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Emphatic Structures

Cleft sentences and inversion structures are used to emphasize specific information in a sentence. Cleft sentences introduce the emphasized idea with "it's", "what", "the thing", etc. and inversion structures place adverbial phrases like "never" or "only" at the beginning of the sentence. The document provides examples of emphatic vs non-emphatic sentences and exercises for rephrasing sentences using cleft structures and inversion with adverbial phrases.

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SERGIO ALEJANDRO VELASQUEZ SABOGAL
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193 views

Emphatic Structures

Cleft sentences and inversion structures are used to emphasize specific information in a sentence. Cleft sentences introduce the emphasized idea with "it's", "what", "the thing", etc. and inversion structures place adverbial phrases like "never" or "only" at the beginning of the sentence. The document provides examples of emphatic vs non-emphatic sentences and exercises for rephrasing sentences using cleft structures and inversion with adverbial phrases.

Uploaded by

SERGIO ALEJANDRO VELASQUEZ SABOGAL
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Emphatic structures

Cleft sentences

• Well, what happened was that in my nervous state I misread a road sign, so I
failed the test.
(In my nervous state I misread a road sign, so I failed the test.)

We use cleft sentences to highlight an item or idea that we want to emphasize. We do this
by introducing the item or idea with a phrase beginning with it’s, what, the thing, the
person, the place, the reason, all (ever) etc.

Non-emphatic sentences:

We are concerned by the high cost of the project.


The high cost of the project concerns us.
She opened our eyes.
He got a new job in Tallinn.
They always wanted to be happy.

Emphatic sentences:

It’s the high cost of the project that concerns us.


The high cost of the project is what concerns us.
What concerns us is the high cost of the project.
The thing that concerns us is the high cost of the project.
What she did was (to) open our eyes.
It was in Tallinn that/where he got a new job.
All they ever wanted was to be happy.

Auxiliary verbs

• The high cost of the project does concern us.

We add an auxiliary verb (do, does, did) to the present simple or past simple main verb to
emphasize.

• The high cost of the project concerns us. > The high cost of the project does concern
us.
• I saw him at the party. > I did see him at the party.
• I love the present. > I do love the present.

With other tenses, we stress the auxiliary when we speak.


• She is enjoying her holiday.
Exercise 1
Rephrase the sentences making them more emphatic using the words in brackets.

1) I find the relationship between spelling and pronunciation in English very difficult.
(what) >
2) Planning the details of your tri in advance has its advantages, but it also has some
drawbacks. (does) >
3) I liked that the documentary left you to make up your own mind about the rights and
wrongs of the situation. (thing) >
4) Her answer didn’t surprise me, but her violent reaction did. (it) >
5) Wherever you go in New Orleans, the quality of the live music is impressive. (it) >
6) People with that kind of selfless attitude and determination can change the world.
(it) >

Exercise 2
Finish the sentences using emphatic structures so they are true for you.

1) It’s in … where I’d love to …


2) All I ever wanted …
3) The thing I’d like to change …
4) What surprises me …
5) The person I’d like …
6) It’s … that I find most …
7) … was the year when …
8) What I do to (relax) …
9) The reason why …
10) The place where …
Inversion with adverbial phrases

• Never before had I seen such a beautiful place.


• Little did I realize how much work would it entail.

We can use adverbial phrases (no sooner, never, little, not only, only, when, etc) at the
beginning of a sentence for emphasis. The word order has to be inverted then (changed into
the word order of a question)

• I had never seen such a beautiful place. > Never had I seen such a beautiful place.

• When the smoke cleared, the extent of the damage became apparent. > Only when
the smoke cleared did the extent of the damage become apparent.

• We set off and then there was a loud bang. > No sooner had we set off than there
was a loud bang.

• We had just arrived at the party when she said she needed to leave.> Hardly had we
arrived at the party when she said she needed to leave.

Only by (-ing)
No sooner … than
Hardly … when
Not only …, but
Not until …
Such … that …
So … that …
Only when (subject + verb), (inverted word order)
Only + clause

Exercise
Use adverbial phrases to emphasize the following sentences

1) The food was burnt and cold.


2) The force of the blast was so strong that it shattered the windows of the building.
3) He managed to stay awake only by speaking to himself as he walked.
4) She opened her mouth to speak when he interrupted her.
5) He had just finished speaking when the room erupted into loud applause.
6) He realized his mistake when he opened the parcel.
7) The snake’s venom was so poisonous that just a small bite could have been fatal.

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