Inversion of Adverbs

You already know that placing a negative adverb like "Never" or "Seldom" at the start of a sentence flips the subject and auxiliary verb. At this level, you will master the paired inversion structures -- "No sooner...than", "Hardly/Scarcely...when", and "Not only...but also" -- that examiners frequently test. These patterns add dramatic emphasis to your writing and are common in formal English.

What You'll Learn

How to form inverted sentences using No sooner...than and Hardly/Scarcely...when
How to use Not only...but also with inverted word order when it begins a sentence
How inversion creates emphasis and a more dramatic or formal tone
How to transform normal sentences into inverted structures and back again

When to Use

Emphasising that two events happened almost at the same time: "No sooner had the bell rung than the students rushed out of the classroom."
Stressing that something barely happened before something else occurred: "Hardly had the match started when it began to pour."
Adding dramatic emphasis to an achievement or quality: "Not only did she win the gold medal, but she also broke the national record."
Creating a formal or literary tone in writing: "Scarcely had the guests arrived when the fireworks display began."
Highlighting contrast or surprise in narratives: "Not only was the hawker centre crowded, but the queue for chicken rice also stretched around the block."

How to Form

No sooner...than

This structure means "immediately after one thing happened, another thing happened." The first clause uses past perfect (had + past participle) with inverted word order. The second clause uses simple past.

Normal Sentence	Inverted Sentence
The rain stopped. The children ran outside immediately.	No sooner had the rain stopped than the children ran outside.
She sat down. The phone rang.	No sooner had she sat down than the phone rang.
We reached the bus stop. The bus arrived.	No sooner had we reached the bus stop than the bus arrived.

Pattern: No sooner + had + subject + past participle + than + subject + simple past verb

Hardly / Scarcely...when

This structure means "something had just barely happened when another thing followed." Like "No sooner...than", the first clause uses past perfect with inversion. The second clause uses simple past.

Normal Sentence	Inverted Sentence
He had hardly fallen asleep when the alarm rang.	Hardly had he fallen asleep when the alarm rang.
She had scarcely finished her meal when the waiter cleared the table.	Scarcely had she finished her meal when the waiter cleared the table.
They had hardly left the MRT station when it started raining.	Hardly had they left the MRT station when it started raining.

Pattern: Hardly/Scarcely + had + subject + past participle + when + subject + simple past verb

Not only...but also (with inversion)

When "Not only" begins a sentence, the first clause uses inverted word order (auxiliary before subject). The second clause keeps normal word order.

Normal Sentence	Inverted Sentence
She is not only smart but also hardworking.	Not only is she smart, but she is also hardworking.
He did not only apologise but also made amends.	Not only did he apologise, but he also made amends.
The team has not only won the tournament but also set a new record.	Not only has the team won the tournament, but it has also set a new record.

Pattern: Not only + auxiliary + subject + verb/complement, but + subject + also + verb/complement

Summary of Paired Structures

Structure	First Clause	Linking Word	Second Clause
No sooner...than	No sooner + had + subject + past participle	than	subject + simple past
Hardly...when	Hardly + had + subject + past participle	when	subject + simple past
Scarcely...when	Scarcely + had + subject + past participle	when	subject + simple past
Not only...but also	Not only + auxiliary + subject + verb	but	subject + also + verb

Key Rules

"No sooner" pairs with "than", not "when": The correct pair is always "No sooner...than." Never write "No sooner...when." Similarly, "Hardly" and "Scarcely" pair with "when", not "than."
The first clause always uses inverted word order: The auxiliary verb (usually "had") comes before the subject. "No sooner had she arrived" -- not "No sooner she had arrived."
"No sooner...than" and "Hardly/Scarcely...when" use past perfect + simple past: The first clause takes the past perfect tense (had + past participle), and the second clause uses the simple past. Do not use two past perfect clauses.
"Not only...but also" inversion matches the original tense: The auxiliary used in the inverted first clause must match the tense of the original sentence. Present tense: "Not only does he sing..."; Past tense: "Not only did he sing..."; Present perfect: "Not only has he sung..."
The second clause keeps normal word order: Only the first clause is inverted. The clause after "than", "when", or "but also" follows standard subject-verb order.
Use a comma before "but" in "Not only...but also": When "Not only" begins the sentence, place a comma before "but". "Not only did she help**,** but she also stayed behind to clean up."
Do not invert when "not only" appears mid-sentence: Inversion only happens when "Not only" is at the start of the sentence. Compare: "She is not only kind but also generous" (no inversion) vs "Not only is she kind, but she is also generous" (inversion).

Common Mistakes

Wrong	Right	Why
No sooner she had arrived than the show began.	No sooner had she arrived than the show began.	The auxiliary "had" must come before the subject in the inverted clause
No sooner had he left when it rained.	No sooner had he left than it rained.	"No sooner" pairs with "than", not "when"
Hardly had she finished her work than the bell rang.	Hardly had she finished her work when the bell rang.	"Hardly" and "Scarcely" pair with "when", not "than"
Not only she won the race, but she also broke the record.	Not only did she win the race, but she also broke the record.	When "Not only" begins the sentence, the first clause must use inverted word order
No sooner had the rain stopped than the children have run outside.	No sooner had the rain stopped than the children ran outside.	The second clause uses the simple past, not the present perfect
Hardly had she sat down when did the phone ring.	Hardly had she sat down when the phone rang.	Only the first clause is inverted; the second clause keeps normal word order

Clue Words

"No sooner...than" signals

no sooner, immediately after, as soon as, the moment

"Hardly / Scarcely...when" signals

hardly, scarcely, barely, had just...when

"Not only...but also" signals

not only, but also, but...as well, in addition to

General inversion triggers (from P5)

never, rarely, seldom, hardly ever, at no time, under no circumstances, on no account

Tip: Remember the correct pairings with this memory aid: "Sooner -- Than" (S-T are next to each other in the alphabet) and "Hardly -- When" (think of "Hardly Waiting"). If you mix up the pairs, the sentence is always wrong.

Practice Tips

The pairing check: After writing an inverted sentence, verify the correct pair. "No sooner" always goes with "than". "Hardly" and "Scarcely" always go with "when". If you have crossed the pairs, swap the linking word immediately.
Transform both ways: Practise converting normal sentences into inverted structures and inverted structures back to normal sentences. For example, turn "She had hardly finished eating when the doorbell rang" into "Hardly had she finished eating when the doorbell rang" -- and reverse it. This builds flexibility.
Tense check for the second clause: After writing the inverted first clause (which uses "had" + past participle), check that the second clause uses the simple past -- not present perfect, not past perfect. The two clauses should not use the same tense.
Read published texts: Look for inversion in newspaper articles, story openings, and formal speeches. Noting real examples helps you remember the patterns naturally and understand how they create emphasis.

Quick Reference

Structure	Pattern	Example
No sooner...than	No sooner + had + subject + past participle + than + simple past	No sooner had the concert ended than the crowd cheered.
Hardly...when	Hardly + had + subject + past participle + when + simple past	Hardly had we arrived when the rain started.
Scarcely...when	Scarcely + had + subject + past participle + when + simple past	Scarcely had he spoken when the audience applauded.
Not only...but also	Not only + auxiliary + subject + verb, but + subject + also + verb	Not only did she pass, but she also topped the class.

Pair	First word	Links with	Never with
No sooner...than	No sooner	than	~~when~~
Hardly...when	Hardly	when	~~than~~
Scarcely...when	Scarcely	when	~~than~~

Inversion of Adverbs (P6) (Primary 6)