0

It came from the novel Matilda.

And then suddenly, click
went her face into a look of almost seraphic calm.

Is this sentence inversion ?

I searched the inversion on the google and I found several cases when inversion is used

but there was no case like above

3
  • 1
    [I searched for, but better is: I looked for ]
    – Lambie
    Commented Jul 6, 2020 at 14:30
  • As in Pop Goes the Weasel (not The Weasel Goes Pop). Even kids know that one! Commented Jul 6, 2020 at 14:33
  • just started learn English..
    – ju so
    Commented Jul 6, 2020 at 14:41

1 Answer 1

3

It is indeed a stylistic inversion. It has the verb of motion (went) which is being used metaphorically, and it is inverted. It is exemplified on a forum post

The starter's gun went bang and the runners went off at a good pace.

Bang went the starter's gun and the runners went off at a good pace.

Although you could go further and say

Bang went the starter's gun, and off the runners went, at a good pace.

The purpose is to bring the short onomatopoeia "click" to head the phrase "click went her face", and give end weight to the longer "went her face"

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .