英語句子通常有兩種語序，一種是自然語序(Natural Order)，又稱正裝語序，另一種便是本章要介紹的倒裝語序(Inverted Order)。
　　從形式上分，倒裝有兩種：全部倒裝(Full Inversion)和部分倒裝(Partial Inversion)。謂語動詞全部位于主語之前的稱作全部倒裝，例如：In front of me stood a boy. (我面前站著一個男孩。)只將謂語動詞的一部分(通常是助動詞或情態(tài)動詞)放在主語之前的稱作部分倒裝，例如：Only in this way can we do it better. (只有這樣，我們才能做得更好一些)從使用目的區(qū)分，倒裝也有兩種情況，即語法倒裝(Grammatical Inversion)和修辭倒裝(Rhetorical Inversion)。語法倒裝是由于語法規(guī)則的要求而必須進行的倒裝，例如：Who called me just now?(剛才誰打給我?)修辭倒裝是出于修辭的需要而把正常語序轉為倒裝語序，例如：Out rushed the children.(孩子們沖了出去)H·Fowler歸納倒裝的原因有九種，即疑問、命令、驚嘆、假設、平衡、銜接、點題(signpost)、否定和韻律(metrical)。這并不完全，還應加上強調和為使描寫更加生動兩種。在英語中，倒裝句俯拾即是，用得非常普遍，但漢語卻很少用，所以在翻譯倒裝句時，仍應按原文詞序翻譯，并照顧漢語的習慣，以保持譯文句子結構流暢、勻稱。本章只列舉在閱讀文章中常遇到的倒裝現象，以使考生熟悉英語和漢語在語序上的差異。
　　1. Jack London poured into his writings all the pain of his life,the fierce hatred of the bourgeoisie that it had produced in him,and the conviction it had brought to him that the world could be made a better place to live in if the exploited would rise up and take the management of society out of the hands of the exploiters.
　　第一層：Jack London 主 poured 謂 into his writings 狀 all the pain 賓 of his life,定 the fierce hatred 賓 of the bourgeoisie 定 that it had produced in him ,定語從句1 and 連 the conviction 賓 it had brought to him 定語從句2 that the world could be made a better place to live in if the exploited would rise 同位語從句 up and take the management of society out of the hands of the exploiters .
　　第二層：(定語從句1)that 引 it 主 had produced 謂 in him 狀
　　(定語從句2)it 主 had brought to 謂 him 間賓
　　(同位語從句)that 引 the world 主 could be made 謂 a better place 賓 to live in 定 if the exploited would rise up and take the man- 狀語從句 agement of society out of the hands of the exploiters.
　　第三層：(狀語從句)if 引 the exploited 主 would rise up 謂 and 連 take 謂 the management 賓 of society 定 out of the hands of the exploiters 狀
　　要點 本句為倒裝句。如果賓語較長或賓語結構比較復雜，往往將賓語后置，采用倒裝語序，以使句子保持平衡。本句的賓語由三個并列的名詞構成，且第二和第三個名詞后又帶有限定性定語從句，故采用倒裝語序，將動詞poured的賓語放在狀語into his writings之后。all the pain……，the fierce hatred……和the conviction……是poured的三個并列的賓語;其中，第一個that引導的定語從句修飾hatred,it had brought to him修飾conviction,在該定語從句中其關系代詞作賓語而被省略;第二個that從句則是conviction的同位語從句。