Long did we expect to post this article!
Hace mucho que teníamos previsto subir un artículo detallado sobre las inversiones en inglés C1 C2. Finally!
Éste proceso se suele dar en un registro formal y suele ser bastante común en la parte escrita. Así que si deseas demostrar un uso avanzado de inglés en tus writings o en tus speakings, las inversiones te van a ayudar. ¿Buscas alcanzar un nivel C1 C2? Las inversiones te van a ayudar.
Consisten en invertir el auxiliar o el verbo “to be” al inicio de la frase y suele ser común en construcciones adverbiales.
Para hablar inglés como un nativo (aquí tienes trucos prácticos) uno de los pasos que hay que tomar es empezar a “dramatizar” un poco nuestro discurso. No tienes que llegar a ser un drama queen, pero sin duda tienes que variar tu entonación y enfatizar tus discurso. Las inversiones en inglés te van a ayudar a lograr un tono retórico típico en los nativos ingleses.
Cuando cuentas algo pasado se utilizan estas estructuras para enfatizar que a un primer hecho le siguió rápidamente a una segunda acción. Es por eso que generalmente el verbo que describe el primer hecho suele ir en pasado perfecto (utilizaríamos el auxiliar HAD) o pasado simple (en cuyo caso el auxiliar sería DID).
– A los adverbios HARDLY, SCARCELY y BARELY le sigue la palabra WHEN.
– Al adverbio NO SOONER le sigue THAN (porque SOONER es el comparativo de SOON).
Pongamos algunos ejemplos en pasado perfecto:
Inversión: Hardly had I got home when my mum called.
Orden normal: I had hardly got home when my mum called.
Inversión: Scarcely had she finished her examen when she realized she didn’t asnswer to the last question.
Orden normal: She had scarcely finished her examen when she realized she didn’t asnswer to the last question.
Inversión: Barely had they parked when one of the car’s tyre blew out.
Orden normal: They had barely parked when one of the car’s tyre blew out.
Inversión: No sooner had I been fired than the company went bankrupt.
Orden normal: I had no sooner been fired than the company went bankrupt.
Cuando estas palabras se colocan al comienzo de una oración para conseguir un efecto enfático, el sujeto y el auxiliar invierten sus posiciones.
Observa estos ejemplos de inversiones en inglés:
Inversión: Never (before) has she faced such a troblesome situation.
Orden normal: She has never faced such a troblesome situation.
Inversión: Rarely have there been so many worries about the millenials’ generation lifestyle.
Orden normal: There have rarely been so many worries about the millenials’ generation lifestyle.
Inversión: Little did I know that I would later be affected by that bad action.
Orden normal: I knew little that I would later be affected by that bad action.
Inversión: On no condition will the bank bear responsibility for misurderstandings in the contract.
Orden normal: The bank will not bear responsibility for misurderstandings in the contract.
Inversión: In no way am I to be blamed for your irresponsabilities.
Orden normal: I am in no way to be blamed for your irresponsabilities.
Inversión: Not only wasn’t he on time, but he didn’t even apologize for his delay.
Orden normal: He was not only late, but he didn’t apologize for his delay either.
Inversión: Not only did he succeed to set up a big company, but he had also made a killing in just a few months.
Orden normal: He not only exceeded to set up a big company but he had also made a killing in just a few months.
Si la palabra only no va seguida de las preposiciones con las que aparece en las estructuras de arriba, no se realiza la inversión.
Inspirarte en los siguientes ejemplos:
Only after finishing the housework can you go out.
Orden normal: You can go out only after finishing your homework.
Only after you have finished the housework can you go out.
Orden normal: You can go out only after you have finished your homework.
Only by working out can you get fit.
Orden normal: You can get fir only by working out.
Only in this way do the kids pay attention to you.
Orden normal: The kids pay attention to you only in this way.
Only then did they realize it was a trap.
Orden normal: They realized it was a trap only then.
Only when she begged did he help her.
Orden normal: He helped her only when she begged.
Only when I was pulled over by the police did I realize I had been driving without lights.
Orden normal: I noticed that I had been driving without lights only when I was pulled over by the police.
Not until I was pulled over by the police did I realize I has been driving without lights
Orden normal: I noticed that I had been driving without lights only when I was pulled over by the police.
Por otro lado, también podemos usar invertir el “if” de los condicionales con el auxiliar “had”, el verbo “were” y el modal “should”.
Condicional normal: If it had not rained, the accident wouldn’t have happened.
Inversión con condicional: Had it not rained, the accident wouldn’t have happened.
Condicional normal: If he had followed his drive, he would have succedeed.
Inversión con condicional: Had he followed his guts, he would have succedeed.
Bastante más literario y formal, también te puedes encontrar con inversiones en inglés como estas:
On the table was all the treasure we had found. (Oración normal: All the treasure we had found was on the table.)
Round the corner came the knights. (Oración normal: The knights came round the corner.)
So stunning was the bride that nobody could talk of anything else. (Oración normal: The bride was so stunning that nobody could talk of anything else.)
So tasty was the food that we ate every last bite. (Oración normal: The food was so tasty that we ate every last bite.)
Hardly | Hardly had I fallen asleep when the telephone rang. |
Barely | Barely did I think of my cousin when I came across him on the street. |
Never | Never had she seen such a mesmerizing sight before. |
Seldom | Seldom do we see such a stunning display of dance. |
Rarely | Rarely will you delight yourself with such moving music. |
Only then | Only then did I understand why he acted like that. |
Not only … but | Not only does he love pigging out but he also smokes. |
No sooner | No sooner had we got home than the police rang the doorbell. |
Scarcely | Scarcely had I thought I would be alone when a bunch of people came. |
Only later | Only later did she think of her acts. |
Nowhere | Nowhere have I ever had such bad customer service. |
Little | Little were we aware! |
Only in this way | Only in this way could Jessica make a living. |
In no way | In no way do I think along your lines! |
On no account | On no account should you do a move without asking me first. |
Por último, para poder practicar las inversiones en inglés, te dejamos unas frases para re-escribir y hacerlas más enfáticas y retóricas. ¡Suerte!
Not until……………………………………………………………….
Never…………………………………………………………………………
Not only……………………………………………………………………..
Hardly…………………………………………………………………………….
Rarely………………………………………………………………………………
Only when………………………………………………………………………
No sooner………………………………………………………………………..
Scarcely……………………………………………………………………………
Never……………………………………………………………………………………..
Not until years had passed, did I realize the mistake.
Never had we seen such a magnificent scenary.
Not only did they dislike her, but also they hated her family.
Hardly had we started to eat when we heard someone knocking at the door
Rarely have a read such a badly written novel.
Only when I got unusually cold did they lit the fire.
No sooner had he gone to sleep than there was a knock on the door.
Scarcely had I destroyed the evidence when the police arrived..
Never had he regretted the decision he took that they.
Y para terminar, os deseamos buena suerte con esa preparación del examen que seguro que sale fetén. Con todas estas inversiones acabamos nuestro artículo de hoy. Recuerda incorporar algunas en tu conversación y aún más en los exámenes orales que hagas.
Cheers!
5 Comments
Buenas tardes.
donde puedo encontrar la solución a las frases de las inversiones?
Gracias
Hola, María:
Si eres alumna del Salón de Idiomas, consulta las respuestas en el Salón o deja tus ejercicios y te los corregimos.
Un saludo