What you'll learn
By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to use inversion with negative and restrictive adverbials such as no sooner, hardly, barely, under no circumstances and in no way.
When do I use it?
Certain negative/restrictive adverbials placed at the front of a sentence trigger inversion. Use them for formal, emphatic statements:
- "No sooner had I sat down than the phone rang."
- "Hardly had we left when it started raining."
- "Under no circumstances should you open that door."
- "In no way is this acceptable."
How do I form it?
negative adverbial + auxiliary + subject + verb
- No sooner had she arrived than the meeting began.
- Hardly had I closed the door when the dog barked.
- Barely did we have enough money to eat.
- Under no circumstances will I resign.
- Not until midnight did the concert end.
Common mistakes for Spanish speakers
These structures look like questions but aren't. Spanish speakers often keep normal order ("no sooner I had sat down") or forget the auxiliary. Note that "no sooner... than" takes "than", not "when"; "hardly... when" and "barely... when" take "when", not "than" — the pairings get swapped. Also remember the auxiliary must be a real one: "Under no circumstances I will go" is wrong.
Negative adverbial + auxiliary + subject + verb. No sooner...than / Hardly...when.
Practice
Multiple Choice
B2Which sentence is correct?
Fill in the Blank
B2Hardly the bus left when it started to snow.
Hint: Hardly + had + subject + participle... when.
Find the Error
B2Multiple Choice
B2Which adverbial pairs with 'than'?
Practice Speaking
Apply what you've learned in a real conversation with AI feedback.
Level: B2