grammar · formal

Little / Rarely / Seldom + inversion (auxiliary + subject + V)

Band 7+speakingtask2

Negative or limiting adverbials placed at the front of a sentence cause subject–auxiliary inversion for emphasis.

Examples

“Little did I realise how serious the problem was.”

“Rarely have we seen such enthusiasm in a crowd.”

“Seldom does he arrive on time.”

Band 8 sentence

“Little did the researchers expect that the preliminary results would revolutionise the field.”

Collocations

  • Little did + subject + V
  • Rarely/Seldom + auxiliary + subject + V

Common mistakes

Little I realised the problem.→Little did I realise the problem.

Seldom he arrives on time.→Seldom does he arrive on time.

Say it for a higher band

5I didn't realise→6It was rare that→7+Little / Rarely / Seldom + inversion

Synonyms

Hardly / Scarcely + when

Easily confused

Hardly ... when

“Hardly had he reached the station when the train left.”

Related words

By the time + clause, clauseWhether + clause (or not)So + adjective + that + clauseEven if + clause, clauseSuch + (a/an) + noun + that + clauseIf + past perfect, would have + past participleOn the one hand + clause; on the other hand + clauseGiven that + clause, + clause

Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.

In Complex sentences

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