Advanced Grammar Structures
Explore complex grammar like inversion, cleft sentences, and participles for more sophisticated expression.
Inversion and Cleft Sentences
Inversion
Inversion means changing the normal word order of a sentence, usually by putting a negative or restrictive adverbial at the beginning for emphasis. Remember to invert the subject and auxiliary verb.
Normal: I have never seen such a beautiful sunset.
Inversion: Never have I seen such a beautiful sunset.
Common triggers: Not only... but also, No sooner... than, Hardly... when, Seldom, Rarely, Never, Under no circumstances.
Cleft Sentences
Cleft sentences are used to focus on a particular part of the sentence.
Normal: Tom ate the last piece of cake.
It-Cleft: It was Tom who ate the last piece of cake. (Focus on Tom)
What-Cleft: What Tom did was eat the last piece of cake. (Focus on the action)