What is inversion, and when do formal texts put the verb first?
In standard English, sentences follow the pattern Subject + Auxiliary + Main Verb: The FAA has rarely issued such a broad directive. Inversion reverses this order, moving the auxiliary verb in front of the subject: Rarely has the FAA issued such a broad directive. The meaning stays the same, but the fronted element carries extra emphasis and the register becomes formal or literary.
Continue reading Structure: ‘Inversion’