 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
279
1. When the prepositional object (a word
or a
clause) is in front
position.
This I can dispense with.
What he says you can rely on.
2. When the prepositional object is made the subject of a passive
construction.
He was much laughed at.
The bed has not been slept in.
3. In questions and exclamations, when the object is placed in front
position.
Who are you speaking to?
What a nice girl she has grown into!
4. In contact attributive clauses in which the object to the predicate
belongs to the main clause or is only implied.
It is the very thing I've always dreamed of.
It appeared better than we dared to hope for.
Inverted word order
§ 119. Another common pattern of word order is the inverted one (or inversion). We distinguish full
inversion (when the predicate precedes the subject, as in Here comes the lady of the house) and
partial inversion (when only part of the predicate precedes the subject, as in Happy may you be!).
Some grammarians also distinguish double inversion (when parts of the predicate are placed
separately before the subject, as in Hanging on the wall was a picture).
§ 120. In some cases inversion may be taken as a normal order of words in constructions with special
communicative value, and is thus devoid of any special colouring. In other cases inversion is a sort of
reordering for stylistic effect or for emphasis. First we enumerate those cases where inversion is a normal word
order.
1. Inversion is used to distinguish between the communicative types of sentences. With this function it is
employed in:
a) General questions, polite requests and in tag questions.
Is it really true?
Won’t you have a cup of tea?
You are glad to see me, aren’t you?
b) Pronominal questions, except questions to the subject and its
attribute, where direct word order is used.
What are the police after?
c) There-sentences with the introductory non-local there, followed
by one of the verbs denoting existence, movement, or change of
the situation .