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Emphasis is showing or stating that something
is particularly important or worth giving attention to. Some
common ways of adding emphasis are: |
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FRONTING |
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Fronting involves placing information
at or near the beginning of a sentence.
1) Placing the complement or direct object of a verb before the
subject: |
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I met Irma and Marie ten years
ago. Addi
I didn't meet till last month. |
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2) Placing the subordinate clause before the
main clause: |
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Because he was feeling depressed, Daniel stayed
in bed all day. |
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3) Placing preposition and adverb phrases
that are not part of another phrase before the subject of the
sentence: |
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Despite its high cost of living, Paris attracts a
lot of foreign visitors. |
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4) The verb can come before the subject of
the sentence if it comes after a linking word for sequence (e.g.
first, then, next, later): |
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First came the
wind and
then came the rain. |
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CLEFT SENTENCES |
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1) What + subject + auxiliary verb + is/was +
infinitive with/without to: |
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They advertised on television.
►
What they did
was (to) advertise on television. |
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2) What + subject + main verb + is/was + to
infinitive: |
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I really want to find a job in Bogota.
►
What I really
want is to find a job in Bogota. |
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3) It + is/was + [that]: |
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I like visiting other countries, but I
don't enjoy flying.
►
I like visiting other countries, but
it's flying (that)
I don't enjoy. |
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4) All / The last thing + subject + verb + is/was:
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My house needs a swimming pool to make it
perfect.
►
All my house
needs is a swimming pool to make it perfect. |
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Maria definitely doesn't want to have to
leave the town where she grew up.
►
The last thing
Maria wants is to leave the town where she grew
up. |
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USING ADVERBS |
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A large number of adverbs can be used to add
emphasis. Note how the adverbs highlighted in blue in the
sentences below add emphasis: |
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I
personally
always fly on scheduled airlines. |
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When my grandson first arrived in
Los Angeles, he couldn't speak the language. He couldn't
even say
'good morning' and 'thank you'. |
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REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS |
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We can also use reflexive pronouns (myself,
himself, itself, themselves, etc.) to
emphasise nouns or pronouns: |
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I phoned my bank and the phone was
answered by the manager
himself.
( = I was expecting someone less senior to answer
the phone) |
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IMPORTANT: We often use reflexive
pronouns to emphasise that someone did something alone and
without help: He's sailing round the world in a boat he built
himself. We emphasise the surprising ability to also build
boats - compare this with: He's sailing round the world in a
boat he built. |
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On the next page you will be able to practise
this grammar. |
