Content Introduction Chapter Word order in english language usi tema finding the basic word order Functions of sentence word order Subject-auxiliary and subject-verb

2.1 Examples for inversion and word order

Seldom do we realize what our actions might lead to. — We seldom realize what our actions might lead to.

Редко мы осознаём, к чему могут привести наши действия. — Мы редко осознаём, к чему могут привести наши действия.
Little did he know what his fate had in store for him. — He did not know what his fate had in store for him.
Он и представить не мог, что ему приготовила судьба. — Он не знал, что ему приготовила судьба.
Hardly had I stepped into the house when the light went out. — I had hardly stepped into the house when the light went out.
Не успел я войти / Едва я вошёл в дом, как свет погас. — Я едва вошёл в дом, как свет погас.
Scarcely had he said it when the magician appeared. — He had scarcely said it when the magician appeared.
Едва он сказал это, как появился волшебник. — Он едва успел сказать это, как появился волшебник.
Only when I arrived at the hotel did I notice that my travel bag was missing. — I noticed that my travel bag was missing only when I arrived at the hotel.
Только когда я прибыл в гостиницу, я заметил, что пропала моя дорожная сумка. — Я заметил, что пропала моя дорожная сумка, только когда я прибыл в гостиницу.
Only after my guest left did I remember his name. — I remembered my guest's name only after he left.
Только после того, как мой гость ушёл, я вспомнил его имя. — Я вспомнил имя моего гостя только после того, как он ушёл.

2.2 Theoretical analyses

Syntactic inversion has played an important role in the history of linguistic theory because of the way it interacts with question formation and topic and focus constructions. The particular analysis of inversion can vary greatly depending on the theory of syntax that one pursues. One prominent type of analysis is in terms of movement in transformational phrase structure grammars.[2] Since those grammars tend to assume layered structures that acknowledge a finite verb phrase (VP) constituent, they need movement to overcome what would otherwise be a discontinuity. In dependency grammars, by contrast, sentence structure is less layered (in part because a finite VP constituent is absent), which means that simple cases of inversion do not involve a discontinuity;[3] the dependent simply appears on the other side of its head. The two competing analyses are illustrated with the following trees: word order sentence inversion

The two trees on the left illustrate the movement analysis of subject-auxiliary inversion in a constituency-based theory; a BPS-style (bare phrase structure) representational format is employed, where the words themselves are used as labels for the nodes in the tree. The finite verb will is seen moving out of its base position into a derived position at the front of the clause. The trees on the right show the contrasting dependency-based analysis. The flatter structure, which lacks a finite VP constituent, does not require an analysis in terms of movement but the dependent Fred simply appears on the other side of its head Will.