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Langtraveler Posted 11 years ago
Grammar

Inversion

Hello.

a. A few apples did she have.
b. A few apples she had.
c. Few apples did she have.
d. Few apples she had.

Which ones are correct?

Thank you.
  

Top answer

They are all OK if you want to sound like a poet or if you want to sound like the character 'Yoda' from the movie 'Star Wars' Otherwise, don't talk like this. Clive

— Clive

  • They are all OK if you want to sound like a poet or if you want to sound like the character 'Yoda' from the movie 'Star Wars' Otherwise, don't talk like this.
  • Clive
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5 Answers
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They are all OK if you want to sound like a poet or if you want to sound like the character 'Yoda' from the movie 'Star Wars'

Otherwise, don't talk like this.

Clive
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Thank you for your reply, Clive.
Could I ask further explanation why it sounds weird?
I would like to know about the inversion of an object which I've heard goes like this: O+S+V.
Is this kind of inversion uncommon or wrong?
Then, how could on emphasize an object by inversion?
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langtravelerI would like to know about the inversion of an object which I've heard goes like this: O+S+V.Is this kind of inversion uncommon or wrong?
We use inversion only in a few patterns:

1) Questions. What (object) do you have in your hand?
2) Sentences beginning with certain adverbs or adverb phrases:
Only then did she understand.
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Normal English word order is eg Tom broke the window.
So It sounds odd to say eg The window Tom broke.

Both of the above examples are Active Voice.
You can emphasize the object by using Passive Voice.
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langtravelerO+S+V.
In conversational English (i.e., excluding literary and poetic devices) this pattern is only seen in very simple sentences with simple verbs. The object is typically very short and frequently pronomial (that, this, him, ...). The structure is often used in contexts where several things are being compared with one another. The items
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