inverted

Everyday

1. Inverted means turned upside down or the other way round. tree →
2. Inverted commas are the punctuation marks ‘ ’ or « » used around speech or a quote; also called speech marks or quotation marks. tree →

In the lessons

In English (UK SATs), pupils punctuate speech with inverted commas: ‘Come here,’ said Mum. In maths, an inverted fraction is turned over (2/3 becomes 3/2) — used when dividing fractions. In science, a lens makes an inverted (upside-down) image.

Examples

• Put inverted commas around what the character says. tree →
• The camera made an inverted picture. tree →
• Turn the jar inverted on the plate. tree →
• To divide by a fraction, multiply by the inverted fraction. tree →
• The bat hung inverted from the branch. tree →
• The letters on the reflection looked inverted. tree →
• The roof had the appearance of an inverted flower, and the colors grew deeper and brighter to the gazer. tree →

Note

Verb: invert. UK schools say «inverted commas»; US says «quotation marks». In maths, «invert» = flip (reciprocal): 4 becomes 1/4.