Which term describes a reversal of normal word order in a sentence?

• A. Anastrophe
• B. Alliteration
• C. Inversion
• D. Metaphor

Answer: (C)

Reversing the usual order of words in a sentence is called inversion. In English, the normal flow is subject-verb-object, so moving the verb before the subject or placing an element at the front creates inversion, which often adds emphasis or a specific rhythm. For example, starting with an adverbial phrase: “Never have I seen such a sight.” or placing the predicate before the subject: “On the hill stood a lone cabin.” In rhetoric, anastrophe is a related idea—a specific stylistic choice to invert word order for effect—so it’s closely tied to inversion, but the general concept being tested is just the reversal of order. Alliteration and metaphor describe sound patterns and figurative meaning, not word order. So the term that describes a reversal of normal word order is inversion.