An English Teaching Plan

He Shan Peng

Teaching content:

Inversion

Teaching aims:

Learn and master the use of inversion.

Teaching important point:

Help the students to make a summary of all kinds of inversion.

Teaching difficult points:

In which cases, full inversion is used; in which cases, partial inversion is used.

Teaching type:

A revision lesson

Teaching methods:

1. Inductive methods. 2. Individual/pair work

Teaching aids:

A projector

Teaching procedures:

Step 1 Lead-in

1. Say to the students: We’ve learned some sentences in inverted word-order. Now I’ll show you some sentences on the screen. Please tell which are in natural or normal word-order, and which are in inverted word-order.

Pair One: 1.At the foot of the mountain lies a small town.

2. A small town lies at the foot of the mountain.

Pair Two: 1.In came Mr. Smith.

2. Mr. Smith came in.

Pair Three: 1. Only through hard work can you succeed.

2. You can succeed only through hard work.

(Answers: The first sentence in each pair is in inverted word-order. The second sentence in each pair is in natural word-order.)

2. To present the following on the screen and make brief explanations.

Word-order

Natural word-order: S+V.

Inverted word-order: V.+S

Auxiliary/ Modal +S+V.

Step 2 Summary and Explanation

一. Some concepts:

1. What is called Inversion?

The predicate verb is placed before the subject, the sentence is said to be in inverted word-order, and such a word-order is called inversion.

2. Why is inversion used?

Two reasons: 1. One is for the need of the grammatical structure of a given type of sentence, the other is for emphasis of a certain part of a sentence.

3. What kinds of inversion are there?

There are two kinds: Partial inversion and Full inversion.

In most cases, an auxiliary verb or a modal verb comes before the Subject and the rest of the predicate verb comes after. This kind of inversion is called partial inversion.

In the other sort of inversion, the whole verb comes before the subject. This kind of inversion is called full inversion.

二. Partial inversion and Full inversion

㈠ In the following cases, the whole predicate verb comes before the subject.

1. In the construction “there be” for existence.

E.g. There is a chair in the room.

Notes: Some other verbs can be used with “there” besides “to be”. (e.g. live, remain, come…)

2. When the sentence begins with one of the adverbs, such as here there, then, out, away, up, down, off, back…

E.g. Out rushed the boy.

Notes: When the subject is a personal pronoun, inversion can’t be used. E.g. Out he rushed.

3. When the sentence begins with “such” for referring back, which means person or thing of a specified kind.

E.g. Such are the facts.

4. When the sentence begins with a long adverbial expression of place, esp. a prepositional phrase.

E.g. On the table were some flowers.

5. The whole or part of the direct speech is placed at the beginning.

E.g. “Help!” shouted the boy.

6. To balance the sentence structure or to link the sentence closely.

E.g. They reached a farmhouse, in front of which sat a small boy.

㈡ In the following cases, part of the predicate comes before the subject.

1. In sentences beginning with negative expressions like never, seldom, hardly, little, in no way…

E.g. Hardly had he arrived when his wife began to complain.

2. In sentence structures like “Not only--- but also---“, So/Such--- that---” ---

E.g. So fast does light travel that it is difficult for us to imagine its speed.

3. When “only” which is used to modify an adverbial is placed at the beginning of a sentence. E.g. Only in this way can you succeed.

4. To avoid repetition, “so neither, nor” can be placed at the beginning of a sentence.

E.g. ---He is a student.

--- So am I.

5. In questions.

E.g. Have you finished your homework?

6. In some special forms of unreal conditional clauses.

E.g. Were I you, I would tell him this secret.

7. In sentences expressing “blessing”

E.g. May you succeed!

㈢ Pay attention to another kind of inversion.

In an adverbial clause introduced by “as” or “though”

E.g. Much as I like it, I will not buy it.

Step 3 Practice

1. ---David has made great progress recently. ---_______, and ________.

A. So he was; so you have. B. So he has; so have you

C. So has he ; so have you D. So has he; so you have

2. Not only ______ polluted but ______ crowded.

A. was the city; were the streets B. the city was; were the streets

C. was the city; the streets were D. the city was; the streets were

3. Only when the war was over ____ to his hometown.

A. did the young soldier return B. the young soldier returned

C. returned the young soldier D. the young soldier did return

4. ________ can you expect to get a pay rise.

A. With hard work B. Although work hard

C. Only with hard work D. Now that he works hard

5. I finally got the job I dreamed about. Never in all my life _____ so happy!

A. did I feel B. I felt C. I had felt D. had I felt

6. Little ______ about his own safety, though he was in great danger himself.

A. does he care B. did he care C. he cares D. he cared

7. Was ______ that I saw last night at the concert?

A. it you B. not you C. you D. that yourself

8. _______ for the free tickets, I would not have gone to the films so often.

A. If it is not B. Were it not C. Had it not been D. If they were not

9. Not a single song ____ at yesterday’s party.

A. she sang B. sang she C. did she sing D. she did sang

10. So difficult _____ it to live in an English speaking country that I determined to learn English well.

A. I have felt B. have I felt C. I did feel D. did I feel

Homework:

Finish off the exercises.