When constructing sentences like ‘So numerous are the family’s properties that they cannot name them at all.’ and ‘So numerous the family’s properties are that they cannot name them at all.’, the positioning of the verb ‘are’ is an important aspect of understanding English sentence structure, particularly when it comes to inverted word order.
1. Understanding Inversion in English Grammar
In English, inversion occurs when the normal subject-verb-object word order is reversed. This often happens in certain sentence types such as questions, conditionals, or sentences starting with an adverbial phrase (like ‘so’ or ‘never’). In the case of ‘So numerous are the family’s properties…’, the inversion is used to emphasize the magnitude or extent of the properties.
2. Correct Sentence Structure
The correct sentence structure is ‘So numerous are the family’s properties that they cannot name them at all.’ In English, when an adverbial phrase (such as ‘so’) starts the sentence, inversion is required, meaning the subject (‘the family’s properties’) follows the verb (‘are’). This inversion is necessary for the sentence to sound grammatically correct and natural.
On the other hand, the structure ‘So numerous the family’s properties are that they cannot name them at all.’ is incorrect because the subject (‘the family’s properties’) appears before the verb (‘are’), which breaks the pattern of inversion in this type of construction.
3. Why Inversion Is Used
Inversion helps create emphasis. The phrase ‘So numerous’ emphasizes the degree to which the family’s properties are numerous, and the inversion of the subject and verb in this case draws attention to that emphasis. Without the inversion, the sentence would be flat and less impactful. It follows the rule that adverbs or adverbial phrases (like ‘so’, ‘never’, ‘only’) placed at the beginning of a sentence often require subject-verb inversion.
4. Examples of Inverted Sentences
To further understand the use of inversion, here are some other examples:
- ‘So happy is she that she cannot stop smiling.’
- ‘Never have I seen such a beautiful sight.’
- ‘Only after the meeting did they realize the importance of the decision.’
As you can see, in all of these examples, the verb precedes the subject, which creates a sense of emphasis and stylistic formality.
Summary
In conclusion, the correct sentence is ‘So numerous are the family’s properties that they cannot name them at all.’ This is an example of subject-verb inversion, which is used to emphasize the extent of the properties being discussed. Understanding inversion and its use in English grammar helps create more powerful and stylistically sophisticated sentences.
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