La inversión (inversion) invierte el orden normal del sujeto y el verbo. Es común en escritura formal y en énfasis dramático, especialmente cuando una oración empieza con un adverbio negativo.
Nunca había visto algo así.
→
Never had I seen such a thing.
Ella rara vez se queja.
→
Rarely does she complain.
¡Atención! La inversión solo ocurre si el adverbio negativo está al principio de la oración. Si aparece después, no hay inversión: She had never seen... (normal).
Adverbios que provocan inversión
Never / Rarely / Seldom
Never have I seen such beauty. Rarely does she complain.
No sooner ... than
No sooner had I left than it started raining.
Hardly / Scarcely ... when
Hardly had we sat down when the bell rang.
Not only ... but also
Not only is she clever, but she is also kind.
Under no circumstances
Under no circumstances should you open this door.
Only + time/way
Only then did I realise the truth.
Condicionales invertidos (repaso)
Si lo hubiera sabido antes, habría venido.
→
Had I known earlier, I would have come.
Si ganara la lotería, viajaría.
→
Were I to win the lottery, I would travel.
Si necesitas ayuda, contáctanos.
→
Should you need assistance, contact us.
Sin tu ayuda, habría fracasado.
→
Were it not for your help, I would have failed.
Estructura de la inversión
Adverbio negativo + auxiliar + sujeto + verbo principal
Ella nunca había visto algo así.
→
Never had she seen anything like it.
Ella rara vez se quejaba.
→
Rarely did she complain.
Si no hay auxiliar en la oración original, se añade do/does/did: She rarely complained → Rarely did she complain.
Errores frecuentes
Cuando el español interfiere
Never I have seen such a film.
→
Never have I seen such a film.
El auxiliar va antes del sujeto.
Hardly I had arrived when she called.
→
Hardly had I arrived when she called.
Después de hardly, el auxiliar va antes del sujeto.
No sooner I had sat down when it rang.
→
No sooner had I sat down than it rang.
La estructura es no sooner ... than, no "when".
Resumen
Estructura
adv. neg. + aux + sujeto + verbo
Never have I seen...
Disparadores
never · rarely · seldom · hardly · no sooner · not only