学员疑问：老师，Never when controversy avoided the subjects which are large and important enough to kindle enthusiasm was the mind of a people stirred up from its foundation and the impulse given which raised even persons of the most ordinary intellect to something of the dignity of thinking beings. 这个句子太复杂，看不懂。

老师解答：本句是never引起的部分倒装结构，在分析句子结构时建议把句子先转化为正常语序，然后在进行分析，这样会好一些。转化后句子变为：When controversy avoided the subjects which are large and important enough to kindle enthusiasm, the mind of a people was never stirred up from its foundation and the impulse (was never) given which raised even persons of the most ordinary intellect to something of the dignity of thinking beings.

句子主干为：The mind of a people was never stirred up from its foundation and the impulse (was never) given. 一个修饰the impulse的定语从句：which raised even persons of the most ordinary intellect to something of the dignity of thinking beings 一个when引导的时间状语从句：when controversy avoided the subjects which are large and important enough to kindle enthusiasm.

点评分析：英语中倒装是个普遍的现象，只是引导倒装的因素诸多，以上例句的情况属于否定副词Never放在句首引起的倒装。其实，我们在写作的时候，经常用到一个结尾的句式，Only in this way can we ….也是属于这种副词位于句首引导倒装的情况。那么怎么识别呢，首先，平时应该注意积累总结，对这种倒装才能做到有意识。再者，看句子还是要遵循基本的习惯，结合单词和语法结构，提炼句子的主干，区分修饰成分，还原句子完整结构和正常语序，那么自然也能下识别出这里的倒装。