39+ Inverted Sentence Examples: What, How, When, Where to Use, Structure, Several Facts

There are many classifications of sentences in the English Language. In this article we are going to take a look at Inverted Sentence Examples.

An Inverted Sentence is a sentence in which the verb or predicate comes before the noun or subject.

Let us look at a few Inverted Sentence Examples as well as explanations through FAQS to get a better understanding of the concept.

Inverted Sentences

  1. Just down the street lives a very mischievous kid.
  2. A broken foundation is what this house has.
  3. Seldom does she stay awake past two a.m.
  4. It’s not just painting but also sketching that she excels at.
  5. Not only is he a good singer but also a good dancer.
  6. Cooking is what my brother is best at.
  7. On the corner of this street is a small shop.
  8. It is mostly puffs and pastries that are served at the bakery on tenth street.
  9. Studying and reading is not something they do willingly.
  10. Seldom has she been this upset with her sister.
  11. Never have I ever been outside my own country.
  12. Rarely do we watch shows, but when we do we binge all episodes in one go.
  13. Not only do we like the opera but also attend it whenever possible.
  14. Not only are we tired but also jet lagged from the long trip.
  15. So tough was the task assigned to us that we took three days to finish it up.
  16. So bad was the film that we had to leave the movie theater halfway through.
  17. Lest are the car keys forgotten by us like last time.
  18. So beautiful was the rose garden that we stayed there for three hours.
  19. Little did I know his actual intentions behind helping me.
  20. Little did we know of what was about to hit us after the wonderful week we’d had.
  21. No sooner had the event started that it began having technical issues.
  22. Scarcely do we have to ask him to do his work.
  23. Barely did we leave the house this past month.
  24. Only when the bag was opened by her did she realize that she hadn’t actually lost her wallet.
  25. Not only is he good at writing poetry but also at writing prose.

More Sentences

1.     Just down the street lives a very mischievous kid.

The subject ‘kid’ is preceded by the verb ‘lives’, hence making the above statement an inverted sentence example.

2.     A broken foundation is what this house has.

The subject ‘house’ is preceded by the verb ‘is’, hence making the above statement an inverted sentence example.

3.     Seldom does she stay awake past two a.m.

The subject ‘she’ is preceded by the verb ‘does’, hence making the above statement an inverted sentence example.

4.     It’s not just painting but also sketching that she excels at.

The subject ‘she’ is preceded by the verbs ‘painting and sketching’, hence making the above statement an inverted sentence example.

5.     Not only is he a good singer but also a good dancer.

The subject ‘he’ is preceded by the verb ‘is’, hence making the above statement an inverted sentence example.

6.     Cooking is what my brother is best at.

The subject ‘brother’ is preceded by the verb ‘is’, hence making the above statement an inverted sentence example.

7.     On the corner of this street is a small shop.

The subject ‘shop’ is preceded by the verb ‘is’, hence making the above statement an inverted sentence example.

8.     It is mostly puffs and pastries that are served at the bakery on tenth street.

The subjects ‘puffs and pastries’ are preceded by the verb ‘is’, hence making the above statement an inverted sentence example.

9.     Studying and reading is not something they do willingly.

The subject ‘they’ is preceded by the verbs ‘studying and reading’, hence making the above statement an inverted sentence example.

10.  Seldom has she been this upset with her sister.

The subject ‘she’ is preceded by the verb ‘has’, hence making the above statement an inverted sentence example.

11.  Never have I ever been outside my own country.

The subject ‘I’ is preceded by the verb ‘have’, hence making the above statement an inverted sentence example.

12.  Rarely do we watch shows, but when we do we binge all episodes in one go.

The subject ‘we’ is preceded by the verb ‘do’, hence making the above statement an inverted sentence example.

13.  Not only do we like the opera but also attend it whenever possible.

The subject ‘we’ is preceded by the verb ‘do’, hence making the above statement an inverted sentence example.

inverted sentence examples
 “Not only do we like the opera but also attend it whenever possible.” is one of many inverted sentence examples.
Image from Pixabay.

14.  Not only are we tired but also jet lagged from the long trip.

The subject ‘we’ is preceded by the verb ‘are’, hence making the above statement an inverted sentence example.

15.  So tough was the task assigned to us that we took three days to finish it up.

The subject ‘task’ is preceded by the verb ‘was’, hence making the above statement an inverted sentence example.

16.  So bad was the film that we had to leave the movie theater halfway through.

The subject ‘film’ is preceded by the verb ‘was’, hence making the above statement an inverted sentence example.

17.  Lest are the car keys forgotten by us like last time.

The subject ‘car keys’ is preceded by the verb ‘are’, hence making the above statement an inverted sentence example.

18.  So beautiful was the rose garden that we stayed there for three hours.

The subject ‘rose garden’ is preceded by the verb ‘was’, hence making the above statement an inverted sentence example.

19.  Little did I know his actual intentions behind helping me.

The subject ‘I’ is preceded by the verb ‘did’, hence making the above statement an inverted sentence example.

20.  Little did we know of what was about to hit us after the wonderful week we’d had.

The subject ‘we’ is preceded by the verb ‘did’, hence making the above statement an inverted sentence example.

21.  No sooner had the event started that it began having technical issues.

The subject ‘event’ is preceded by the verb ‘had’, hence making the above statement an inverted sentence example.

22.  Scarcely do we have to ask him to do his work.

The subject ‘we’ is preceded by the verb ‘do’, hence making the above statement an inverted sentence example.

23.  Barely did we leave the house this past month.

The subject ‘we’ is preceded by the verb ‘did’, hence making the above statement an inverted sentence example.

24.  Only when the bag was opened by her did she realize that she hadn’t actually lost her wallet.

The subject ‘her’ is preceded by the verb ‘was opened’, hence making the above statement an inverted sentence example.

25.  Not only is he good at writing poetry but also at writing prose.

The subject ‘he’ is preceded by the verb ‘is’, hence making the above statement an inverted sentence example.

More Inverted Sentence Examples that follow the same aforementioned rules.

26.  Seldom have we watched a film that we loved as this one.

27.  Rarely does she get out of her room these days.

28.  Barely did I study for my test and yet I got great marks.

29.  Not only does my father work but also teaches in his free time.

30.  Only after having a whole grasp of the concept, did he decide to apply it practically.

31.  Barely did he try his first drink when he turned eighteen.

32.  Only pizza is what I’ve been eating for my meals these past few days.

33.  Scarcely do we take trips outside the state.

34.  Never have I been this embarrassed due to someone else’s behaviour.

35.  So acute was the pain that we had to call the doctor immediately.

36.  So tasteless was the food that we had to leave the restaurant as soon as we could.

37.  So good was the dish that my mother made that we all devoured every last bit of it.

38.  Deeply was he hurt by the circumstances, but he told no one.

39.  Never have I gotten the hype around this overrated book.

40.  So terrible was the painting, but he pretended to like it.

41.  So wonderful was the holiday, that we didn’t want to return.

FAQS

When to use Inverted Sentence?

An Inverted Sentence can be used when one wants to stress the importance of contents in a subordinating clause.

Why to use Inverted Sentences?

An Inverted Sentence may be used for a certain dramatic effect or to drive home an important point through the use of its unorthodox structure.

How to use Inverted Sentence?

  • An Inverted Sentence can be used by turning a sentence written in active voice to passive voice.
  • Such sentences usually start with adverbs.

Where to use Inverted Sentence?

An Inverted Sentence can be used in storytelling, conversations as well as spirited debates and arguments.

How Can Inverted Sentences Be Used in Narrative Writing?

In narrative writing, using narrative sentences effectively is important for creating unique and engaging storytelling. Inverted sentences, when strategically employed, can add emphasis, variety, and intrigue to the narrative. By placing the verb before the subject, inverted sentences can create a sense of anticipation or surprise, bringing depth to characterizations and intensifying the overall reading experience.

Inverted Sentence structure

  • In an Inverted Sentence, the predicate and object of a sentence precedes the subject.
  • More often than not an auxiliary verb like ‘is’, ‘was’, ‘had’, ‘has’, etc. precedes the said subject or noun.

Use of Inverted sentence

An Inverted Sentence can be used for the aforementioned reasons such as-

  • Showcasing the importance of certain aspects of a situation.
  • A mildly dramatic effect.
  • To drive home a point that would not be accomplished with the use of a normally structured sentence.