’t read the reference books, she was able to finish the test.
D. Not
having read the reference books, she couldn’t finish the test.
Question 8: It was not until the sun was shining
brightly that the little girl woke up.
A. No
sooner was the sun shining brightly than the little girl woke up.
B. Not
until the little girl woke up was the sun shining brightly.
C. Not
until the sun was shining brightly did the little girl wake up.
D. As
soon as the little girl woke up, the sun hasn’t shone brightly yet.
Question 9: We couldn’t solve the problem until
our teacher arrived.
A. Not
until we solved the problem could our teacher arrive.
B. When
our teacher arrived, we solved the problem.
C. Until
our teacher arrived, we were able to solve the problem.
D. Not
until our teacher arrived could we solve the problem.
Question 10: The mistake in the accounts was not
noticed until the figures were re-checked.
A. It
was not until the mistake in the accounts was noticed that the figures were
re-checked.
B. Once
re-checking the figures, the mistake in the accounts was noticed.
C. The
mistake in the accounts only came to light when the figures were re-checked.
D. When
the figures were re-checked they came to light the mistake in the accounts.
Question 11: You won’t find a more dedicated
worker anywhere than Mrs. Jones.
A. Mrs.
Jones is the most dedicated worker you won’t find nowhere.
B. Nowhere
will you find a more dedicated worker than Mrs. Jones.
C. Nowhere
will not you find a more dedicated worker than Mrs. Jones.
D. Mrs.
Jones can’t be found in nowhere.
Question 12: The outcome of the election was
never in doubt.
A. At
no time was the outcome of the election in doubt.
B. At
no time the outcome of the election was in doubt.
C. Never
in doubt was the outcome of the election.
D. By
no means was the outcome of the election been suspected.
Question 13: The only way to eliminate world
terrorism is by united opposition.
A. Only
with united opposition could we eliminate terrorism.
B. Only
by united opposition can we eliminate terrorism.
C. Only
in this way can world terrorism be eliminated.
D. Only
then can we eliminate terrorism.
Question 14: He forgot about the gun until he
got home.
A. Not
until he got home did he forget about the gun.
B. Not
until he got home did he remember about the gun.
C. Not
until he had got home did he remember about the gun.
D. Not
until he had got home did he forget about the gun.
Question 15: The truth only came out on the
publication of the general’s personal diaries.
A. Only
by publishing the general’s personal diaries, did the truth come out.
B. Not
until the general’s personal diaries published did the truth come out.
C. Hardly
were the general’s personal diaries published than the truth came out.
D. Only
when the general’s personal diaries were published did the truth come out.
Exercise 5: Mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate
the underlined part that needs correction in each of the following questions.
Question 1: No sooner had he appointed to
the post than the new editor fell ill.
A. had B. appointed
C. than D. fell
ill
Question 2: No sooner had the
announcement been made when everyone started complaining.
A. No
sooner B. been made
C. started D. complaining
Question 3: Had it not been for the dead of the Prime
Minister, the bill would have been passed.
A. Had
it not been for B. dead
C. the D. would
have been passed
Question 4: Not until John had
received the offer of promotion in writing he
celebrated.
A. Not
until B. had
received
C. in
writing D. he
celebrated
Question 5: Only by hard
training every day can we become a good
athlete.
A. Only B. hard
training
C. can
we become D. a
Question 6: Never before there
have been more people out of work in
this country.
A. Never
before B. there have
C. more D. out
of work
Question 7: Not until I have left home did
I realize how much my father meant to me.
A. I
have left B. did I
realize
C. much D. to
me
Question 8: She told his
son only when he grew up he could understand
it.
A. told B. only
when
C. grew
up D. he could
Question 9: The witness reported that standing in
the doorway a man with a gun was.
A. The B. reported
C. standing D. a
man with a gun was
Question 10: Although he has just
returned from the United States, not a
penny he gets.
A. has
just returned B. the
C. not D. he
gets
Question 11: Little he knows about the
surprise that awaited him when he arrived there.
A. he
knows B. about
C. that D. awaited
Question 12: It was not until she arrived home did
she remember her appointment with the doctor.
A. arrived B. did
she remember
C. with D. the
doctor
Question 13: Never in the history of humanity has there
been more people living on this relatively small
planet.
A. humanity B. has
C. living D. relatively
Question 14: So extensive the lakes are that
they are viewed as the largest bodies of
fresh water in the world.
A. the
lakes are B. are
viewed as
C. largest D. of
fresh water
Question 15: It was not until this
morning when I heard the notification.
A. this
morning B. when
C. heard D. notification
Question 16: Never before have the
leaders of those two countries meet in
an earnest attempt to
resolve their differences.
A. have B. those
C. meet D. earnest
attempt
Question 17: Not until I was on
my way to the airport that I realized I had left my
passport at home.
A. I
was B. that I
realized
C. had
left D. at home
Question 18: Such was he
surprised that he nearly fell off his
chair.
A. was B. he
surprised
C. nearly D. fell
off
Question 19: Has he studied more,
he would have been able to pass the exam.
A. Has
he studied B. would
have been
C. to
pass D. the exam
Question 20: All the way along the winding street he
came.
A. All
the way B. along
C. winding D. he
came
Question 21: Rarely has the federal
government of the United States grow during
a Republican administration.
A. has B. federal
government
C. the D. grow
Question 22: As fuel prices rose,
bus companies raised their fares and neither did
the airlines.
A. rose B. raised
C. neither D. did
the airlines
Question 23: Not only she passed the
exam but she also got a scholarship.
A. she
passed B. but she
also
C. got D. scholarship
Question 24: Only by working hard you
can achieve your goal.
A. working B. hard
C. you
can achieve D. goal
Question 25: John never comes to
class on time and so does Peter.
A. comes B. on
time
C. so D. does
Peter
Question 26: Should I needed more help,
I could call my neighbors and my friends.
A. I
needed B. help
C. could
call D. neighbors
Question 27: Hardly had he finished the
work than his wife came in with two policemen.
A. had
he finished B. than
C. came
in D. policemen
Question 28: So fluent does
she speak the language that many people think
she’s English.
A. fluent B. does
she speak
C. that D. English
Question 29: No sooner when had
he got home than he was called back to
the office.
A. when B. had
he got
C. than D. was
called back
Question 30: Under no circumstances you
should approach the man.
A. Under B. circumstances
C. you
should D. approach