Fiche à imprimer : No sooner, hardly, not only : l'inversion après une négation (Terminale)

Anglais	Français
Never have I seen such a mess.	Jamais je n'ai vu un tel désordre.
No sooner had I arrived than it started to rain.	À peine étais-je arrivé qu'il s'est mis à pleuvoir.
Hardly had she left when the phone rang.	Elle venait à peine de partir que le téléphone a sonné.
Not only does he sing, but he also dances.	Non seulement il chante, mais en plus il danse.
Rarely do we see such talent.	On voit rarement un tel talent.
Under no circumstances should you open it.	Vous ne devez l'ouvrir sous aucun prétexte.

Quand une expression négative ou restrictive commence la phrase, on inverse auxiliaire + sujet, comme dans une question : Never have I seen.... Au présent ou au prétérit simple, on ajoute do / does / did : Not only does he sing.... C'est un style soutenu, très apprécié à l'écrit du bac.

Mise en situation : un récit dramatique

Journalist : What happened when you reached the summit?

Que s'est-il passé quand vous avez atteint le sommet ?

Climber : No sooner had we arrived than a storm broke out.

À peine étions-nous arrivés qu'une tempête a éclaté.

Journalist : Were you scared?

Avez-vous eu peur ?

Climber : Never have I been so frightened. Not only was it freezing, but we couldn't see anything.

Jamais je n'ai eu aussi peur. Non seulement il faisait un froid glacial, mais on ne voyait rien.

À retenir

Never / Rarely / Not only / Hardly / No sooner + auxiliaire + sujet.
No sooner... than ; Hardly... when.
Présent / prétérit simple : do / does / did.

Exercice 1 : L'inversion négative : exercice 1 (QCM)

« Jamais je n'ai vu un tel désordre. »
1. Never I saw such a mess.
2. Never have I seen such a mess.
3. Never I have seen such a mess.
« À peine étais-je arrivé qu'il a plu. »
1. No sooner had I arrived when of it rained.
2. No sooner had I arrived than it rained.
3. No sooner I had arrived than it rained.
« Non seulement il chante... »
1. Not only he does sing...
2. Not only he sings...
3. Not only does he sing...
« On voit rarement un tel talent. »
1. Rarely see we such talent.
2. Rarely do we see such talent.
3. Rarely we see such talent.
Après No sooner, on utilise...
1. than
2. that
3. when
Après Hardly, on utilise...
1. that
2. when
3. than
« Elle venait à peine de partir que le téléphone a sonné. »
1. Hardly had she left when the phone rang.
2. Hardly she had left when the phone rang.
3. Hardly had she left than of the phone rang.
« Sous aucun prétexte vous ne devez l'ouvrir. »
1. Under no circumstances you should open it.
2. In no circumstance you open it.
3. Under no circumstances should you open it.
« Jamais je n'ai eu aussi peur. »
1. Never I was so frightened.
2. Never I have been so frightened.
3. Never have I been so frightened.
« Non seulement il faisait froid... »
1. Not only it was cold...
2. Not only did it was cold...
3. Not only was it cold...

Exercice 2 : L'inversion négative : exercice 2 (à compléter)

Never .......................... I seen such a mess.
No sooner had I arrived .......................... it started to rain.
Hardly had she left .......................... the phone rang.
Not only .......................... he sing, but he also dances.
Rarely .......................... we see such talent.
Under no circumstances .......................... you open it.
Never have I .......................... so frightened.
Not only .......................... it freezing, but it was dark.
No sooner .......................... we arrived than a storm broke out.
Not only did she win, but she .......................... broke the record.

Exercice 3 : L'inversion négative : mise en situation

Le journaliste demande ce qui s'est passé au sommet.
1. What happened when you reached the summit?
2. What happened when you reach the summit?
3. What did happen when you reached the summit?
À peine arrivés, une tempête a éclaté.
1. No sooner had we arrived than a storm broke out.
2. No sooner had we arrived when a storm broke out of.
3. No sooner we had arrived than a storm broke out.
Jamais tu n'as eu aussi peur.
1. Never I was so frightened.
2. Never have I been so frightened.
3. Never I have been so frightened.
Non seulement il faisait glacial, mais on ne voyait rien.
1. Not only did it freezing, but we couldn't see nothing.
2. Not only it was freezing, but we couldn't see anything.
3. Not only was it freezing, but we couldn't see anything.
Dans ta dissertation : rarement un pays a autant changé.
1. Rarely changed a country so much.
2. Rarely a country has changed so much.
3. Rarely has a country changed so much.
Consigne : n'ouvrez la porte sous aucun prétexte.
1. Under no circumstances you should open the door.
2. Under no circumstances should you open the door.
3. In no circumstance open you the door.
Elle venait à peine de partir que le téléphone a sonné.
1. Hardly she had left when the phone rang.
2. Hardly had she left when the phone rang.
3. Hardly had she left than the phone rang.
Non seulement elle a gagné, mais elle a battu le record.
1. Not only she won, but she also broke the record.
2. Not only did she won, but she broke also the record.
3. Not only did she win, but she also broke the record.
Jamais tu n'as vu un tel paysage.
1. Never have I seen such a landscape.
2. Never I saw a such landscape.
3. Never I have seen such a landscape.
Ce style est...
1. formal
2. familiar of
3. slang

Corrigé

Exercice 1

1. b) Never have I seen such a mess. · 2. b) No sooner had I arrived than it rained. · 3. c) Not only does he sing... · 4. b) Rarely do we see such talent. · 5. a) than · 6. b) when · 7. a) Hardly had she left when the phone rang. · 8. c) Under no circumstances should you open it. · 9. c) Never have I been so frightened. · 10. c) Not only was it cold...

Exercice 2

1. have · 2. than · 3. when · 4. does · 5. do · 6. should · 7. been · 8. was · 9. had · 10. also

Exercice 3

1. a) What happened when you reached the summit? · 2. a) No sooner had we arrived than a storm broke out. · 3. b) Never have I been so frightened. · 4. c) Not only was it freezing, but we couldn't see anything. · 5. c) Rarely has a country changed so much. · 6. b) Under no circumstances should you open the door. · 7. b) Hardly had she left when the phone rang. · 8. c) Not only did she win, but she also broke the record. · 9. a) Never have I seen such a landscape. · 10. a) formal