Emphasis

and
Inversion
Integrated language skills 3: Grammar
 01
Emphasis
In spoken English, it is possible to emphasize certain parts of a
sentence simply by using stress. Underline the words you would stress
in the following sentences to emphasize the information in brackets.

a. I have read most of Dickens’ novels. (but you haven’t)

b. I have read most of Dickens’ novels. (you are wrong to say that I
haven’t)
c. I have read most of Dickens’ novels. (but not all of them)
d. I have read most of Dickens’ novels. (but I haven’t read much of
George Eliot)
e. I have read most of Dickens’ novels. (but not his letters or other
writings)
In spoken English, it is possible to emphasize certain parts of a
sentence simply by using stress. Underline the words you would stress
in the following sentences to emphasize the information in brackets.

a. I have read most of Dickens’ novels. (but you haven’t)

b. I have read most of Dickens’ novels. (you are wrong to say that I
haven’t)
c. I have read most of Dickens’ novels. (but not all of them)
d. I have read most of Dickens’ novels. (but I haven’t read much of
George Eliot)
e. I have read most of Dickens’ novels. (but not his letters or other
writings)
 02
Cleft sentences
a. Dickens captured the imagination of Victorian England.
b. It was Dickens who captured the imagination of Victorian
England.

a. Dickens devoted so much time to writing because his personal

life was unhappy.
b. It was because his personal life was unhappy that Dickens
devoted so much time to writing.

a. Dickens published Pickwick Papers in 1836.

b. It was in 1836 that Dickens published Pickwick Papers.
English has a grammatical mechanism for
focussing on words we wish to emphasize:
we begin the sentences with it, and ‘point’
to the words.
Each sentence in now divided (cleft) to form
two clauses. Either who or that can be used
to refer to persons, but in all other cases we
use that.
 Cleft sentences

What, meaning ‘the thing that’, can also be used to

add emphasis.

Critics have always admired Dickens’ style.

What critics have always admired is Dickens’ style. Or

Dickens’ style is what critics have always admired.
 Cleft sentences

1. I didn’t like the ending of the movie.

What I __________________________.
The ending of the movie was ______.
 Cleft sentences

1. I didn’t like the ending of the movie.

What I didn’t like was the ending of the movie.

The ending of the movie was what I didn’t like.
 Cleft sentences

2. His joke about career women annoyed me.

 Cleft sentences

2. His joke about career women annoyed me.

What annoyed me was his joke about career

women.
His joke about career women was what annoyed
me.
It is possible to focus on an action by using
what + subject + do + be + (to) infinitive

He wanted to popularize his books, so what he did was (to)

travel around the country.
This rather repetitive structure is found more
commonly in informal spoken English when
telling a story, rather than in good written
English.

1. I’d lost my keys, so I broke a window.

2. They wouldn’t answer the phone, so I
wrote to them.
3. We couldn’t afford a hotel, so we went
camping.
● The word all, meaning ‘the only thing that’, can be used
in a similar way to emphasize that a particular action is
the only one that is performed.

Our literature lessons were rather dull. All we did was read the books
out loud round the class.

all + subject + verb + be

can also be used to focus on the complement, as in

I went to the bookshop to look for a first edition, but all I found was a
second-hand paperback.
 The differences in meaning
All + subject + do + be + infinitive

Can express two ideas:

1. I don’t know what’s wrong with the computer. All I did was switch
it on.

2. Jack wasn’t very good company at Christmas. All he (ever) did was
play on his Nintendo Gameboy.
 The differences in meaning
All + subject + do + be + infinitive

Can express two ideas:

1. I don’t know what’s wrong with the computer. All I did was switch
it on. (absolving himself from blame)

2. Jack wasn’t very good company at Christmas. All he (ever) did was
play on his Nintendo Gameboy. (making a critical remark)
 Let’s think about the meaning

I don’t know what’s upset her. All I did was ask how her driving test went.

The handle’s come off the suitcase, but all I did was pick it up.

I can’t stand her. All she ever does is talk about herself.

I’ll never go on holiday with you again. All you have done since we arrived is complain.

It’s not surprising she doesn’t like you. All you ever do is shout at her.

It’s most unfair that they’ve sent him to prison. All he did was lie.
● The word all, meaning ‘the only thing that’, can be used
in a similar way to emphasize that a particular action is
the only one that is performed.

Our literature lessons were rather dull. All we did was read the books
out loud round the class.

all + subject + verb + be

can also be used to focus on the complement, as in

I went to the bookshop to look for a first edition, but all I found was a
second-hand paperback.
 All + subject + do + be + infinitive
focus on the complement

It was a terrible accident, but he broke an arm and nothing else.

All he broke was his arm.

 All + subject + do + be + infinitive
focus on the complement

He’s very dull. He talks about himself and nothing else.

You’ve got to do something about your child’s diet. She eats bread and
nothing else.

I’ve had a rather unsuccessful day’s shopping. I’ve bough one shirt and
nothing else.
 All + subject + do + be + infinitive
focus on the complement

He’s very dull. He talks about himself and nothing else.

All he does is talk about himself.

You’ve got to do something about your child’s diet. She eats bread and
nothing else.
All she eats is bread.

I’ve had a rather unsuccessful day’s shopping. I’ve bough one shirt and
nothing else.
All I’ve bought is one shirt.
 03
Practice
student’s book, p. 106
 04
Inversion
 Inversion
Inversions are usually used with negative adverbs, or words
considered negative, like seldom, scarcely, hardly, rarely.

If there is no ready-made auxiliary like have or be to form the

inversion, what do you need to use?
 Inversion
Inversions are usually used with negative adverbs, or words
considered negative, like seldom, scarcely, hardly, rarely.

If there is no ready-made auxiliary like have or be to form the

inversion, what do you need to use?
 Inversion
a. Not only _____ they hate going abroad but they also hate
going on holiday.

b. Never _____ he arrive on time. He is always at least half

an hour late.

c. Not a sound _____ they make, they were so frightened of

being discovered.
 Inversion
a. Not only do they hate going abroad but they also hate
going on holiday.

b. Never does he arrive on time. He is always at least half an

hour late.

c. Not a sound did they make, they were so frightened of

being discovered.
 Inversion
We use an inversion when words such as rarely, little, only
then appear at the beginning of a sentence because they
suggest a negative or restricted meaning, e.g. rarely=not
often, little=not much, only then=not before.

HARDLY/SCARCELY/NO SOONER
Hardly/Scarcely had they closed the door
_______ the alarm went off.
No sooner had they closed the door _______
the alarm went off.
 Inversion
We use an inversion when words such as rarely, little, only
then appear at the beginning of a sentence because they
suggest a negative or restricted meaning, e.g. rarely=not
often, little=not much, only then=not before.

HARDLY/SCARCELY/NO SOONER
Hardly/Scarcely had they closed the door when
the alarm went off.
No sooner had they closed the door than
the alarm went off.
 Inversion
Often the inversion of the verb in the main clause appears
later in the sentence.

He managed to unlock the door by trying again and again.

Only by trying again and again did he manage to unlock the

door.

She realized that something was wrong when s

she set foot in the house.
Only...
 Inversion
Often the inversion of the verb in the main clause appears
later in the sentence.

He managed to unlock the door by trying again and again.

Only by trying again and again did he manage to unlock the

door.

She realized that something was wrong when s

she set foot in the house.
Only when she set foot in the house did she realize
that something was wrong.
 05
Practice
student’s book, p. 177
 06
Further practice
HOMEWORK
 Let’s practice
Rewrite the sentences so as to emphasize the underlined words.
The Government now needs a new sense of purpose.

We need quality, not quantity.

Two persistent journalists uncovered the scandal.

The trouble started when the police arrived.

Cheap rented accommodation is now desperately needed in London and other large cities.

You learn a foreign language only by constant practice.

 Thanks!
Does anyone have any questions?
jelena.jeremic@filum.kg.ac.rs

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