Subject-auxiliary inversion

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In English, subject-auxiliary inversion occurs when an auxiliary verb precedes a subject. This is an exception to the English word order convention of subjects preceding their corresponding verbs.

[edit] Circumstances for Inversion

Subject-auxiliary inversion occurs in the following cases:

Questions where the answer is, generally, a "yes" or "no" response (as opposed to wh-questions) are formed. Yes-no questions must typically begin with an auxiliary verb.

Example #1: Did you finish your homework?

Example #2: Are you going to the store?

Example #3: Should I answer the phone?

Wh-questions with auxiliary verbs are formed.

Example #1: When did you come back?

Example #2: What did he do with the car?

Unlike yes-no questions, certain wh-questions can be formed without an auxiliary verb, thus no inversion is necessary.

Example: Who ate all the pies?

Declarative sentences with negative elements (i.e. never or not) are formed.

Example #1: Never again will I watch that opera!

Example #2: Not since childhood did she eat cotton candy.

Declarative sentences with restrictive elements (i.e. only or so) are formed.

Example #1: Only on Fridays does he go to the bar.

Example #2: So hard did she work that she overslept the next day.

It is important to note that, in declarative sentences, inversion is more a stylistic preference than a required element, while inversion is necessary in interrogative sentences.

Inversion also occurs in certain sentences with a number of adverbs: