Emphasis

Emphasis is showing or stating that something is particularly important or worth giving attention to. Some common ways of adding emphasis are:

FRONTING

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:

I met Irma and Marie ten years ago. Addi I didn't meet till last month.

2) Placing the subordinate clause before the main clause:

Because he was feeling depressed, Daniel stayed in bed all day.

3) Placing preposition and adverb phrases that are not part of another phrase before the subject of the sentence:

Despite its high cost of living, Paris attracts a lot of foreign visitors.

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):

First came the wind and then came the rain.

CLEFT SENTENCES

1) What + subject + auxiliary verb + is/was + infinitive with/without to:

They advertised on television. ► What they did was (to) advertise on television.

2) What + subject + main verb + is/was + to infinitive:

I really want to find a job in Bogota. ► What I really want is to find a job in Bogota.

3) It + is/was + [that]:

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.

4) All / The last thing + subject + verb + is/was:

My house needs a swimming pool to make it perfect. ► All my house needs is a swimming pool to make it perfect.

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.

USING ADVERBS

A large number of adverbs can be used to add emphasis. Note how the adverbs highlighted in blue in the sentences below add emphasis:

I personally always fly on scheduled airlines.

When my grandson first arrived in Los Angeles, he couldn't speak the language. He couldn't even say 'good morning' and 'thank you'.

REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS

We can also use reflexive pronouns (myself, himself, itself, themselves, etc.) to emphasise nouns or pronouns:

I phoned my bank and the phone was answered by the managerhimself. ( = I was expecting someone less senior to answer the phone)

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.

Exercise 1

Exercise 2