inversion(đảo ngữ)
What is inversion? - Inversion is the reversal (đảo ngược) of the normal word order in a sentence or phrase. There are two types of inversion:
A. Subject-verb inversion, where the subject and the main verb switch positions (đổi vị trí) and the word order becomes verb + subject:
On the top of the hill stood an old oak tree.(cây sồi)
B. Subject-auxiliary inversion, where the subject and the auxiliary switch positions and the word order becomes auxiliary + subject (+ verb):
Hardly had I arrived home when my phone rang. When does the bus leave? You`re hungry, aren`t you?
A. Subject-verb inversion
1. Subject-verb inversion after place adverbials(trạng từ/trạng ngữ chỉ nơi chốn)
When an adverb or an adverbial expression of place comes in the initial position (at the beginning of the sentence), the subject and verb are inverted:
Down the hill rolled the children. Round the corner was a nice café.
This is a rhetorical device (lối cường điệu) used mainly in formal and literary styles (văn chương); however, it may also occur in everyday conversation:
Here comes the bus. There goes Sally. Here`s my number.
But if the subject is a personal pronoun, there is no inversion: Here it comes. There she goes. Here it is.
2. Subject-verb inversion in direct speech
In direct speech, if the quotation precedes (câu trích dẫn) the reporting verb, the subject and the reporting verb can be inverted:
"I`m so sorry," Maria said / said Maria.
If the subject is long, usually there is inversion: "Good morning," said the stranger in the black jacket.
But if the subject is a personal pronoun, there is no inversion: "Good morning," he said.
3. Subject-verb inversion in news headlines (tiêu đề tin tức)
In news headlines, if the reporting verb is in the final position, the subject and the reporting verb may be inverted:
AROMATHERAPY (cách chữa trị bằng xoa dầu thơm) HAS NO THERAPEUTIC EFFECT, SAY BRITISH SCIENTISTS(THERAPY n. niệu pháp, phương pháp chữa bệnh)

B. Subject-auxiliary inversion
1. Subject-auxiliary inversion after negative adverbials
1a. HARDLY / SCARCELY /SELDOM / BARELY ... WHEN / NO SOONER ... THAN (vừa mới/chẳng mấy chốc .... thì)
When a story is told in the past tense, the adverbials hardly, scarcely, barely and no sooner are often used to emphasise (nhấn mạnh) that one event quickly followed another. The verb describing the earlier event is usually in the past perfect tense. If hardly, scarcely, barely and no sooner are in the initial position, the subject and auxiliary are inverted:
Hardly (vừa mới) had I arrived home when my phone rang. (I had hardly arrived home when my phone rang.)
Scarcely (vừa mới) had she finished reading when she fell asleep. (She had scarcely finished reading when she fell asleep.)
Barely (vừa mới) had they won the match when the coach had a heart attack. (They had barely won the match when the coach had a heart attack.)
No sooner had the company launched(mở/khai trương) its new product than it went bankrupt (phá sản). (The company had no sooner launched its new product than it went bankrupt.)
*Note that hardly, scarcely and barely are followed by when, while no sooner is followed by than. (Sooner is the comparative form of soon.)
1b. NEVER, RARELY, LITTLE, MANY A (nhiều) IN/UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES (không bất kỳ trường hợp nào), ON NO CONDITION, AT NO TIME (không bao giờ), ON NO ACCOUNT (tuyệt đối không), IN NO WAY (chẳng cách nào), BY NO MEANS (hoàn toàn không), NOT ONLY ... BUT ALSO (không những ... mà còn) etc.
When never, rarely, little etc. are placed at the beginning of the sentence for rhetorical effect, the subject and auxiliary are inverted:
Never (before) have we faced such a challenge! (We have never faced such a challenge!)
Rarely has there been so much speculation about the future of the company. (There has rarely been so much speculation about the future of the company.)
Little did she understand what the conversation was about. (She didn`t really understand what the conversation was about.)
Under no circumstances (không bất kỳ hoản cảnh nào) are you allowed to disturb the pilots. (You are not allowed to disturb the pilots under any circumstances.)
On no condition (chẳng lý do gì) will the company bear responsibility for lost property. (The company will not bear responsibility for lost property on any condition.)
In no way (không cách gì) am I related to the suspect (kẻ