How to be emphatic?

Emphatic structures as they Emphatic structures as they areare

It is/was (not) + Subject/Object/Location +

that/who(m)

It was the principle who organised the school concert.

It is the TV that wakes me up every morning.It was I/me who spoiled the party!It was they/them that came first.Was it here that you met him?

That is/was + question word

That’s what he told the police.That was the place we were supposed to meet at.Is that where she’s living now?Was that why he resigned?

Question word + is/was it+ THAT(works with questions)

Who was it THAT sent you flowers?Where is it where you are planning to go on vacation?

Question word+Subject+Verb+is/was

What I need is some good advice.What I hate is your breaking promises.

Question word + ever (to emphasise emotions)

Whoever did you talk to?Whatever are you doing here?Wherever did you find it?Whenever you called me, I would come to help!

Present/Past Simple or Imperative Mood + DO/DOES/DID + BARE

infinitiveI do love you!He did tell me he was leaving.I did need your help.He does care for you!Do sit down, please!

NB: In Russian it will be translated as на самом деле, все же, правда, действительно итп

InversionInversion

We exchange the positions of the Subject and the Auxillary Verb in

the sentence to give emphasis

Certain expressions at the beginning of the sentence

Seldom/RarelyScarcely (ever)…whenHardly (ever)…whenNo sooner…thanNot only…but alsoLittle…Barely…Nowhere…Not till/until…

In no way…In/Under no

circumstances…Never (before)…Not even once…On no occasion…On no account…Only in this way…Nor…/neither…

Only then…Only after…Only if… Only when.. (+ inversion in the main

clause)Only by…Not since… + after So, such, to such a degree

(in result clauses)

Need examples?• Not only do they attach importance to this idea,

but also make an attempt to put it into practice.• Rarely do we see him these days.• No sooner had we got into the house than he

phoned us.• Only after had he graduated, did he start

looking for a job.• Only if you invite her, will she come to the

party.• Not until all the tests had been completed,

were we told the results.• So careful is she that she never makes any

mistakes.• Such a brilliant student was he that he was

offered a scholarship.

In Conditionals

• Should I meet him today, I will tell him about your request.

• Were we away from home, we would miss our nearest and dearest.

• Hadn’t Mendeleev dreamed about the periodictable, it would have taken much time to invent it.

To express agreement

So, neither/nor, as

I don’t like sushi. – Neither do I.Mary hasn’t invited Tom. – Nor have I.I want to see Jared Leto live! – So do I! His colleagues respected him as did his

boss.

After adverbs of placeHere comes the bride!Away ran the burglar!

In direct speech after the quote where the subject is a noun

«I’ve never seen him», said Helen.