c1.2 - Unit 6 - Grammar

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C1.

2 - UNIT 6
GRAMMAR
EMPHASIS

There are several ways to emphasise in English in order to give strong advice,
express our opinions firmly, show disagreement, concern, etc. In other levels, you
studied that we can add the verb ‘do’, for example, to emphasise.

​ o ​admit cheating in the exam.


Id

Now, let’s remember and/or learn other ways to emphasise.

FRONTING

We can emphasise a specific part of a sentence by simply moving it to the front of


the sentence, changing the usual word order:

We see learning languages as a


Learning languages we see as a
fundamental part of a child’s education
→ fundamental part of a child’s education
these days.
these days. (​ Fronting of object)

That he completely denied. ​(Fronting of


He completely denied that. →
object)

They had been seeing each other for For some time they had been seeing
some time before anyone found out → each other before anyone found out
about it. about it. ​(Fronting of the adverbial)

‘Fronting’ involves moving parts of a sentence to the front in order to start with the
most important information, give an emphatic contrast with the previous sentence

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and provide a link with what came before by putting known information at the front of
the sentence.

What we’re going to see in the fair​ I don’t know.

I bought a new smartphone. And ​a very expensive smartphone ​it was.

Strange people​ they are!

When the fronting involves a prepositional phrase (on the corner, in front of me, etc.)
we often change the order of the subject and the verb.

On the corner​ was her new pub.

However, we don’t invert the subject and verb if the subject is a pronoun or
with time phrases:

Here stands her picture. Here it stands. ​* ​Here stands it.

* ​At nine o’clock began the show.

INVERSION - NEGATIVE INTRODUCTORY EXPRESSIONS

The following ​negative introductory expressions can be placed at the beginning of


a sentence for emphasis. In these cases, ​the subject and the verb are ​inverted
and we use the verb ​do if there is no auxiliary​. Let’s study these expressions and
examples.

● little, never, rarely, scarcely

Little ​did we know that she had already left home.

​ ad I experienced this pain.


Never h

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● no sooner … than

No sooner​ had I left home ​than i​ t started to rain.

● barely / hardly … when

Barely​ had they begun to sleep ​when​ my wife rang.

● at no time, under no circumstances, on no account, no way

Under no circumstances​ should you let anyone in.

​ ill I lend it to you!​ (informal)


No way w

● not since, not for, not a (person / thing), not only… (but also)

Not since ​the 80s have they had another hit.

Not only ​does it affect you, ​(but) i​ t ​(also)​ affects me.

● only + time expression or prepositional phrase

Only after all these years​ can I speak to him again.

Only when we had that coffee​ together did I realise I didn’t love him anymore.

● so, neither, nor (when they are used to make a short, inverted response to
agree with somebody)

‘I have to say that I am not a fan of Chinese food.’


​ or a
‘N ​ m I.’ (N
​ either​ am I)

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‘I really love a good curry.’
​ o​ do I.’
‘S

‘I am going to the Oasis concert next month.’


​ o​ am I.’
‘S

Alternatively, you can say statements of the following kind.

​ o​ do I.’
‘Jonathan normally goes shopping for clothes in London and s

​ either ​do they.’ (or ‘nor do they.’)


‘I don’t really mind staying in at weekends and n

INVERSION - ‘SO’, ‘SUCH’ AND TIME SEQUENCE ADVERBS

We can also emphasise a particular part of a sentence with ​so,​ ​such or ​time
sequence adverbs​. Let’s take a look at them.

● ‘​so​ + adjective … that’ (to emphasise an adjective)

So​ impressive was her speech ​that​ she will repeat it again.

● ‘​such​ + be … that’ (to emphasise the extent or degree of something)

Such​ ​was​ her disappointment t​ hat​ the boss didn’t give him another chance.

● time sequence adverbs such as: ​first, then, next, now,​ etc. + ​be​ or ​come

And ​then came​ a group of people to complain about the flight delay.

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INVERSION - ‘AS’ AND ‘THAN’ IN COMPARISONS

We can also use inversion with ​as and ​than in comparisons in formal written
language.

The dress was beautiful, ​as​ was the handbag.​ (Or … ​as the handbag was.)​

People say that women study more t​ han​ do men.​ (Or …​ than men do.)​

CLEFT SENTENCES

A cleft sentence is a sentence in which focus is given to either the subject or object
using a pattern beginning ‘​It​ …’ or ​‘What …
​ ‘. Let’s take a look at these examples.

​ as my mother who gave me the news.


It w

What I​ need is some rest.

● ‘​It​ +
​ ​ is/was​ + emphasised part + relative clause’

○ The relative pronoun introducing the relative clause can be ​that​,


which​, ​who or you can omit it. ​How and ​why can’t replace ​that​, and
when​ and ​where​ are used in informal English.

It​ was John w


​ ho​ called the police.

It was by changing his bank details t​ hat he could receive the money. ​(Not ​*​It was by
changing his bank details ​how​ he could…​ )

It was in this bar ​that ​I met your father. (‘​It was in this bar w
​ here ​I met your father’​
would be more informal.)

● ‘​What-​clause​ + ​is/was​ + emphasised part’

○ This is the most frequent structure, and sometimes we use ​all ​instead
of ​what​.

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What​ I need i​ s​ taking a break.

All​ I needed ​was​ a map of the facilities.

○ We can use this structure at the end of the sentence.

His arrogance was ​what upset me most​.

​ subject
○ To emphasise an action we can also use this structure: ‘​what +
+ ​do + be ​+ ​(to) + ​infinitive.’

What I did was (to) cook t​ he cake before they arrived.

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