倒装句有两种:
将主语和谓语完全颠倒过来,叫做完全倒装(Complete Inversion)。如:In came a man with a white beard.
只将助动词(包括情态动词)移至主语之前,叫做部分倒装(Partial Inversion)。如:Only once was John late to class.
英语句子的倒装一是由于语法结构的需要而进行的倒装,二是由于修辞的需要而进行的倒装。前一种情况,倒装是必须的,否则就会出现语法错误;后一种情况,倒装是选择性的,倒装与否只会产生表达效果上的差异。下面本文就拟从其修辞功能谈谈倒装句的用法。
一、 表示强调:
倒装句最突出、最常见的修辞效果就是强调,其表现形式如下:
1. only +状语或状语从句置于句首,句子用部分倒装。
eg.Only in this way can you solve this problem. 只有用这种方法 ,你才可以解决这个问题。
eg.Only after he had spoken out the word did he realize he had made a big mistake.只有当他已经说出那个字后才意识到自己犯了个大错误。
2. not, little, hardly, scarcely, no more, no longer, in no way, never, seldom, not only, no sooner等具有否定意义的词或词组位于句首,句子用部分倒装。
eg. No sooner had I got home than it beg.an to rain. 我刚到家就下起了雨。
eg. Seldom do I go to work by bus. 我很少乘公共汽车上班。
3. so / such...that结构中的so或such位于句首可以构成部分倒装句,表示强调so /such和that之间的部分。
eg.So unreasonable was his price that everybody startled. 他的要价太离谱,令每个人都瞠目结舌。
eg.To such length did she go in rehearsal that
