Systematizing the use of inversion to prepare for gcse examination at Ha Van Mao upper secondary school

PART I: INTRODUCTION	
. Rationale
 English is one of the necessary subjects for students in general, and it is more important for high school students because it is not only a compulsory subject at school but also a subject of decision in the important contests as high school exams and university entrance exams. It is considered as a main key to open the treasure of human knowledge. Like other languages, there are ways to emphasize in English. Knowledge of inversion is an emphasized way which is quite popular in English. For students, it is not easy to understand this form of emphasic and distinguish the differences in different situations. As soon as students entered High school, teachers had to think about how to systematize elementary knowledge in English in order that students could be easily master these elements . During the teaching process, I found that Inversion is one of the basic and important knowledge sections, but this knowledge was not fully synthesized in reference books and textbooks are only mentioned few simple structures. While most of the exams for high school students have sentences related to inversion, most of students are embarrassed when they encounter these types of exercises.
Therefore, I chose the topic "Systematizing the use of Inversion to prepare for GCSE examination at Ha Van Mao Upper Secondary School" to provide a relatively complete system of using this topic to help students learn more effectively.
   In my initiative experience, I focused on the theory of Inversion. In each section, there is a simple, easy-to-understand example. Next is the exercise assignments arranged from easy to difficult levels.
1.2. Aims of the study 
 This study is conducted to help students of Ha Van Mao upper secondary school to understand Inversion more clearly. Furthermore, it is hoped that students learn how to use inversion phenomenon. To summarize the above, my study is aimed at:
Providing the theretical background about English inversion
Analyzing the types of the Inversion and its specific usages
Some difficulties posibly encountered by students at Ha Van Mao upper secondary school when using inversion.
Suggesting some feasible solutions to help teachers and students at the school improve the quality of teaching and learning English skills, especially in mastering English grammar rules.
 1.3. Scope of the study
 Given the rationale and the aims of the study , it is necessary to limit the study to the areas which are manageable. Benefits of summarizing the knowledge involved with Inversion create the effectiveness of students’ learning and grammar which focus on two factors: developing students’s motivation and understanding of the lesson. The subject under the study are the 12th – form students at Ha Van Mao upper secondary school.
 1.4. Methods of the study
To complete this study, the following steps implemented:
Collected references and books related to English grammar are analyzed in details to form the theoretical background this paper.
The available theory concerning to Inversion is studied and followed in my study paper.
Ideas of some possible difficulties are got from my understanding the English learning and teaching Ha Van Mao upper secondary school as well as my gained experiences in training course.
PART II: DEVELOPMENT	
 CHAPTER 1. SCIENTIFIC BACKGROUND	 
 1.Theoretical background	 
 Nowadays, English is a language widely used in the world. It is the official language of many countries and many people use it as a second language.It is used as the language of many important fields, such as: aviation, sports, business, engineering, etc. It can be easily seen that we need to master English to be able to have better access to human knowledge, and with international integration. 
 Therefore, equipping students with good knowledge of this language and the skills to use it is very important. 
 Inversion is regarded as one of the essentially grammatical sections in English. It is generally understood as a way to reverse certain words or phrases at the beginning of a sentence. Then the verb form in the sentence is like a question but the sentence has no "?" And the purpose is not to ask but is to emphasize. There are also cases when verbs are often reversed in front of the subject without the need for verbs. For having the knowledge system to students adequately on Inversion, I have also refered to many different books. In this study, I am focusing on the following key issues:
 - Distinguish between island and question. 
 - Inverted structures.
 - Homework exercises and answers.
2. Practical background
    To master the knowledge of any subject, learners must meet some basic requirements. First of all, they have to understand basic elements. Next, students have to apply that knowledge to do the tasks given by their teachers. Learning English is the same, it requires learners systematize fully and remember correctly. Knowledge of Inversion has always been a challenge for students because of its diversity.
   In teaching practice, we can see that not all students master or systemize the knowledge related to this topic.
 There are many reasons why students can not master this knowledge well. The first reason is because of the English learning environment. Primarily, students often practise writing to memorize grammatical structures and do not pay attention much on practising speaking. The second one is that students themselves are not aware of the necessity of learning English subject and learn English as a compulsory task. The limited ability of the students for absorbing English lessons is also considered as a reason students can not achieve high results whereas some students have tried to spend much time on learning English. The fourth reason is because students do not know how to systematize the knowledge accordingly so that they can master the basic content of a lesson.
 It is a fact that students try to remember the formula mechanically, or think
carelessly and sometime do not find out the nature of the problem clearly to infer basic conclusions.
 Therefore, teachers should provide a fairly complete knowledge system to their students , and help them understand carefully the knowledge learned.
CHAPTER 2. THE REALITY OF TEACHING AND LEARNING THE KNOWLEDGE OF INVERSION AT HA VAN MAO UPPER SECONDARY SCHOOL
 1. Advantages: 
 For students in general and at Ha Van Mao upper secondary school, teaching and learning have been received the attention of teachers, administrators and the whole students’ parents because most of them have realized the importance of mastering English. Therefore, more and more equipments for foreign language teaching and learning have been gradually improved . English teachers are fostered to improve their teaching quality and reference books for this subject are also rich and diverse.
 In recent years, Thanh Hoa Department and Training has allowed English teachers to set up the curriculum for schools. Therefore, teachers can focus on important knowledge areas or the knowledge that their students need tutoring.
2. Difficulties
   As far as disadvantageous aspects are concerned, the teaching and learning the knowledge of inversion in my school have some common difficulties :
 - There are many structures which confuse students 
 - Teaching and learning facilities are limited.
 - Some students are not really aware of the importance of English, so they have not worked hard and their background knowledge is not good.
 - Teachers have not yet encouraged students' self-study, and students’s learning at school doesn’t recieve lots of attention from parents.
 - Theories and exercises on this topic are not introduced in textbooks. The grammar books and reference books also do not fully systemize this section. Therefore, teachers and students have difficulty in the knowledge system as well as finding practical exercises.
CHAPTER 3. THE USE OF INVERSION IN ENGLISH.
 1. DISTRIBUTION BETWEEN INVERSION AND INTERROGATIVE.
 Inversion is a form of reversing the position of a subject and a verb or a auxiliary verbs in a sentence when certain words or phrases are placed at the beginning of a sentence. The end of the sentence without the "?" with the purpose is not to ask but to emphasize.
 Here is an example of Inversion: 
No sooner had we left our school than it started to rain.
There comes the bus.
Below is an example of interrogative: 
Last year I opened bookshop.
Oh really? Were you successful ?
2. Inversion structures 
2.1. Inversion with negative adverbs.
Never 
Never before
Never in one’s life
Never again + auxiliary + S + V(infinitive)
Rarely 
Seldom
Little
Hardly ever
Eg:	- Never in mid-summer does it snow.
	- Little do we know about her.	
2.2. Inversion with NO and NOT
No + Noun +auxiliary + S + V(infinitive)
Not any + Noun + auxiliary + S + V(infinitive)
Eg: 	- No money shall I lend you from now on.
	- Not any money shall I lend you from now on. 
2.3. Inversion with NEITHER, NOR and SO
Neither
Nor + auxiliary + S
So
Eg: 	- My father likes football. So does my brother.( My brother likes football too.)
	- She didn’t see the film on TV last night. Neither did I. / Nor did I.(I didn’t see the film on TV last night either)
2.4. Inversion with ONLY
Only once
Only later + auxiliary + S + V(infinitive)
Only then 
Only by/in/with/at+ Noun/V+ing
Eg: 	- Only by working hard could he feed the family.
	- Only later did I know who he was.
	- Only in this bookshop can you buy this book.
Only when
Only after + clause + auxiliary + S + V(infinitive)
Only if
Eg: 	- Only after he had graduated, did he start looking for a job.
	- Only after all guests had gone home, could we relax.
2.5. Inversion with some phrases
At no time
On no occasion
On no account
Under / in no circumstances + auxiliary + S + V
For no reason
In no way 
No longer 
Not for one moment
Eg:	- Under no circumstances is the money to be paid.
	- On no condition shall we accept their proposal
2.6. No sooner . than  
No sooner + had + S + Vpp + than + S + Vsp + 0
Hardly + had + S + Vpp + when + S + Vsp + 0
Scarcely + had + S + Vpp + when + S + Vsp + 0
Scarcely + had + S + Vpp + when + S + Vsp + 0
Eg: 	- Hardly had I arrived home when I had a new problem to cope with.
	- Scarcely had we started lunch when the doorbell rang.
	- No sooner had she handed in her paper than she realized her careless mistakes.
	- Barely had he gone out of the house when his boss telephoned.
2.7. Not only .. but .. also ..
Not only + auxiliary + S + V + but .. also .. .
 + but  as well.
 + but  too.
Eg:	- Not only does he sing well but he also plays musical instruments perfectly.
	- Not only did they rob but they smashed everything, too.
	- Not only is he good at English but he also draw very well.
2.8. Inversion with NOT UNTIL
Not until + adverb of time / clause + auxiliary + S + V
Eg: 	- Not until 10 o’clock will I come home.
	= It’s not until 10 o’clock that I will come home.
	= I won’t come home until 10 o’clock.
	- Not until I got home did I know that I had lost my key.
	= I didn’t know that I had lost my key until I got home.
2.9. Inversion with NO WHERE
No where  + auxiliary + S + V
Eg:	- No where do I feel as comfortable as I do at home. 
	- No where could we find him.
2.10. Inversion with SO  THAT ; SUCH  THAT 
So + adj/adv + auxiliary + S + V + that + clause
Eg: 	- So dark is it that I can’t write.
	= It is so dark that I can’t write.
	- So difficult was the exam that few students passed it.
So + adj + a/an + noun + clause + that + clause
Eg: So nice a day it was that all of us wanted to go out for a picnic.
So little
So few
So much 
So many + ( noun ) + auxiliary + S +V + that + clause
Eg: 	- So much did he drink that he didn’t know the way to his home. 
Such + be + noun + that + clause
Eg: 	- Such was the force of the storm that all the trees were uprooted. 
2.11. Inversion with HERE and THERE
Here + be / main Verb + noun
There 
Eg: 	- Here comes the bus.
	- Here are the answers. 
	- There goes the bus.
Note:
Here + pronoun + be / main Verb
There 
Eg:	- Here he comes.
	- There they arrive.
* There are some idiomatic expressions with HERE and THERE.
Here you are. = This is for you.
Here are you. = Someone has found you.
Here we are. = We’ve arrived at the expected place.
There you are = That supports what I’ve said.
2.12. Inversion with adverbs / adverbial phrases of place
Adverb / adverbial phrase of place + main Verb + noun
Eg: 	- At the end of September came several bad storms.
	- Behind my house lies a river.
2.13. Inversion with prepositions
Down 
In 
From + verbs of motion + S
Over
Up
Away
Eg: 	- Down poured the rain.
	- Away went the runner.
Note: 	
	- Away they went.
2.14. Inversion with conditional sentences.
Type 1: 
If clause = should + S +V
Eg: 	- If she comes late, she will miss the train. 
	= Should she come late, she will miss the train.
	- I will give him your message if I meet him.
	= I will give him your message should I meet him.
Type 2: 
If clause = Were + S + ( to V )
Eg: 	- If I were you, I would work harder. 
	= Were I you, I would work harder.
	- If I knew her, I would invite her to the party.
	= Were I to know her, I would invite her to the party.
Type 3: 
If clause = had + S + ( not ) + past participle
Eg: 	- If my parents hadn’t encouraged me, I wouldn’t have passed the exam.
	= Had my parents not encouraged me, I wouldn’t have passed the exam.
2.15. Inversion with adverbs of order. ( first, second)
Eg: 	- First came the ambulance.
2.16. Inversion with verbs SAY, ASK,  in reported speech.
Eg: 	- “What do you mean?” Henry asked / asked Henry.
But: 	- “What do you mean?” he asked. 
3. Inversion exercises and keys.
Exercise 1. Rewrite these sentences, putting the underlined part in the first position.
1. She rarely smiles at me.	
2. You can buy this book only in this shop.
3. She never in life feels happy.	
4. My teacher is no longer teaching in this school.
5. He never smokes in bed.	
6. She has never seen such a beautiful sight.
7. I know little about computer. 	
8.The rich man seldom help the poor.
9. They rarely talk in class.	
10. She has made good progress only within two months.
11.They no longer work here. 	
12. It is hot enough to sit outside only in summer.
13. We have never been to London.	
14. It is seldom wise to say to much about oneself.
15. We rarely eat out.	
Exercise 2. Choose the best answer.
1. Not only __ but she is also very intelligent.
 a. she is beautiful b. beautiful she is c. is she beautiful d. beautiful is she
2. Seldom __ the guitar. 
 a. he plays b. does he play c. he doesn’t play 	d. he does play
3. Hardly __ the family.
 a. does he feeds b. he can feed c. can he feed	d. can feed he 
4. Often __ a meeting.
 a. do we have b. we do have c. have we 	d. we have
5. Only at weekends__ my kids to Water Park.
 a. I don’t take b. do I take c. I take 	d. I do take
6. So old __ that she can’t dance.
 a. she isn’t b. she is c. isn’t she 	d. is she 
7. Never __ the work been so easy. 
 a. is b. does c. have 	d. has
8. Nowhere __ such cooperative staff. 
 a. you can find b. you find c. can you find 	 d. you do find
9. Seldom __ a newspaper.
 a. buys Anna b. does Anna buy c. Anna does buy 	d. Anna buys
10. Only by saving money, __ a house. 
 a. he buy b. he can buy c. buy he 	d. can he buy
11. Not even once __ the truth.
 a. he tells b. he has told c. has he told 	d. do he tell
12. No sooner __ than he begins to be washed.
 a. is a human being born b. was a human being born
 c. a human being born d. a human being had been born
13. Seldom ___ treated like that. 
 a. I have been b. am I c. I am 	d. I had been
14. Never before __ such a disaster.
 a. They suffer b. they have suffered c. they suffered d. have they suffered
15. Only once a day __ home.
 a. we can speak b. can we speak c. we speak 	d. we can’t speak
Exercise 3. Rewrite the sentences, beginning with the word or phrase given.
1. He had never been so happy before.
- Never ..
2. I have never heard such nonsense.
- Never ..
3. Public borrowing has seldom been so high.
- Seldom 
4. She has never seen such a mess in her life.
- Never ..
5. They had seldom participated in such a fascinating ceremony.
- Seldom 
6. They little suspected that the musical was going to be a runaway success.
- Little 
7. The embassy staff little realized that Tet was a secret agent.
- Little 
8. I had hardly apologized when the door closed.
- Hardly .
9. The shop can in no way hold responsibility for customers’ lost property.
- In no 
10. The couple had no sooner arrived than the priest started the ceremony.
- No sooner 
11. Tom only understood the meaning of the comment when he saw his wife’s face.
- Only .
12. The restaurant can not accept animals under any circumstances.
- Under 
13. The artist rarely paid any attention to his agent’s advice.
- Rarely ...
14. Her grief was so great that she almost fainted.
- So ..
15. He got down to writing the letter as soon as he returned from his walk.
- No sooner ..
Exercise 4. Supply the correct form of the verbs in the brackets.
1. Never before I ( accept ) a bribe.
2. Not only they ( rob ), they ( smash ) everything too.
3. Not until he ( get ) home he ( realize ) that he ( lose ) his wallet.
4. On no account this switch ( must ) ( touch ).
5. Only by shouting he ( be ) able ( make ) himself heard.
6. Only when he ( remove ) his dark glasses I (realize ) who he was.
7. No sooner the burglars ( leave ) the building than someone ( ring ) the bell.
8. Not once the great reptile ( surface ).
9. Not since his childhood Jeff ( be ) back to the village.
10. Not until we ( prepare ) dinner together I ( notice ) she ( wear ) a new ring on her finger.
11. Seldom we ( have ) any time for ourselves.
12. Rarely he ( meet ) such a beautiful girl.
13. Hardly ever they ( manage ) to meet unobserved.
14. Look. There the children ( go ). 
15. Only then she ( realize ) her mistake.
Exercise 5. Rewrite these sentences, using inversion.
1. We can get experience only by experiencing.
2. He had hardly left the room when the telephone rang.
3. Bill never talks about his background.
4. The distances between the planets are so immense that it’s impossible for us to measure.
5. They not only refused to give me a helping hand but also made faces at me. 
6. The director was so angry that none of his employees dared to utter a word.
7. If I were the Prime Minister, I’d reduce taxes.
8. The lecturer had no sooner begun to talk than many people booed.
9. The new monument stands near the Town Hall.
10. If she had met him before, she might have married him.
Exercise 6. Complete the sentence with suitable words.
1. Never  so many people working so hard.
2. In no way  such a discreet man betray our secrets.
3. On no account  be revealed to our competition.
4. Only in Britain  the notion of a gentleman’s agreement be understood. 
5. Not only  the piano brilliantly but she also sings well.
6. Never in my life  so humiliated.
7. Under no circumstances  the fire doors be locked.
8. Not once during her entire life  in trouble with the law.
9. Not only  rather naïve but he also seems to be very sensitive.
10. Seldom  any assistance or advice.
ANSWER KEY
Exercise 1.
1. Rarely does she smile at me.	
2. Only in this shop can you buy this book. 
3. Never in life does she feel happy.	
4. No longer is my teacher teaching in this school.
5. Never does he smoke in bed.	
6. Never has she seen such a beautiful sight.
7. Little do I know about computer. 	
8. Seldom does the rich man help the poor.
9. Rarely do they talk in class.	
10. Only within two months has she made good progress.
11. No longer do they work here. 	
12. Only in summer is it hot enough to sit outside