Subject–auxiliary Inversion
Subject–auxiliary inversion involves placing the subject after a finite auxiliary verb, rather than before it as is the case in typical declarative sentences (the canonical word order of English being subject–verb–object).
Note that forms of the verb be are included regardless of whether or not they function as auxiliaries in the sense of governing another verb form.
A typical example of subject–auxiliary inversion is given below.
- Sam has read the paper. - Statement
- Has Sam read the paper? - Yes–no question formed using inversion
Here the subject is Sam, and the verb has is an auxiliary. In the question, these two elements change places (invert). If the sentence does not have an auxiliary verb, this type of simple inversion is not possible. Instead, an auxiliary must be introduced into the sentence in order to allow inversion:
- Sam enjoys the paper. - Statement with the non-auxiliary verb enjoys
- *Enjoys Sam the paper? - This is idiomatically incorrect; simple inversion with this type of verb is considered archaic
- Does Sam enjoy the paper? - The sentence formulated with the auxiliary does now allows inversion. For details of the use of do, did and does for this and similar purposes.
For exceptions to the principle that the inverted verb must be an auxiliary, see below.
It is also possible for the subject to invert with a negative contraction (can't, isn't, etc.). For example:
- He isn't nice.
- Isn't he nice? - The subject he inverts with the negated auxiliary contraction isn't.
Compare this with the uncontracted form Is he not nice? and the archaic Is not he nice?.
Subject–verb Inversion in English
Subject–verb inversion in English is a type of inversion where the subject and verb (or chain of verbs, verb catena) switch their canonical order of appearance, so that the subject follows the verb(s), e.. A lamp stood beside the bed → Beside the bed stood a lamp. Subject–verb inversion is distinct from subject–auxiliary inversion because the verb involved is not an auxiliary verb.