grammar · formal
little + did + S + V
Used at the start of a sentence to emphasise that something rarely happened; followed by inversion (did + S + V).
Examples
“Little did I know that the trip would change my life.”
“Seldom did the students arrive late to class.”
“Little did the company expect such a strong reaction.”
Band 8 sentence
“Little did the committee anticipate that their recommendation would trigger a national debate.”
Common mistakes
Little I knew that the answer was wrong.→Little did I know that the answer was wrong.
Rarely I saw such talent in class.→Rarely did I see such talent in class.
Say it for a higher band
5I didn't know that ...→6I hardly knew that ...→7+Little did I know that ...
Synonyms
seldom + did + S + V
Easily confused
few + S + V
“Few students passed the difficult exam.”
Related words
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In Comparatives
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