Na een ontkennende of beperkende uitdrukking aan het begin van de zin draait de volgorde om, zoals in een vraag:
| begin | voorbeeld |
|---|---|
| Never | Never have I seen such chaos. |
| Rarely / Seldom | Rarely does he complain. |
| Not only | Not only did she win, but she also broke the record. |
| Hardly … when | Hardly had we arrived when it started to rain. |
| No sooner … than | No sooner had I sat down than the phone rang. |
| Under no circumstances | Under no circumstances should you open this. |
| Only then / Only when | Only then did I realise my mistake. |
| Little | Little did they know… |
Conditionals zonder if: Had I known… = If I had known… / Should you need help… / Were I you…