Inversion Worksheets

Related ELA Standard: L.4

Core Standard
Answer Keys Here

In the English language there are many patterns. Most sentences generally follow the sentence structure of subject-verb-object. Inversion is a literary technique that kind of knocks this structural model on its side. Inversion reorders the words in a sentence. This technique is often used in literature to emphasize certain words, but it can also be used to point out details the author wants the reader to remember. The technique of leaning towards details is called bread crumbing. These worksheets will put students through the ringer with using inversion within live sentences.

Inversion Worksheets To Print:

Rewrite It – Shock up these sentences with a little inversion in their lives.

Only ______ Do That... – Make these high impact statements with a dash of cool words.

Inversion in Questions – Invert a bit to make these into questions.

Inversion and Expressions of Time – We now try to detail a negative expression of time.

Be Bold! – We pick out a word for you and ask you to emphasize it.

Writing with Inversion – You invert the subject and the auxiliary verb in a sentence in order to add emphasis.

Inversion and Succession of Events – Rewrite each sentence, using inversion to emphasize the negative expression of time.

Emphasizing Time with Inversion – Complete each sentence, using time related inversion techniques.

Busy Bee – Complete each sentence using inversion, beginning with the word or phrase indicated.

Using Inversion for Emphasis – Make that bold word even more important than it seems.

Turning a Sentence Upside Down – Revise or complete each sentence, using inversion.

Writing Sentences Using Inversion – We point out the ten most common negative phrases.

Changing Word Order for Emphasis – Use inversion to create emphasize in each of the sentences below.

Writing with Inversion – Students work off of the word that they are given.

Be An Original – "Rarely" and "Under no circumstances" seems to trip up young writers.

How to Use Inversion (Anastrophe)


Inversion can also be called anastrophe. The word "anastrophe" comes Greek meaning "to turn back". In general it flips the sentence paradigm of subject-verb-object. We saw this literary technique used by a master when we were younger, in fact a Jedi master. Yeas, I'm talking about Yoda from everyone favorite, Star Wars. Instead of saying, "Count Dooku has joined the Dark Side!", good old (and I mean ancient) Yoda would say: "Joined the Dark Side, Dooku has!" Classic Yoda, but also classic anastrophe technique.


Poets often use inversion to maintain a rhyme scheme that can often be difficult as they get longer in length. William Shakespeare was a master of this technique; he often placed the verb before the subject in many of his works. His Sonnets are thought to maintain poetic structure almost through sole use of this technique.


In general there are two methods for using inversion in your sentences. The first is to switch the position of your verb and subject. Let's say we working off of the standard sentence "I ran on the blacktop." This technique would result in the switch of the verb (ran) and subject (blacktop). The resulting sentence would be, "On the blacktop I ran." In true Yoda style! The second method is to switch the positions of the subject and auxiliary. The auxiliary usually trails the subject, but with this technique it would lead into the subject.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



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