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Deepcosmos Posted 11 years ago
Grammar

adverbial inversion

Hello, everyone?

1. I would like to have your explanation for the difference about following inversion options ;

Original sentence ; One of the biggest men I have ever seen was lying under a tree.

* option #1. Under a tree was lying one of the biggest men I have ever seen. (by Swan, in 'Practical English Usage')

* option #2. Lying under a tree was one of the biggest men I have ever seen. (by Leech, in 'A communicative Grammar of English'/He insists Subject-verb inversion is normally limited as follows; The verb phrase consists of a single verb word, in the past or present tense)

2. By Leech's theory another adverbial inversion isn't correct? ;

- On the stairs [had been left] a pair of shoes.

awaiting yours,
  

Top answer

deepcosmos * option #2. Lying under a tree was one of the biggest men I have ever seen. This sounds completely natural and normal.

— GPY

  • deepcosmos * option #2.
  • Lying under a tree was one of the biggest men I have ever seen.
  • This sounds completely natural and normal.
  • deepcosmos * option #1.
  • Under a tree was lying one of the biggest men I have ever seen.
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12 Answers
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deepcosmos* option #2. Lying under a tree was one of the biggest men I have ever seen.
This sounds completely natural and normal.
deepcosmos* option #1. Under a tree was lying one of the biggest men I have ever seen.
deepcosmos- On the stairs [had been left] a pair of shoes.
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A pair of shoes had been left on the stairs. This is the most common arrangement. It would be in used conversations or writing.
On the stairs a pair of shoes had been left. This is an arrangement for a story where the writer wants to emphasize something about the stairs.
On the stairs had been left a pair of shoes.
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GPY* option #2. Lying under a tree was one of the biggest men I have ever seen.This sounds completely natural and normal.
Gpy, many thanks for your reply.

1. Re option #2, Can I consider this construction as follows ? ;

1) Fronting of 'Lying under a tree' is due to 'a subjective complement inverion' after verb 'was'.
2) The
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AlpheccaStarsOn the stairs had been left a pair of shoes. This is probably the least common. It seems rather forced or stilted to me, but it is grammatical.
AlpheccaStars, many thanks for your reply.

1. Re option #2, Can I consider this construction as follows ? ;
1) Fronting of 'Lying under a tree' is due to 'a subjective complement in
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deepcosmos2. 'On the stairs [had been left] a pair of shoes' ;Can this one be inverted into 'Left on the stairs had been a pair of shoes' ?
No. We do not split a verb like that.
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One of the biggest men I have ever seen was lying under a tree. Good. In the main clause the subject is "one" and the verb is "was lying"
Under a tree was lying one of the biggest men I have ever seen. Inversion of the above. The verb "was lying" is inverted with the subject "one." The writer wants to emphasize something about
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Thanks your reply.
AlpheccaStarsNo. We do not split a verb like that.
* option #2. Lying under a tree was one of the biggest men I have ever seen.

Then, how could above underlined part of verb be split, which acts
as main verb for past progressive?

Best Rgds,
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deepcosmosThen, how could above underlined part of verb be split, which actsas main verb for past progressive?
It is not split. Read my previous post.
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AlpheccaStarsThe participle phrase "lying under a tree" can be analyzed as a reduced adverbial clause.
Many thanks, AlpheccaStars !!
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deepcosmos AlpheccaStarsThe participle phrase "lying under a tree" can be analyzed as a reduced adverbial clause.Many thanks, AlpheccaStars !!
My last question!!

While the participle phrase "lying under a tree" can be analyzed as a reduced adverbial clause, then why the past particilpe phrase - "Left on the stair" can not be regarded as a reduced adve
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