English 7 grammar
Students of English 7 will need to master advanced grammar and theory in order to apply those skills in academic writing and speaking. Rarely do we challenge ourselves to use more complex language but rather continue to express ourselves in habitual ways. However, this page attempts to remedy just that! The following grammar exercises are structured according to the modules of English 7. Let's begin, shall we?
Grammar references are based on BBC's advanced grammar guide.
Inversions - improve your formality with dramatic and idiomatic patterns
Inversions improve drama or formality by swapping the subject-verb order and adding a negative or limiting adverb. For example:
I rarely write letters to strangers. ➜ Rarely do I write letters to strangers.
We create inversions using the following pattern:
Move a negative or limiting adverb to the beginning of the sentence
Add an auxiliary (helping) verb
If necessary, change the tense of the verb
Add a subject
Furthermore, inversions can be divided based on their uses. We will mainly focus on the following:
a unique situation
a short amount of time or almost not
understanding a situation
not understanding a situation
A unique situation
A situation where something occurs infrequently.
He never argued that ferociously.
➜ Never did he argue that ferociously. (Observe that argue changed from past tense to infinitive)
Rarely has someone been so wrong as you.
Seldom did she take the bus.
When expressing a unique situation, the negative or limiting adverbs used are:
Never
Rarely
Seldom
A short amount of time or something that almost did not happen
A situation where a short amount of time has passed or almost did not happen.
She had hardly sat down to eat dinner when there was a knock on the door.
➜Hardly had she sat down to eat dinner when there was a knock on the door.
Barely had I got out of the shower when the phone rang.
No sooner had I gotten my receipt than I realized that I had paid for everyone’s food.
When expressing that a short amount of time has passed or something almost did not happen, the negative or limiting adverbs used are:
Hardly
Barely
Scarcely
No sooner
Understanding a situation
A situation where something is going to happen or not.
He knew when she told him.
➜ Only when she told him did he know.
Only after they had finished their homework were they allowed to rest.
Only when I took the test did I realise how prepared I was.
When expressing that someone understands a situation, the negative or limiting adverbs used are:
Only if ..
Only when ..
Only now ..
Not understanding a situation
A situation that expresses a lack of understanding.
I was not aware that she was home
➜ Little was I aware that she was home.
Little did she grasp the gravity of the situation.
When expressing that someone does not understand a situation, the negative or limiting adverbs used are:
Little ... was
Little ... did