Fronting is common with:

Adverbials (place and movement)On the table stood a vase of flowers(A vase of flowers stood on the table)

There is / there areNext to the window was a bookcase(There was a bookcase next to the window)

ParticiplesGone were the designer sunglasses(The designer sunglasses were gone)

 

 

On the ground floor was a vegetable shop.Into the room rushed my father.Gone were the polite smiles and enthusiastic sales patter.Never have I seen such a terrible mess.Why she cut her hair I cannot imagine. 

General points 

When part of a sentence is moved from its normal position to the beginning of the sentence, we call this fronting. The part of the sentence moved to the front might be the object or some other compliment, an adverbial or even the main verb itself.

Fronting is used by writers (authors, journalists etc) for dramatic effect. It is not common in everyday

speech.

It is useful to be able to recognize fronting when you see it. However, you do not need to use these structures to demonstrate a good working knowledge of English. 

These notes cover some of the more common uses of fronting. There are others but they are not very common.

*Students should not think that fronting is a general structure for giving emphasis. There are other, far more common, ways of giving emphasis more generally (adverbs, superlative adjectives, auxiliaries, cleft sentences etc.)Rules for fronting with inversion

The subject and verb change position in the following situations:(a) When the main verb is 'be'.(b) When the main verb is a verb of place: sit, stand, live, lie etc,or movement: go, walk, run, swim, fly etc.

The subject and verb do not normally change position when:(a) the verb is transitive (i.e. it takes an object).(b) when the subject is a pronoun (he, she, it, they etc.).(c) when a transitive verb is followed by an adverb of manner (slowly, happily etc.)(d) with verbs other than those of place and movement.(e) with continuous tenses.

Examples

A large white cat sat in the middle of the bed.In the middle of the bed sat a large white cat.Note: The subject and verb change position. 'Sit' is a verb of place and it is intransitive here.

The robbers ran out of the bank.Out of the bank ran the robbers.Note: The subject and verb change position. 'Run' is a verb of movement and it is intransitive here.

They rushed into the street.Into the street they rushed.Note: The subject and verb do not change position. 'Rush' is a verb of movement, but this time the subject 'they' is a pronoun.

An old man sat quietly in the corner.In the corner, an old man sat quietly.Note: The subject and verb do not change position. 'Sit' is a verb of place, but it is followed by an adverb of manner - quietly.

He'd written her address on a small piece of paper.On a small piece of paper he'd written her address.Note: The subject and verb do not change position. 'Write' is not a verb of place or movement and it is transitive - it takes the object 'her address'.

Sentences with 'there is / are

There's a small store room next to the kitchen.Next to the kitchen is a small store room.Note: The word 'there' is omitted and the subject and verb change position.

Fronting with negative adverbs of frequency: never, rarely etc 

This is quite common and can express surprise, disapproval etc.

I've never seen such careless work.Never have I seen such careless work.Note: The subject and verb change position.

I've rarely eaten such a delicious meal.Rarely have I eaten such a delicious meal.Note: The subject and verb change position.

Fronting with question-word clauses 

We don't know when he left.When he left we don't know.Note: The subject and verb don't change position.

I can't understand why she didn't tell us.Why she didn't tell us I cannot understand.

We have know idea where she has gone.Where she has gone we have no idea.

Nobody knows how he escaped.How he escaped nobody knows.