Check the answers to the previous exercise before you do this exercise. Then find words and phrases from the correct answers that are similar to the expressions below

1. To begin with	9. However
2. In fact	10 in short
3. As regards	11 apart from
4. For instance	12 despite the fact that
5. On the whole	13 in the end
6. Obviously	14 I mean
7. In addition	15 especially
8. Because of this

14 Emphatic structures

We often emphasise a particular part of a sentence, perhaps to contradict what someone else has said or for dramatic effect. In speech we can do this with stress and intonation alone, but we can also do this by changing the position of elements in a sentence in speech and in writing. In this unit we look at the ways we can manipulate grammar to emphasise something, by splitting one sentence into two parts (cleft sentences) or by bringing the element we want to emphasise to the beginning (fronting).

Cleft sentences.'Cleft' means divided. In a cleft sentence, information which could be given in one clause is divided into two parts, each with its own verb:

Vanessa has made the greatest impact (normal sentence: single clause, one verb)

It is Vanessa who has made the greatest impact. (cleft sentence: two clauses, two verbs)

This gives extra emphasis to part of the sentence. We often use this pattern to emphasise some piece of new information, to give explanations or to make a contrast with a previous statement (the emphasised information is in bold):

All of the Redgrave family are gifted actors. But it is Vanessawho made the greatest impact in the world of feature films.

‘I remember your uncle taking us to the fair.' 'No, it was my fatherthat took us there.'

It cleft sentences havethis structure:

it + aform of be (+ not and/or adverb) + emphasised word/phrase+ that/which/who clause

It isn't just his outlandish sense of humourthatI'm complaining about.

We can use this pattern to emphasise the subject or the object of a simple sentence, or an adverbial phrase, or a prepositional phrase:

Sentence emphasising the subject emphasising the object emphasising the adverbial emphasising the prepositional phrase

Mike took Sally to the party on Saturday. It was Mikewho took Sally to the party on Saturday. It was Sally(that) Mike took to the party on Saturday. It was on Saturday (that) Mike took Sally to the party. It was to the party (that) Mike took Sally on Saturday

In informal English we can use when and where clauses, but we do not use how or why.

It was in Januarywhen I got the test results.

It's in Green Street marketwhere we'll find the best bargains.

It was because of greed that he did it.

It is by using a calculator that he does it.

We cannot use it clefts to highlight the action or a verb complement in a sentence. We use wh- clefts to do this:

What Mike did was take Sally…

What they are is unscrupulous.

We can use this pattern to highlight the action in a sentence. For example, if we want to highlight Mike's action of taking Sally to the party:

wh- clause + a form of be + emphasised word or phrase

What Mike did was take Sally to the party.

In these sentences what means the thing(s) that. The wh- clause must contain a verb. To highlight the action we use a form of do in the wh~ clause. The highlighted phrase usually contains a bare infinitive (example above) or to + infinitive:

What Mike did was to take Sally to the party.

If the highlighted verb is in the continuous or perfect, the form of do matches it:

The boys aren't leaving Sandy at home. They are taking him to the match.

What the boys are doing is taking Sandy to the match.

Old members are absent but the new members have taken their seats in the assembly.

What the new members have done is taken their seats in the assembly.

We can also use wh- clefts to highlight a verb complement. For example, if we want to highlight the complement stingy in the sentence Jean and Bob are stingy, we can say:

wh-clause + is + emphasised complement

What Jean and Bob are is stingy!

We use this pattern most often when we want to express our opinion of something or somebody using an adjective:

'Do you think Jean and Bob are a bit cautious with their money?'

'Cautious? What they are is downright stingy!'

Other types of cleft sentence.We can use wh- clauses with when, where, why and who to highlight a person, a place, a time and a reason, but we usually use an introductory noun phrase (underlined below). The wh- clause acts like an ordinary relative clause:
The one (who) we forgot to invite was Ian.

personThe guy who told me about the new club was Zack.

placeThe house where I used to live is near here.

timeThe day (when) we left was the saddest day of my life.

reasonThe reason (why) they never told me is they don't trust me.

We can emphasise an item (described by a noun phrase or a verb phrase) with the (only/last) thing or all:

The thing I most disliked about the movie was the scene in the graveyard.

The only thing we want is a chance to air our grievances.

The last thing we did was pack the kettle.

All we're asking for is to be given a chance.

We can also use the (only) thing with a negative verb:

The thing we won't dois repair goods bought in other shops.

The only thing we didn't findwas the key to the cellar.

Reversed cleft sentences.We can reverse the order of the parts in wh- cleft sentences and put the emphasised at the beginning:

Taking Sandy to the match is what the boys are doing.

Zack was the guy who told me about the new club.

There is a form in spoken English similar to a reversed cleft using this and that:

We have to get off here. Thisis where we have to get off.

They told me the same thing That'swhat they told me.

We only use reversed it clefts in a formal literary style. We put the emphasised part before it:

And thus Cezanneit was that took the first steps on the road to Impressionism

Fronting.In spoken English we sometimes want to make a strong contrast with something in a previous statement. We can do this with objects and complements by 'fronting' them (moving them to the front of the clause), which makes them more emphatic:

'She's such a lovely person; so friendly and reliable.'

('She may be friendly but she isn't reliable,) 'Friendly she may be, but reliableshe isn’t.'

We can also front demonstrative pronouns for emphasis:

/ disagree with that.That I disagree with.

We can use fronting to help the flow of spoken or written information by putting the known information at the beginning of the sentence:

The house was large and sprawling, with two wings and a dark attic. Hilary spent

most of her time in the drawing room or the garden. The attic she rarely visited.

When we want to start a sentence with known information or we want to make an emphatic comparison with information in a previoussentence, we can use a comparative or superlative phrase at the beginning. We use a form of the verb be followed by the subject (inversion):

The first band was dire. Much more excitingwasRed Heat, the second group to

play.

Many of the monuments are truly awesome. Best of allis the Colosseum.

The actorswere a mixed bunch. Least inspiringof the lot was Pacino.

We can use a similar pattern with also and such:

Members of the royal family attended the funeral. Alsoat the service were several

ambassadors.

They led a life of abject poverty. Suchis the fate of most illegitimate children in this

province.

We can emphasisean adjective by using so + adjective + a form of be + subject + a that clause:

So intense was the heat (that) the firefighters were unable to enter the building for

two hours.

We can put knowninformation at the beginning of a sentence by putting adverbial phrases describing positionor place (e.g. At the back of the house), verbs of position and movement(e.g. stand,attach, lie) and to + infinitive forms in the front position, with inversion of the subject and verb be:

At the back of the house was an untidy garden, muchof which was taken up by a

large and unkemptlawn. Standing in the corner of the gardenwas a massively

overgrown silverbirch tree which towered over the roof of the garage. Attached to

the roof was anunsightly FM aerial.

For years I havebeen writing to the President in the White House. To meet himis my

most fervent wish.

We can also front aninfinitive form when it 'echoes' an earlierverb:

He said he wouldarrive on time.

And he did (arrive on time).

And arriveon time he did.

We can front verbs and adjectives using asand though

Battered though he was, he never lost his will to succeed.