L’inversion d’insistance (Never have I…)
Après certaines expressions négatives ou restrictives en début de phrase, l’anglais utilise l’ordre de la question. Cela sonne soutenu et insistant.
| début | exemple |
|---|---|
| Never / Rarely / Seldom | Never have I seen such chaos. |
| Not only … but also | Not only did she win, but she also broke the record. |
| Hardly / No sooner … than | No sooner had we arrived than it started to rain. |
| Only then / Only when | Only then did I understand. |
| Under no circumstances | Under no circumstances should you open this. |
Conditionnelles sans if
Had I known, I would have come (Si j’avais su…). · Should you need help, call us. · Were it not for you, …
Exemples
- Rarely do we see such talent.On voit rarement un tel talent.
- Not until I moved abroad did I appreciate my family.Ce n’est qu’en partant à l’étranger que j’ai apprécié ma famille.
- Should you have any questions, please contact us.Pour toute question, n’hésitez pas à nous contacter.
- Little did he know what was waiting for him.Il ne se doutait pas de ce qui l’attendait.
- No sooner had she left than the phone rang.À peine était-elle partie que le téléphone a sonné.
Erreurs courantes
- ✗ Never I have seen such chaos.✓ Never have I seen such chaos.Après never en début de phrase l’auxiliaire se place avant le sujet, comme dans le français jamais je n’ai vu.
- ✗ Rarely we see such kindness.✓ Rarely do we see such kindness.Après rarely en début de phrase il faut do avant le sujet.
- ✗ Not only she sang, but she also danced.✓ Not only did she sing, but she also danced.Après not only en début de phrase did se place avant le sujet et le verbe reste à la forme de base.
- ✗ Hardly I had arrived when it rained.✓ Hardly had I arrived when it rained.Après hardly en début de phrase l’auxiliaire had se place avant le sujet.
- ✗ Only then I realised.✓ Only then did I realise.Après only then, did se place avant le sujet et le verbe reste à la forme de base.