Adding emphasis
To add emphasis we can use:
Passive voice Exceptional use of do/did Adverbs such as always, never for annoyance Inversions Cleft sentences (It/what/all/ the reason
why, the thing that, the person/people who, the place where, the day when )
Cleft sentences
A cleft sentence is a sentence that is cleft (split) so as to put the focus on one part of it. Because there are two parts to the sentence it is called cleft(from the verb cleave) which means divided into two.
Cleft sentences are particularly useful in writing where we cannot use intonation for purposes of focus or emphasis, but they are also frequently used in speech.
The It cleft
The cleft sentence is introduced by it, which is followed by a verb phrase whose main verb is generally be. The focused part comes next, and then the rest of the sentence is introduced by a relative pronoun, determiner (possessive, article, or relative adverb. Tom felt a sharp pain after lunch. It was Tom + who felt a sharp pain after lunch It was after lunch + that Tom felt a sharp pain.
Di read a poem in the cafe last night.
It was Di who read a poem in the cafe last night. It was a poem that Di read in the cafe last night. It was in the cafe that Di read a poem last night. It was last night that Di read a poem in the cafe.
The What-Cleft
The what-cleft form differs slightly from the previous one. The information that receives the most emphasis comes at the end of the sentence. It is formed by : 1. what + verb phrase + BE Patients suffering inspires the research. What inspires the research is patients suffering. 2. What + subject + verbs expressing an emotive response to something (like, adore, dislike, enjoy, hate, like, loathe, love, need, prefer, want, etc.) + BE I enjoyed the music most of all in the Ballet performance. What I enjoyed most in the Ballet performance was the music.
3. What + subject + (should/must/can) + DO/DID + BE. What-clauses are also often used with does/do/did and with the verb happen when we want to give emphasis to the whole sentence, rather than a particular clause. The police interviewed all the witnesses to the accident first. What the police did first was (to) interview all the witnesses to the accident. You should invest all your money in telecoms companies. What you should do is (to) invest all your money in telecoms companies.
The All-Cleft
It is sometimes very effective to use all instead of what in a cleft structure if you want to focus on one particular thing and nothing else. I want a new coat for Christmas. All I want for Christmas is a new coat.
I touched the bedside light and it broke. All I did was (to) touch the bedside light and it broke.
Exercises
Transform these sentences adding emphasis.
1. I like the wonderful beaches in Tenerife. 2. I had a party last Friday, not last Saturday. 3. Mary is always telling lies, not John. Monica studied English at La Laguna university. 4. You should go on a diet. 5. You can eat in this restaurant after 8.00 p.m. 6. I don't like his clothes. 7. I just need ten minutes to finish this task. 8. I came back because I had forgotten to close the windows. (reason) 9. I washed all the clothes except the blouse. (thing) 10. I would like to go to Paris on my next holiday. (place)
