Advanced Grammar

Advanced · Grammar Reference

Unit 6 — Adding Emphasis

cleft sentences · negative inversion · pronunciation · emphatic do/does/did

6.1 Structures which add emphasis

Sentences can be emphasized by adding certain structures. They are called cleft or divided sentences. Look at this base sentence: Lucy moved to London.

Cleft structure	Meaning / focus
What Lucy did was move to London.	What = the thing which/that
All (that) Lucy did was (to) move to London.	All = the only thing
The (only/first) thing Lucy did was move to London.
Where Lucy moved to was London.	Where = the place which/that
Why Lucy moved to London was because …	Why = the reason why
It was Lucy who/that moved to London.	who = the person who/that

Or we can emphasize the whole sentence:

Structure
What happened was that	Lucy moved to London.
What surprised me was the fact that
What interests me is why

6.2 Negative inversion

Sentences can be given emphasis by negative inversion, which can take place:

After negative adverbials such as never, nowhere, not for one minute, not since, not until, never again, rarely: Not until 1918 did British women get the vote. Never had he eaten such a huge meal.
In certain established sentence patterns: Hardly had he begun to speak when the majority of the guests departed. No sooner had we sat down to dinner than the doorbell rang.
After expressions with only and no: Only when I myself became a parent did I realize the value of my parents' advice. Not only did she write short stories, but she was also a painter of talent. In no way can this government deny its guilt.

6.3 Pronunciation

Of course, a major way of adding emphasis in spoken English is by stressing individual words. In English, a change of word stress changes the meaning of a sentence.

John likes the brown shoes. (Not someone else)John likes the brown shoes. (He doesn't hate them.)John likes the brown shoes. (Not the black ones.)

📌 Note

It is possible to stress the word the (pronounced /ðiː/) when it means that something is so superior to the alternatives, it can be considered the only real choice: If John wants brown shoes, Jimmy Choo shoes are the brown shoes to buy.

6.4 Emphatic do, does, did

Do, does, and did can be used to give emphasis in positive statements in the Present and Past Simple, and also in the imperative.

John does like the brown shoes. (You were wrong!)Do come with us on holiday. We'd love you to.I do love you, really I do. He does seem rather upset.