Explanation & examples: Expressing emphasis - Inversion + constructions with it and what + intensifiers

1  Inversion (after a negative adverbial phrase)

        

In formal English, and in written language in particular, we use negative adverbials at the beginning of the sentence to make it more emphatic or dramatic.

The word order is inverted: the negative adverbial is placed first, an auxiliary verb follows it and the subject of the sentence comes next.

The inversion can take place after a clause that begins with

Not until

Only after/if/when

Never (before), rarely, seldom;

Barely/hardly/scarcely...when/before;

No sooner....than

Under/In no circumstances, In no way...

Not a (noun), not only.... but also, not until...

Little (with a negative meaning)

Look at the following examples:

• Never have I encountered such rudeness! (extract from a letter of complaint about the service in a restaurant)
• Not only is Amanda Swift a gifted musician, but she is also good-natured and responsible. (extract from a covering letter)
• No sooner had he locked the door than the phone started ringing.
• Only when the last person had left did she sit down and try to relax.
• Under no circumstances can you inform the staff about the imminent changes.
• Not a sound could be heard in the church.
• Little does Michael suspect that his daughter has been failing all her subjects at school!

2  Use of auxiliary verbs

        

We often insert an auxiliary verb into the positive form for emphasis.

• Your mother does cook good food.
• Sue is on a diet, but she does eat chocolate from time to time.
• I did want to tell you, but I didn't know how.
• He did arrive late.

3 Emphatic constructions with it and what

        

The most common word order for a sentence in English is:

        

subject + verb   + object +  complement (adverbial phrase)

 I             like        your cat         most of all.

    

However, if we want to emphasise that we like something (more than anything else), we can use a cleft sentence that begins with a what-clause + verb be.

• What I like (most) about this job is the perks.

Similarly, if we want to emphasise a particular person (more than anyone else), we use a cleft sentence with it + be + who.

• It was Bill Gates who co-founded Microsoft in 1975.

4  Intensifiers

a  So, really, absolutely, completely

   

We use these words with positive and negative adjectives.

• It’s so/really exciting.
• His new film is absolutely/completely amazing.

Absolutely and completely are usually only used with extreme adjectives, e.g. fantastic, awful) which already describe an extreme quality.

• The day was completely perfect. (not completely good)
• The presentation was absolutely horrific. (not absolutely bad)

b  far - much

Far is used for emphasis with too + adjective, and in comparatives.

• Mary’s far too intelligent for her job.
• There are far more books in the library than there used to be.
• She’s far clumsier than I am.
• The test was much easier than we expected