Here
comes the bus
.
There
goes Sally
.
Here
's my number
.
But if the subject is a personal pronoun, there is no inversion:
Here
it comes
.
There
she goes
.
Here
it is
.
Subject-verb inversion in direct speech
In direct speech, if the quotation precedes the reporting verb, the subject and the reporting verb can be inverted:
"I'm so sorry,"
Maria said / said Maria
.
If the subject is long, usually there is inversion:
"Good morning,"
said the stranger in the black jacket
.
But if the subject is a personal pronoun, there is no inversion:
"Good morning,"
he said
.
Related topics:
Punctuation in direct speech
Subject-verb inversion in news headlines
In news headlines, if the reporting verb is in the final position, the subject and the reporting verb may be inverted:
AROMATHERAPY HAS NO THERAPEUTIC EFFECT,
SAY BRITISH SCIENTISTS
Subject-auxiliary inversion
In this type of inversion, the subject and the auxiliary switch positions. In the present and past simple, the auxiliaries do/does and did come before the subject, which is followed by the bare infinitive. The word order is the same as in questions.
Subject-auxiliary inversion after negative adverbials
Subject-auxiliary inversion after SO + adverb / adjective and SUCH
Subject-auxiliary inversion in questions
Subject-auxiliary inversion in question tags
Subject-auxiliary inversion in echo tags
Subject-auxiliary inversion with SO and NEITHER / NOR to express agreement
Subject-auxiliary inversion after negative adverbials
In formal and literary styles, the subject and auxiliary are inverted when negative adverbials are placed at the beginning of the sentence for rhetorical effect.
HARDLY, SCARCELY, BARELY, NO SOONER
NEVER, RARELY, LITTLE, IN / UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES, ON NO CONDITION, IN NO WAY, NOT ONLY ... BUT ALSO etc.
ONLY AFTER, ONLY IF, ONLY IN THIS WAY etc., NOT UNTIL
HARDLY, SCARCELY, BARELY, NO SOONER
HARDLY/SCARCELY/BARELY ... WHEN
NO SOONER ... THAN
When a story is told in the past tense, the adverbials hardly, scarcely, barely and no sooner are often used to emphasise that one event quickly followed another. The verb describing the earlier event is usually in the past perfect tense. If hardly, scarcely, barely and no sooner are in the initial position, the subject and auxiliary are inverted:
Hardly
had I arrived
home when my phone rang.
(I had hardly arrived home when my phone rang.)
Scarcely
had she finished
reading when she fell asleep.
(She had scarcely finished reading when she fell asleep.)
Barely
had they won
the match when the coach had a heart attack.
(They had barely won the match when the coach had a heart attack.)
No sooner
had the company launched
its new product than it went bankrupt.
(The company had no sooner launched its new product than it went bankrupt.)
Note that hardly, scarcely and barely are followed by when, while no sooner is followed by than. (Sooner is the comparative form of soon.)
Related topics:
Past perfect for actions completed before a point in the past
NEVER, RARELY, LITTLE, IN / UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES, ON NO CONDITION, IN NO WAY, NOT ONLY ... BUT ALSO etc.
When never, rarely, little etc. are placed at the beginning of the sentence for rhetorical effect, the subject and auxiliary are inverted:
Never (before)
have we faced
such a challenge!
(We have never faced such a challenge!)
Rarely
has there been
so much speculation about the future of the company.
(There has rarely been so much speculation about the future of the company.)
Little
did she understand
what the conversation was about.
(She didn't really understand what the conversation was about.)
Under no circumstances
are you allowed
to disturb the pilots.
(You are not allowed to disturb the pilots under any circumstances.)
On no condition
will the company bear
responsibility for lost property.
(The company will not bear responsibility for lost property on any condition.)
In no way
am I related
to the suspect.
(I am in no way related to the suspect. )
Not only
did he exceed
the speed limit, but he had also consumed alcohol.
(He not only exceeded the speed limit, but he had also consumed alcohol.)
Not only
were you late
, but you didn't even have a good excuse.
(You were not only late, but you didn't have a good excuse either.)
ONLY AFTER, ONLY IF, ONLY IN THIS WAY etc., NOT UNTIL
When only after, only if, only in this way etc. are placed at the beginning of the sentence for rhetorical effect, the subject and auxiliary are inverted:
Only after lunch
can you play
.
(You can only play after lunch.)
Only after finishing your homework
can you play
.
(You can only play after you finish your homework.)
Only after you have finished your homework
can you play