Adding Emphasis in English - Cleft Sentences, Inversion

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Writing for Advanced Level English Learners

Adding Emphasis in English - Special Forms

By Kenneth Beare
English as 2nd Language Expert

There are a number of ways

to add emphasis to your
sentences in English. Use
these forms to emphasize
your statements when you
are expressing your
opinions, disagreeing,
making strong suggestions,
expressing annoyance, etc.

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Use of the Passive

Paul Bradbury/ OJO Images/ Getty Images
The passive voice is used
when focusing on the person or thing affected by an action. Generally, more
emphasis is given to the beginning of a sentence. By using a passive sentence, we
emphasize by showing what happens to something rather than who or what does
something.

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In this example, attention is called to what is expected of students (reports).

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Invert the word order by placing a prepositional phrase or other expression (at no
time, suddenly into, little, seldom, never, etc.) at the beginning of the sentence
followed by inverted word order.

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At no time did I say you couldn't come.

Hardly had I arrived when he started complaining.
Little did I understand what was happening.
Seldom have I felt so alone.

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Note that the auxiliary verb is placed before the subject which is followed by the main
verb.
Expressing Annoyance

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Me" in Spanish

Use the continuous form modified by 'always', 'forever', etc. to express annoyance at
another person's action. This form is considered an exception as it used to express a
routine rather than an action occurring at a particular moment in time.

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Examples:
Martha is always getting into trouble.
Peter is forever asking tricky questions.
George was always being reprimanded by his teachers.

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Note that this form is generally used with the present or past continuous (he is
always doing, they were always doing).
Cleft Sentences: It
Sentences introduced by 'It is' or 'It was' are often used to emphasize a specific
subject or object. The introductory clause is then followed by a relative pronoun.
Examples:
It was I who received the promotion.
It is the awful weather that drives him crazy.
Cleft Sentences: What
Sentences introduced by a clause beginning with 'What' are also used to emphasize a
specific subject or object. The clause introduced by 'What' is employed as the subject
of the sentence as is followed by the verb 'to be'.

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What he thinks isn't necessarily true.

Exceptional Use of 'Do' or 'Did'
You have probably learned that the auxiliary verbs 'do' and 'did' are not used in
positive sentences - for example: He went to the store. NOT He did go to the store.
However, in order to emphasize something we feel strongly these auxiliary verbs can
be used as an exception to the rule.
Examples:
No that's not true. John did speak to Mary.
I do believe that you should think twice about this situation.
Note this form is often used to express something contrary to what another person
believes.

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