impressive grammar for Cambridge writing

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 5,6

Impressive grammar

Boost your mark by adding complex structures

Inversion

Inversion is used to create special emphasis.

When we use a negative adverb or adverb phrase at the beginning of the sentence instead of in its normal place.

Normal:

I have seldom seen such beautiful work.

Special emphasis:

Seldom have I seen such beautiful work.

Hardly      

Never

Seldom 

Rarely 

Only then 

Not only ... but 

No sooner 

Scarcely 

Only later

Nowhere 

Little 

Only in this way 

In no way 

On no account

Negative adverbs / 

adverb phrases

I in no way want to be associated with this project.

They had no sooner eaten dinner than the ceiling crashed onto the dining table.

We would understand what had happened that night only later.

The children should on no account go on their own.

Inverted conditional

We can use inversion instead of 'if' in conditionals. 

This is quite formal

Normal:

If I had been there, this problem wouldn't have happened.

Inversion:

Had I been there, this problem wouldn't have happened.

If we had arrived sooner, we could have prevented this tragedy!

If you require any further information, please contact us at our office in Green Street.

If the negotiations were to fall through, it would bring about unforeseen problems.

You use them to focus on a particular part of the sentence

I've come to discuss my future with you.

The reason why I've come is to discuss my future with you.

Your generosity impresses more than anything else.

The thing that impresses me more than anything else is your generosity.

Mary works harder than anybody else in this organisation.

The person who works harder than anybody else in this organisation is Mary.

We now need actions rather than words.

What we now need are actions rather than words.

The jewels are hidden under the floor at 23 Robin Hood Road, Epping.
The place ...

The Second World War ended on 7 May 1945 in Europe.
The day ...

The police interviewed all the witnesses to the accident first.
What ...

My brother bought his new car from our next-door neighbour last Saturday.
It was ...

Participle clauses are used to give information in a more economical way.

Not wanting to hurt his feelings, I avoided the question. present

Looked after carefully, these boots will last for many years. past

Having lived through difficult times together, they were very close friends. perfect

___ by the changing information, they thought the plane was cancelled.

1. confusing
2. confused
3. having confused

___ the paper, he saw the news about his hometown.

1. reading
2. read
3. having read

___ by a local architect and artist, the house combines traditional materials with original design.

1. building
2. built
3. having built

___ in India for two years, Kaleem could speak some Hindi.

1. living
2. lived
3. having lived

Some examples

The more help we give them, the more they request.

The less we spend, the more we save.

with adverbs:

The harder you work, the more rapidly you will obtain results.

short form:

The more the merrier!

 The ____  you study for these exams, the _________  you will do.

My neighbour is driving me mad! It seems that the _____  it is at night, the _____  he plays his music!

Earning money has always been the thing that pleases him most. The ____  he becomes, the ______  he is.

 You must drive slower in built up areas. The _____  you drive in the city, the _________  it is that you will have an accident.

more

better

later

louder

less

happier

richer

more likely

faster

more improbable