Mini-lesson What are Emphatic Structures and why do we use them? As their name implies, emphatic structures add emphasis to a subject in a sentence in one of three ways.

1. Inversion
   • Simple way to remember: NOT SVO but VSO. This structure is common with negative adverbs.
   • Examples:
     • I have never been so offended in my life. = Never in my life have I been so offended.
     • If Sam had known she likes cats, he would have brought her to a cat café = Had Sam known she likes cats, he would have brought her to a cat café.
2. Fronting
   • Some 'element' (adjective, adverbial phrase, etc) goes to the FRONT of the sentence.
   • Examples:
     • In total panic the deer shot out of the woods. = Out of the woods the deer shot, in total panic.
     • I was so happy that I couldn't sleep. = So happy I was that I couldn't sleep.
     • The phone dropped onto the floor. = On the floor the phone dropped.
3. Cleft Sentences
   • This is the hardest of the three but basically it means cutting one clause (or sentence) into TWO, again to emphasise a PART of a sentence. There are two types;
     • IT – Clefts
     • WH – Clefts

-	IT – Clefts :

Pattern: It + be + underlined word/phrase + that/who clause

Sentence	The python ate a deer in the forest last night.
Subject as focus	It was the python that ate a deer in the forest last night.
Object as focus	It was a deer that the python ate in the forest last night.
Time as focus	It was last night that the python ate a deer in the forest.
Place as focus	It was in the forest that the python ate the deer last night

-	WH – Clefts :

• Examples:
  • We'd like to inspect your kitchens. = What we'd like is to inspect your kitchens.
  • The companies maximise their profits. = What the companies do is maximise their profits.

Inversion/Fronting Task 1) Rewrite the sentences starting with the suggested word

1. My father never ate ice-cream.
   Never Check
   Never did my father eat ice-cream.
2. Young people have never thought about their actions and its consequences.
   Never Check
   Never have young people thought about their actions and consequences.
3. There were a great number of bees in the hive.
   A Check
   A great number of bees there were in the hive.
4. Joy seldom visits her parents during her holidays.
   Seldom Check
   Seldom does Joy visit her parents during her holidays.
5. She was so happy to have passed the examinations.
   So Check
   So happy she was to have she passed the examinations.
6. He was the richest person before his death.
   The Check
   The richest person he was before his death.
7. The Ebola virus is spreading so fast that I’m sure it will reach Hong Kong soon.
   So Check
   So fast the Ebola virus is spreading that I’m sure it will reach Hong Kong soon.
8. The mosquito was very annoying.
   Very Check
   Very annoying the mosquito was.
9. She became a teacher after she left America.
   Only Check
   Only after she left America did she become a teacher.
10. The weather was so hot that we decided to go to the beach.
    So Check
    So hot was the weather that we decided to go to the beach.
11. I finally understood what she was on about after a few slides.
    Only Check
    Only after a few slides did I finally understand what she was on about.
12. If you had been treated properly, you wouldn’t be here right now.
    Had Check
    Had you been treated properly, you wouldn’t be here right now.
13. He ate chocolate ice-cream immediately.
    The Check
    The chocolate ice-cream he immediately ate.
14. They want to go to Las Vegas one day.
    One Check
    One day they want to go to Las Vegas.

Cleft Sentences Task 2) Identify the number of ways the sentence can be written with the IT cleft and rewrite the sentences.

1. Simon studied Linguistics at the University of Texas. (It was)
   1. 1
   2. 2
   3. 3
   4. 4
   Check

   -	It was at the University of Texas that Simon studied Linguistics.
   -	It was Linguistics that Simon studied at the University of Texas.
   -	It was Simon who/that studied Linguistics at the University of Texas.

2. Kenny hated the party because of the balloons. (It was)
   1. 1
   2. 2
   3. 3
   4. 4
   Check

   -	It was Kenny who hated the balloons at the party.
   -	It was the balloons that Kenny hated at the party.
   -	It was the party that Kenny hated because of the balloons

3. When I got home I realised I hadn’t left any food for the cat.
   1. 1
   2. 2
   3. 3
   4. 4
   Check

   -	It was when I got home that I realised I hadn’t left any food for the cat.

4. I don’t like the smile of his. (It is)
   1. 1
   2. 2
   3. 3
   4. 4
   Check

   -	It is the smile of his that I don’t like.

5. Freedom is what the younger generation are talking about nowadays. (It is)
   1. 1
   2. 2
   3. 3
   4. 4
   Check

   -	It is freedom that the younger generation are talking about nowadays.
   -	It is the younger generation that are talking about freedom nowadays.
   -	It is nowadays that the younger generation are talking about freedom.

6. We are looking for the princess. (It)
   1. 1
   2. 2
   3. 3
   4. 4
   Check

   -	It is the princess who/that we are looking for.

7. Mary gave the puppy some milk for dinner. (It was)
   1. 1
   2. 2
   3. 3
   4. 4
   Check

   -	It was Mary who gave the puppy some milk for dinner.
   -	It was the puppy that Mary gave milk to for dinner.
   -	It was the airport where Nick saw his mum before he left America.
   -	It was before he left America that Nick saw his mum at the airport.

Task 3) Rewrite using WHAT cleft

1. We need to focus on defence rather than offence to win this game.
   Check
   What we need to do is to focus on defence rather than offence to win this game.
2. You should go home and study.
   Check
   What you should do is go home and study.
3. She always pretends to be a kind person in front of the teachers.
   Check
   What she always does is pretend to be a kind person in front of the teachers.
4. I love the Maldives because of its tranquillity.
   Check
   What I love about the Maldives is its tranquillity.
5. I want to sing carols on Christmas Eve.
   Check
   What I want to do on Christmas Eve is sing carols.
6. I wish we can go to the park for Christmas Eve.
   Check
   What I wish is that we can go to the park for Christmas Eve.
7. The incident caused him to become a loner.
   Check
   What the incident caused was for him was to become a loner.
8. The dog barked at the thief.
   Check
   What the dog did was bark at the thief.