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In grammar we talk about inversion when we change the normal order of the elements in a statement.
The most basic form of inversion consists of putting an auxiliary verb before the subject of a clause.
Is this yours?
Have you gone mad?
May I join you?
Under no circumstances will we tolerate this kind of behaviour.
N.B. When there is no auxiliary verb, we use do or did:
I understood what she meant only then.
Only then did I understand what she meant.
I realised my mistake only when I saw the price.
Only when I saw the price did I realise my mistake.
Usage
Inversion is used a lot when we make questions, exclamations and short answers. It is also very common to use inversion when we report direct speech.
With adverbs of place, we often use inversion; this is common in descriptions. Here we do not use the auxiliary do, but the whole verb is put before the subject:
A young man stood against the wall.
Against the wall stood a young man.
We can replace if in a conditional sentence with an inversion when we use were, had or should:
If you were younger, you could get in free.
Were you younger, you could get in free.
If I had seen you, I would have asked you to the party.
Had I seen you, I would have asked you to the party.
If you should want anything, please call me.
Should you want anything, please call me.
When we make comparisons with the conjunction as, we can use inversion.
She is beautiful, as her daughter is.
She is beautiful, as is her daughter.
When we use an adverbial starting with only at the beginning of a sentence, we use inversion:
Only when I saw him, did I realise how much he had grown.
Only in England does it rain on bank holidays.
N.B. With not only, we often use but also
Not only had we lost our coats but also our wallets.
Many negative adverbials take inversion:
Under no circumstances will she...
Seldom have I...
Rarely do we...
Never have I...
Never before has it...
On no account must you...
Not until I...did I...
Hardly had I...when...
Scarcely had we...than...
No sooner had she...than...
So {adjective} was he...that...
We also use inversion with neither, nor & so.
