[Grammar] Only about 459 years ago was sugar added to create the kind of chocolate we know

"Only about 459 years ago was sugar added to create the kind of chocolate we know and love today."

Is the above sentence grammatically correct? If then, the original sentence before the inversion is

"Sugar was added to create the kind of chocolate we know and love today only about 450 years ago"?



Thank you.

I'm not sure if logically "450 years ago" can be "only," but it's OK grammatically.

SoothingDave said:

I'm not sure if logically "450 years ago" can be "only," but it's OK grammatically.

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"Only" would be appropriate if the previous sentence said something like, "Chocolate has been around since prehistoric times."

A negative or restrictive adverbial (the latter including one beginning 'only') at the beginning of a sentence tends to occasion interrogative word order in the verb phrase, e.g.

Not only did he catch the ball but he did so almost without moving.

(Cf. Formal/literary sentences beginning with certain locative adverbials, which occasion full subject-verb inversion, e.g.

Down the hill rolled the gingerbread man. )

If so,

"Only about 459 years ago sugar was added to create the kind of chocolate we know and love today." is grammatically incorrect?

The inversion has to happen "ALWAYS" when a restrictive adverbial phrase is at the beginning of a sentence?

Then, what about

"Only about 459 years ago, sugar was added to create the kind of chocolate we know and love today."?


Appreciate.

No, in the case of restrictives, it is common but not obligatory. In the case of negative adverbials, however, it is generally obligatory.