Phrases inversées introduites par un terme négatif (NOT ONLY, NOT ONCE, NO SOONER...) en anglais : grammaire anglaise / définition
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Phrases inversées introduites par un terme négatif (NOT ONLY, NOT ONCE, NO SOONER...)
Dans certaines phrases un terme négatif (not only... but, not once, no sooner... than...) est mis en relief en tête de phrase. Il y a alors inversion du verbe comme pour une interrogation :
Not only is Bruno an excellent businessman, but he's also an expert perfumer. Bruno est non seulement un excellent homme d'affaires, mais il est aussi un expert dans la conception de parfums.
Not once did I hear her say 'thank you'. Pas une seule fois je ne l'ai entendue dire merci.
No sooner had we sat down to eat than the phone rang. A peine étions nous assis pour manger que le téléphone sonna.
Little does he know of the surprises which await him. Il ne sait pas grand chose des surprises qui l'attendent.
Exercice 1
has Jean had lunch with nearly every manager in the building, also with a few of the security guards.
Not only 1 has Jean had lunch with nearly every manager in the building, but 2 also with a few of the security guards.
1 Not only: This is the best choice here. 'Not only ... but' is a construction which expresses a relationship of 'addition' or 'excess'. It links the idea of Jean having lunch with the managers AND the security guards, and adds emphasis to the construction. For example, the sentence: 'He's handsome, and he's rich', can become even more emphatic: 'Not only is he handsome, but he's rich'. It is always followed by inverted word order (verb + subject): 'Not only is he rich.
1 As soon: 'As soon has...' is grammatically incorrect. Do not be confused with 'as soon as'. Also, none of the options for the second blank can be used in conjunction with 'as'.
1 Neither: The combination 'Neither … nor' is used to connect two or more negative alternatives. Example: 'Neither Jean nor Bruno has had lunch with a security guard'. This is not the case with this sentence: the second part of this sentence cannot be a negative alternative because it contains the word 'also'.
1 Why: 'Why has Jean...' is the correct form of the interrogative question, but the sentence here is a statement and not a question.
2 but: This is the best choice here. 'Not only ... but' is a construction which expresses a relationship of 'addition' or 'excess'. It emphasizes the idea of two clauses by linking them. For example, the sentence: 'He's handsome, and he's rich', can become even more emphatic: 'Not only is he handsome, but he's rich'. It is always followed by inverted word order (verb + subject). Here the 'not only ... but' construction connects the idea of Jean eating with the managers and the security guards and adds emphasis.
2 as: 'As' is grammatically incorrect in this construction. 'As' cannot be used to link the idea that Jean eats with both managers and security guards. 'As' is generally used to make comparisons and express reason.
2 nor: 'Nor' would not be used before 'even' at the head of a clause.
2 when: 'When' does not make sense here. We require neither a pronoun nor a question word in this blank.
Exercice 2
Horatio awoke to the smell of burnt toast, also to the smell of expensive perfume.
Horatio awoke not only 1 to the smell of burnt toast, but 2 also to the smell of expensive perfume.
1 not only: This is the best choice here. 'Not only ... but' is a construction which expresses a relationship of 'addition' or 'excess'. It links the idea of Horatio waking up to 'the smell of burnt toast' AND 'the smell of expensive perfume', and adds emphasis to the construction. For example, the sentence: 'He's handsome, and he's rich', can become even more emphatic: 'Not only is he handsome, but he's rich'. This type of construction is always signaled by the interrogative form (verb + subject): not only is he rich.
1 if only: This is not grammatically correct. 'If only' is generally used to express a wish for something you do not have. For example: 'If only I had more money I could buy a car'. There are also other uses for the 'if only...' construction, but they are less common.
1 by only: 'By only' is grammatically incorrect in this construction. 'By only' does not link the two ideas of Horatio waking up to 'the smell of burnt toast' and 'the smell of expensive perfume'.
2 but: This is the best choice here. It correctly completes the 'not only...but' construction. 'But' adds emphasis to the second part of the sentence. It links the idea of Horatio waking up to 'the smell of burnt toast' AND 'the smell of expensive perfume'.
2 as: This is not correct. 'As' does not link this sentence together correctly. 'As' is generally used in comparative constructions or to express reason. For example, 'Luna is as smart as Bob.'
2 not: 'Not' is grammatically incorrect here. When used with the 'not only' in the first part of the sentence, 'not' forms a double negative. In English, double negative constructions are grammatically incorrect.
2 and: This is incorrect. 'And' cannot correctly complete the 'not only...but' construction. However, we could say 'Horatio woke up to the smell of burnt toast AND expensive perfume.'
Exercice 3
Icarus went shopping this morning, he also completed some complex calculus equations.
Icarus not only 1 went shopping this morning, but 2 he also completed some complex calculus equations.
1 not only: This is correct. 'Not only ... but' emphasizes the fact that Icarus went shopping AND completed some complex calculus equations. For example, the sentence: 'He's stupid and he's ugly', can become even more emphatic: 'Not only is he stupid, but he's ugly'.
1 when only: 'When only' is grammatically incorrect in this construction. 'When only' cannot be used to link the idea that Icarus went shopping and completed some complex calculus equations.
1 if only: This is incorrect. 'If only' does not link the two ideas of Icarus shopping and completed some complex calculus equations. 'If only' is generally used to express a wish for something you do not have. For example: 'If only I had more money I could buy a car'.
2 but: This is the best choice here. 'But' correctly completes the 'not only... but' construction. 'But' adds emphasis to the second clause of the sentence. Icarus went shopping AND completed some complex calculus equations.
2 and: 'And' cannot correctly complete the 'not only... but' construction. However, we could say 'Icarus went shopping AND completed some complex equations'.
2 not: 'Not' is grammatically incorrect. When used with 'not only' in the first part of the sentence, 'not' forms a double negative. In English, double negative constructions are grammatically incorrect.
Exercice 4
Complete the sentences with the appropriate term from the list below. Each term is used once:
No sooner | Not only | Little | Nowhere | Never | Not until
had I served the dinner than the children were demanding some tomato ketchup.
did we know that the car we were driving would soon break down.
his 21st birthday did Joe's parents let him watch television after 9PM.
in the world can you find camembert as delicious as that made in Normandy.
did he organise a birthday party for me, but he also made a cake!
before have I encountered such horrible behaviour!
No sooner | Not only | Little | Nowhere | Never | Not until
had I served the dinner than the children were demanding some tomato ketchup.
did we know that the car we were driving would soon break down.
his 21st birthday did Joe's parents let him watch television after 9PM.
in the world can you find camembert as delicious as that made in Normandy.
did he organise a birthday party for me, but he also made a cake!
before have I encountered such horrible behaviour!
Complete the sentences with the appropriate term from the list below. Each term is used once:
No sooner | Not only | Little | Nowhere | Never | Not until
No sooner 1 had I served the dinner than the children were demanding some tomato ketchup.
Little 2 did we know that the car we were driving would soon break down.
Not until 3 his 21st birthday did Joe's parents let him watch television after 9PM.
Nowhere 4 in the world can you find camembert as delicious as that made in Normandy.
Not only 5 did he organise a birthday party for me, but he also made a cake!
Never 6 before have I encountered such horrible behaviour!
No sooner | Not only | Little | Nowhere | Never | Not until
No sooner 1 had I served the dinner than the children were demanding some tomato ketchup.
Little 2 did we know that the car we were driving would soon break down.
Not until 3 his 21st birthday did Joe's parents let him watch television after 9PM.
Nowhere 4 in the world can you find camembert as delicious as that made in Normandy.
Not only 5 did he organise a birthday party for me, but he also made a cake!
Never 6 before have I encountered such horrible behaviour!
1 No sooner: This is the best choice here. The expression 'no sooner...than' is used to express that one event happened immediately after another. In this example, the speaker is saying that 'as soon as' (s)he served dinner, the children wanted tomato sauce. The expression 'no sooner...than' is a negative construction which requires inversion. Example: 'No sooner did he leave the house than it started to rain.'
2 Little: This is the best choice here. The expression 'little did (I) know' at the start of a sentence or clause is used to express the idea that a person is unaware of something which will happen, or that they had 'no idea' of a future event. The expression 'little did (I) know' is a negative construction which requires inversion. Example: 'Little did he know when he bought the house that its roof was full of holes.'
3 Not until: This is the best choice here. The expression 'not until (the next day) ... did (I realize)' is used to express that one event did not or could not happen until a certain date or time. This is a negative construction which requires inversion. Example: 'Not until I had eaten all the chocolate biscuits was I content'.
4 Nowhere: This is the best choice here. The term 'nowhere' in this construction is used to express that there is no place or location except Normandy that makes truly delicious camembert. In other words, Normandy is the only place where really delicious camembert is made. This negative construction requires inversion. Example: 'Nowhere in his article does he mention our company's name'.
5 Not only: This is the best choice here. 'Not only... but' is a construction used to introduce multiple ideas, often with emphasis on one or the other. In the example, the speaker is saying that (s)he received 'both a birthday party and a cake'. The expression 'not only...but' is a negative construction which requires inversion. Example: 'Not only did she miss her train, but she also missed the bus!'.
6 Never: This is the best choice here. The expression 'never before (have I seen)...' is used to emphatically express that the speaker is seeing something for the first time, in this case someone's bad behaviour. This negative construction requires inversion. Example: 'Never before have I seen such beautiful eyes. Marry me!'.
Exercice 5
Complete each of the sentences below with the correct word order.
Never before . I'd rather not see it again.
Not only , but he even laughed. We were all amazed!
I do not , but I love staying in a cabin in the mountains and eating fondue.
Little that his crew of pirates was plotting a mutiny.
Never before . I'd rather not see it again.
Not only , but he even laughed. We were all amazed!
I do not , but I love staying in a cabin in the mountains and eating fondue.
Little that his crew of pirates was plotting a mutiny.
Complete each of the sentences below with the correct word order.
Never before had I seen him dance 1. I'd rather not see it again.
Not only did the President smile 2, but he even laughed. We were all amazed!
I do not enjoy skiing 3, but I love staying in a cabin in the mountains and eating fondue.
Little did he know 4 that his crew of pirates was plotting a mutiny.
Never before had I seen him dance 1. I'd rather not see it again.
Not only did the President smile 2, but he even laughed. We were all amazed!
I do not enjoy skiing 3, but I love staying in a cabin in the mountains and eating fondue.
Little did he know 4 that his crew of pirates was plotting a mutiny.
1 had I seen him dance: This is correct. The negative construction 'never before' must be followed by an inversion. Example: 'Never before have I seen a dog behave so well'. In the example, the speaker is expressing that they had not yet seen this person dance, until a certain moment.
1 I had seen him dance: This is incorrect. We cannot follow the expression 'never before' with a subject + verb + object construction.
2 did the President smile: This is correct. The negative construction 'not only, but...' must be followed by an inversion. Example: 'Not only do I like broccoli, but I also like spinach!'. This construction is used to introduce multiple ideas, often with emphasis on one or the other. In this example, the speaker is expressing that the President both smiled and laughed.
2 the President did smile: This is incorrect. The negative construction 'not only, but...' cannot be followed by a subject + verb construction.
3 enjoy skiing: This is correct. We do not use an inversion after a 'do not' or 'don't' construction. The word order remains unchanged in sentences such as this. Example: 'She doesn't like men.' In this example, the speaker is expressing that the woman in question doesn't like males.
3 skiing enjoy: This is incorrect. We cannot use an inversion after a 'do not' or 'don't' construction; this is grammatically incorrect.
4 did he know: This is correct. The construction 'little did (I) know... that (it would rain)' must be followed by an inversion. Example: 'Little did we know that the car had no petrol'. In this example, we learn that the boy was 'unaware of' or 'oblivious to' the plot which was beginning.
4 he did know: This is incorrect. The construction 'little did (I, we, he, etc.) know...' cannot be used with a 'subject + verb' construction.
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