Inversion is a sentence pattern that purposively disrupts the usual declarative form to achieve emphasis and better sentence transitions. It puts a prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, adjectival phrase, or participial phrase at the beginning of the sentence—ahead of its subject—then puts an intransitive verb after it.
Consider this declarative sentence: “The Filipino’s voting behavior could be understood
in no other way.” Now see and feel how more emphatic it becomes in its inverted form: “
In no other way could the Filipino’s voting behavior be understood.”
What brings about this language alchemy when the normal subject-verb-complement order (S-V/C) of a declarative sentence is disrupted to form an inverted sentence?
To better grasp the power of inversion, let’s first take up a basic principle in sentence construction:
moving any element of the S-V/C sequence from its normal position gets stronger attention for that element. The element put out front gets more attention, followed by the one placed at the tail end; the element in the middle gets the least attention or is “backgrounded.”
This is why adverbial phrases work so well in starting off sentences like this one: “
Hardly appreciated is the contribution of this masterful painter to Philippine art.” The tension in the sentence slackens when that adverbial phrase is restored to its normal tail-end position: “The contribution of this masterful painter to Philippine art is
hardly appreciated.”
This time, look at this sentence frontlined by a detached adverb phrase: “
Now more articulate than ever, the Greek orator Demosthenes challenged every Athenian firebrand to a debate at the agora.” That sentence packs a wallop simply by virtue of having the adverb phrase out front.
Normally though, that adverb phrase in the normal S-V/C pattern would be positioned like this: “The Greek orator Demosthenes was
now more articulate than ever, so he challenged every Athenian firebrand to a debate at the agora.” Here, that adverb phrase has been “backgrounded” to mid-sentence where it can’t do an emphasizing job.
IMAGE CREDIT: SLIDEPLAYER.COMFrontlining adverbial complements is actually the same process as coming up with a “feature element” in a sentence; the adverb phrase “featurizes” otherwise normal S-V/C sentences to make them more interesting to read.
Aside from frontlining adverbial complements, there are four more pragmatic inversion schemes for featurizing sentences. To fully appreciate their semantic value, imagine the examples of inverted sentences given below as being preceded by normal S-V/C sentences. We can then feel more strongly how powerfully the inversion works.
1. Prepositional phrase as frontline complement: “
Beside the martyr’s grave the widow knelt and wept.” This inverted C-S-V sentence powerfully conveys emotion, while its S-V/C construction pales in comparison: “The widow knelt and wept
beside the martyr’s grave.”
2. Time of occurrence as frontline complement: “
At exactly 8:15 a.m. he fell from the volley of the dictator’s firing squad.” This inverted sentence has an ever-so-subtle emotional tug, while its S-V/C construction hardly has any: “He fell from the volley of the dictator’s firing squad
at exactly 8:15 a.m.”
3. Locational phrase as frontline complement: “
Fifteen blocks later she realized she was hopelessly lost.” This inverted sentence conveys heightened feeling, while its S-V/C form is deadpan: “She realized she was hopelessly lost
fifteen blocks later.”
4. Infinitive phrase as frontline complement: “
To those who know her Carol is the epitome of success.” The sense of immediacy of this inverted sentence (no comma before “Carol”) is much stronger than that of its S-V/C pattern: “Carol is the epitome of success
to those who know her.”
We know that the English language reserves its more powerful sentence inversions to express highly emotional states, such as pleasure, passion, frustration, disgust, and anger as well as fierce advocacy and deeply-held belief. At the very top of the inversion spectrum is, of course, poetry.
(Next:
Some baffling aspects of inverted sentences) January 8, 2021
This essay, 2,026th of the series, appeared in the column “English Plain and Simple” by Jose A. Carillo in the Campus Press section of the December 31, 2020 Internet edition of The Manila Times
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