7. HIỆN TƯỢNG ĐẢO NGỮ

a. Giới thiệu chung

Trong câu, thông thường động từ đứng sau chủ ngữ. Tuy nhiên, đôi khi trật tự này bị đảo ngược và chúng ta gọi hiện tượng này là hiện tượng đảo ngữ. Chủ ngữ đứng đằng sau động từ hoặc trợ động từ.

VD: Her father stood in the doorway

→ In the doorway stood her father.

He had rarely seen such a sunset

→ Rarely had he seen such a sunset.

b. Các hình thức đảo ngữ

Có hai cách để đảo ngữ:

1.

Be/ have/ modal (động từ khuyết thiếu)/ auxiliary verb (trợ động từ) + chủ ngữ + động từ chính

Được dùng trong các trường hợp sau đây:

• Trong câu hỏi:

VD: Where was it made?

Were they ready when you arrived?

Have you ever visited France?

Where do you live?

What should we do now?

• Trong câu cảm thán

VD: Isn't it cold!

Am I mad!

Have you got a surprise coming!

What a peaceful place is Skegness!

How beautiful are the flowers!

• Khi các từ và thành ngữ sau đây đứng ở đầu câu:

Seldom, Rarely, Little, Barely, Nowhere (else), Never (before), Not (even) once, On no account, Only by, At no time, Only in this way, Only then, Hardly (ever)...when, No sooner...than, Not only...but (also), Not until/ till, In no way, In/ Under no circumstances, Not Since

VD: Never before have I seen such a beautiful woman.

Not only did they make a donation but they (also) promised to build a shelter for the homeless.

Seldom do we go out since the baby was born.

Chú ý:

Khi các thành ngữ như: only after, only by, only if, only when, not until/ till đứng ở đầu câu, đảo ngữ được sử dụng ở mệnh đề chính.

VD: Only after she started working was she able to save some money.

Only if you follow my advice will you succeed.

• Được dùng với so, neither, nor, as để thể hiện sự đồng tình.

VD: "I love chocolate icecream." “So do I”.

“I can't stand violent films”. “Neither/ Nor can I”.

She was a talented musician, as was her sister/ and so was her sister.

• Được dùng với Should, Were, Had khi chúng đứng ở đầu câu trong mệnh đề if thay vì sử dụng If.

VD:

Câu điều kiện loại 1: Should he call, tell him I'm out. (= if he should call...)

Câu điều kiện loại 2: Were I you, I wouldn't trust her. (= if I were you...)

Câu điều kiện loại 3: Had I been told, I would have offered my help. (= If I had been told...)

2.

Động từ chính + chủ ngữ

• Đảo ngữ sau các trạng từ chỉ phương hướng và nơi chốn khi chúng đứng ở đầu câu.

VD: Dave began to open three parcels. Inside the first was a book of crosswords from his Aunt Alice.

Outside the house was a sport car.

On the sofa sat an old man.

• Đảo ngữ được dùng với một số động từ chỉ nơi chốn và chuyển động như: climb, come, fly, go, hang, lie, run, sit, stand, be

VD: Along the road came a strange procession.

• Đảo ngữ thường không sử dụng với các động từ khác. Chúng ta không sử dụng đảo ngữ trong trường hợp này nếu chủ ngữ là một đại từ.

VD: We don't say: In an armchair sat she.

• Trong văn nói, đảo ngữ được dùng sau herethere hoặc các trạng từ như back, down, in off, up, round...

VD: Here comes the bus.

I lit the fuse and after a few seconds up went the rocket.

• Trong lời nói gián tiếp, đảo ngữ được dùng khi chủ ngữ của động từ tường thuật là một danh từ.

VD: "I don't like this hotel", said Henry (hoặc Henry said)

"I will call you a taxi”, said the door man (hoặc the doorman said)

Bài tập luyện.

Exercise 30. Choose the best answer:

1. No sooner ... home than the phone rang.

A. I arrived

B. did I arrive

C. I had arrived

D. had I arrived

2. In an armchair ...

A. sat his brother

B. his brother sat

C. did he brother sit

D. his brother is sitting

3. So ... that it was hardly worth hiring such a large hall.

A. poorly was the meeting attended

B. poorly the meeting was attended

C. was the meeting poorly attended

D. was attended the meeting poorly

4. Not until ... did I recognize him.

A. after

B. before

C. later

D. following

5 ... the fire alarm, leave the building at once.

A. Should you hear

B. Should you have heard

C. If you heard

D. Shall you hear

6. Hardly ... the station, when ... an explosion.

A. the train left - there was

B. did the train leave - there had been

C. the train had left - was there

D. had the train left - there was

7. On no account ... to be disturbed while I'm in a meeting.

A. am I

B. I am

C. have I

D. I ought

8. The boss didn't know what to do, ... the rest of us.

A. so did

B. did either

C. neither did

D. nor did

Exercise 31. Choose the sentence that has the closest meaning to the given one.

1. She is not only beautiful but also can study very well.

A. Not only she is beautiful but can she also study very well.

B. Not only is she beautiful but she can also study very well.

C. Not only beautiful she is but also can she study very well.

D. Not only beautiful is she but she also can study very well.

2. It was only when I heard the full story that I realized I had been taken in.

A. Only when did I hear the full story that I realized I had been taken in.

B. Only when did I hear the full story did I realize that I had been taken in.

C. Only when I heard the full story that I realized had I been taken in.

D. Only when I heard the full story did I realize that I had been taken in.

3. The money is not to be paid under any circumstances.

A. Under no circumstances is the money not to be paid.

B. Under any circumstances isn't the money to be paid.

C. In any circumstances is the money not to be paid.

D. In no circumstances is the money to be paid.

4. Mary does not realize how serious her operation is.

A. Little Mary realize how serious her operation is.

B. Little does Mary realize how serious her operation is.

C. Little did Mary realize how serious her operation is.

D. Little Mary will realize how serious her operation is.

5. Someone rang the alarm as soon as the burglar had left the building.

A. No sooner did the burglar leave the building than someone rang the alarm.

B. No sooner did the burglar leave the building than someone had rang the building

C. No sooner had the burglar left the building than someone rang the alarm.

D. No sooner had the burglar left the building than someone had rang the alarm.

6. She has not answered my letters on any account.

A. On no account has she answered my letters.

B. On no account she has answered my letters.

C. On no account will she answer my letters.

D. On no account did she answer my letters.

Exercise 32. Choose the phrase that best completes the sentence.

1. You will get there on time if you leave now.

Only if you ... get there on time.

A. left now you would

B. leave now you will

C. leave now will you

D. leave now would you

2. We didn't notice the time until it was too late.

Not until it was ... the time.

A. too late we noticed

B. too late we had noticed

C. too late do we notice

D. too late did we notice

3. It was only after I drank the milk that I realized it was sour.

Only after I had drunk the milk ... it was sour.

A. had I realized

B. I realized

C. did I realize

D. would I realize

4. If I were you, I would buy a computer.

Were ... buy a computer.

A. I you, I will

B. I you, I would

C. I you, I had

D. I you, I would have

5. There's no way I can meet him at the airport.

In no way ... at the airport.

A. I can meet him

B. I will meet him

C. can I meet him

D. will I meet him

6. She's a brilliant actress and a talented writer as well.

Not ... actress, but she is also a talented writer.

A. only she is a brilliant

B. only is she a brilliant

C. only can she a brilliant

D. only she can a brilliant

7. Don't open the door on any account while I'm out.

On no account ... the door while I'm out.

A. should you open

B. you should open

C. must you open

D. can you open

8. If I had realized how late it was, I wouldn't have stayed so long.

Had ... was, I wouldn't have stayed so long.

A. I realized how late it

B. I realize how late it

C. I would realize

D. I been realizing how late it

9. You must not open this box under any circumstances.

Under ... this box.

A. no circumstances must you open

B. any circumstances can you open

C. no circumstances you must open

D. no circumstances should you open

10. I had never seen such a fierce dog before.

Never ... such a fierce dog.

A. before I had seen

B. before I saw

C. before did I see

D. before had I seen