How many examples of inversion can you fit into one song? This one has 9 examples of inversion with non-limiting adverbials as well as one inverted conditional, because advanced-level students also need to have fun in the ESL classroom from time to time!
- Never would I have…
- Never could I have…
- Barely had she said…
- No sooner was she…
- Only now do I understand…
- Little did they think…
- Had I known…
- Not once did I think…
- Rarely do we ever get…
This song comes with a worksheet and is available for download in mp3. To see other suggestions on how to use this song in class, click here.
Lyrics
Never would I have thought to break your lonely heart
Never would I have thought to take your love apart
Never could I have brought myself to betray your love
Never would I have lost all hope so soon
Barely had she said to me me “I do”,
She looked at him and mumbled “I love you”
No sooner was she wearing my ring,
She was gazing over at him
“What do you take this man to be?”
Only now do I understand
How it feels to be stabbed in the back
Little did they think of how much pain,
They would cause, it all sounds so insane
Oh, had I known how much it hurt…
Not once did I think there is no reason to go on living
And so I picked myself up and I dusted myself down
And then I got a decent song out of all this heartaching
‘Cause rarely do we ever get a second chance in love
So I told her…
Suggested activity: rewrite the lyrics
Look at the text below and try to change some of the phrases so that they use inversions.
I would never have thought to break your lonely heart
I would never have thought to take your love apart
I could never have brought myself to betray your love
I would never have lost all hope so soon
She had barely said to me “I do”,
She looked at him and mumbled “I love you”
As soon as she was wearing my ring,
She was gazing over at him
“What do you take this man to be?”
I understand only now
How it feels to be stabbed in the back
They thought very little of how much pain,
They would cause, it all sounds so insane
If I had known how much it hurt…
I didn’t think once there is no reason to go on living
And so I picked myself up and I dusted myself down
And then I got a decent song out of all this heartaching
‘Cause we rarely ever get a second chance in love
So I told her…
.
If you enjoyed the song or if you think it will be useful for your students at least, remember this song comes with a worksheet and is available for download in mp3.
