部分倒裝,即將主語與助動詞倒置,其結構與一般疑問句大致相同。英語中構成部分倒裝的主要情形有:
1. 含否定意義的.詞(如 never, hardly, seldom, little, few, not until, not, not only, no sooner, no longer, nowhere, by no means 等)置於句首時,其後用部分倒裝。如:
Never have I seen read such a book.
我從未讀過那樣的書。
Little do we know his life.
我們對他的生活了解得很少。
By no means should you tell him about it.
你絕不要告訴他這事。
2. only 加狀語(副詞 / 介詞短語 / 從句)放在句首時,其後用部分倒裝。如:
Only in this way can you do it well.
只有這樣你才能做好。
Only when he returned home did he realize what had happened.
當他回到家裡時,才知道出了什麼事。
3. so / neither / nor 表示前面所說的情況也適合於後者時,用so / neither / nor+助動詞+主語這樣的倒裝句式。如: