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Jacklong Posted 21 years ago
Grammar
Could?
"They believed that only then could Australia maintain its strength, independence and distinctive culture"
Here above is the sentence I wonna ask. I can understand the meaning of this sentence but the structure of it. Why we have to put 'could' ahead of 'Australia'? Don't you think the following is much better:
" They believed that only then Australia could maintian its strength, independence and distinctive culture" ?
Thank you for any information about this question.
Here above is the sentence I wonna ask. I can understand the meaning of this sentence but the structure of it. Why we have to put 'could' ahead of 'Australia'? Don't you think the following is much better:
" They believed that only then Australia could maintian its strength, independence and distinctive culture" ?
Thank you for any information about this question.
Top answer
Hello Jacklong They believed that only then could Australia maintain its strength, independence and distinctive culture This is called "dramatic inversion" or "negative inversion". You can say "Australia could only then maintain its strength, independence and distinctive culture" as a normal word order. But if you want emphasize, you would raise the adverbial phrase "only then".
- Hello Jacklong They believed that only then could Australia maintain its strength, independence and distinctive culture This is called "dramatic inversion" or "negative inversion".
- You can say "Australia could only then maintain its strength, independence and distinctive culture" as a normal word order.
- But if you want emphasize, you would raise the adverbial phrase "only then".
- This operation triggers a subject-verb inversion.
- This kind of inversion occurs especially when the adverbial phrase connote a negative or nearly negative sense and so it is called negative inversion.
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1 Answers
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Hello Jacklong
This is called "dramatic inversion" or "negative inversion". You can say "Australia could only then maintain its strength, independence and distinctive culture" as a normal word order. But if you want emphasize, you would raise the a
They believed that only then could Australia maintain its strength, independence and distinctive culture
This is called "dramatic inversion" or "negative inversion". You can say "Australia could only then maintain its strength, independence and distinctive culture" as a normal word order. But if you want emphasize, you would raise the a
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