rules.

T: What can we learn from these sentences? Please try your best to find some rules of

the inversion sentences. Volunteer?

S: The negative expression comes at the beginning of the sentence.

S: In the inversion sentences, the main verb comes after negative expressions.

T: Good! Look at these sentences carefully. What element do we invert in these sentences? Please underline them.

S: We invert the subject and the verb expression.

1. Not until at least thirty seconds had passed, was the man able to speak.

2. No sooner had the boy spoken these words, than the warden hit him on the head with the soupspoon.

3. Hardly had they sat down when the warden started shouting at them.

4. "Never had I head anything like it!" said Mr. Limbkins.

5. Only after some minutes did the warden start speaking.

6. Only then did Oliver understand his situation.

7. Seldom have I seen such courage.

T: Correct! Please find the fixed patterns in the inversion sentences.

S: "No sooner ... than ..." and "hardly ... when ...".

1. No sooner had the boy spoken these words, than the warden hit him on the head with the soupspoon.

2. Hardly had they sat down when the warden started shouting at them.

T: You are right. We also use "scarcely ... when ..." in the inversion sentences. When "not until", "no sooner" and "hardly" are used to begin sentences where two things happened, can you tell me the time sequence of these two things?

S: They happened at the same time.

T: One more thing, when we use "no sooner ... than ...", "hardly ... when ..." and "scarcely ... when ..." in the inversion sentences, what tenses do we use? First look at the sentences on the screen and find the rules. Please underline the tenses.

1. No sooner had the boy spoken these words, than the warden hit him on the head