TOEFL

SKILL 16   INVERT THE SUBJECT AND VERB WITH CONDITIONALS

In certain conditional structures, the subject and verb may also be inverted. This can occur when the helping verb in the conditional clause is had, should, or were, and the conditional connector if is omitted.

If he had taken more time, the results would have been better.

Had he taken more time, the results would have been better.

I would help you if I were in a position to help.

I would help you were I in a position to help.

If you should arrive before 6:00, just give me a call.

Should you arrive before 6:00, just give me a call.

In each of these examples you can see that when if is included, the subject and verb are in the regular order (if he had taken, if I were, if you should arrive). It is also possible to omit if; in this case, the subject and verb are inverted (had he taken, were I, should you arrive).

The following example shows how this sentence pattern could be tested in the Structure section of the TOEFL test.

Example

The report would have been accepted____in checking its accuracy.

(A)     if more care

(B)     more care had been taken

(C)     had taken more care

(D)      had more care been taken

In this example a connector (if) and a subject and verb are needed, but if could be omitted and the subject and verb inverted. Answer (A) is incorrect because it contains the connector if and the subject care but no verb. Answer (B) is incorrect because it contains the subject care and the verb had been taken but does not have a connector. In answers

(C) and (D), if has been omitted. Because it is correct to invert the subject more care and the helping verb had, answer (D) is correct.

The following chart lists the conditional verbs that may invert and the sentence patterns used with them:

		INVERTED SUBJECT AND VERB WITH CONDITIONAL
		had		should	were
When the verb in the conditional clause is had, should, or were, it is possible
to omitted		if and invert the subject and verb
(omitted if)		V	S
		were	he	here, he would help.
It is also possible to keep if. Then subject and verb are not inverted
If		S  V
If	he were		here, he would help.

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SKILL 17   INVERT THE SUBJECT AND VERB WITH COMPARISONS

An inverted subject and verb may occur also after a comparison. The inversion of a subject and verb after a comparison is optional, rather than required, and it is a rather formal structure. There have been a number of inverted comparisons on recent TOEFL tests, so you should be familiar with this structure.

My sister spends more hours in the office than John.

My sister spends more hours in the office than John does.

My sister spends more hours in the office than does John.

All three of these examples contain the comparison more . . . than, and all three are correct in English. It is possible to have the noun John alone, as in the first example; it is possible that the comparison is followed by the subject and verb John does, as in the second example; it is also possible that the comparison is followed by the inverted subject and verb does John, as in the third example.

The following example shows how this sentence pattern could be tested in the structure section of the TOEFL test.

Example

The results of the current experiment appear to be more consistent than____the results of any previous tests.

(A)  them

(B)  were

(C)  they were

(D)  were they

In this example you should notice the comparison more consistent than, and you should also understand that the results of the current experiment is being compared with the results of any previous tests. Because the results of any previous tests is the subject, only a verb is needed; the best answer to this question is therefore answer (B) . We know that it is possible for a subject and a verb to be inverted after a comparison, and in this case the subject the results of any previous tests comes after the verb were.

The following chart lists the sentence patterns used with comparisons:

INVERTED SUBJECT AND VERB WITH COMPARISONS

The subject and verb may invert after a comparisons. The following structure are both possible

S	V	comparison	S		V
We	were	more prepared than	the other performers		were
S	V	comparison	V		S
We	were	more prepared than	were	the other performers

NOTE: A subject-verb inversion after a comparison sounds rather formal.

EXERCISE (Skills 16-17): Each of these sentences contains a structure that could require an inverted subject and verb. Circle the structures that may require inverted subjects and verbs. Underline the subjects once and the verbs twice. Then, indicate if the sentences are correct (C) or incorrect (I).

____	1.	Did the scientist explain what he put in the beaker?
____	2.	Hardly ever it snows in this section of the country.
____	3.	Elijah scored more points in yesterday’s basketball final than had any other
		player in history.
____	4.	In the state of California, earthquakes occur regularly.
____	5.	He should ever call again, please tell him that I am not at home.

TOEFL EXERCISE Choose the letter of the word or group of words that best completes the sentence.

1.    Potassium has a valence of positive one because it usually loses one electron when ____with other elements.

a.    does it combine

b.    it combines

c.    in combining

d.    combination

2.    ____test positive for antibiotics when tanker trucks arrive at a milk processing plant, according to federal law, the entire truckload must be discarded.

a.         Should milk

b.        If milk

c.         If milk is

d.        Milk should

3.    Located behind____the two lacrimal glands.

a.    each eyelid

b.    is each eyelid

c.    each eyelid are

d.    each eyelid which is

4.    The economic background of labor legislation will not be mentioned in this course,____be treated.

a.         trade unionism will not

b.        nor trade unionism will

c.         nor will trade unionism

d.         neither trade unionism will

5.    Only for a short period of time____run at top speed.

a.        cheetahs

b.        do cheetahs

c.         that a cheetah can

d.        can