3. She really does like street markets

Focus on

street market in LondonImagen en Flickr bajo licencia CC 

What do the following sentences have in common? What do the words in bold mean?

  1. We must draw our attention to the fact that Alesha likes street markets.
  2. She does like spending hours browsing through the market's stalls.
  3. She really loves spending her free time wandering about Camden Town.
  4. Not only does she find old music but also vintage clothes.
  5. It is old records that she is crazy about.
  6. What Portobello Road Market offers you is food, vintage clothes, bric-a-brac, music, antiques and so on.
 

Adding emphasis in English

There are a number of ways to add emphasis to your sentences in English. In each of the sentences above we are using a different form to emphasize our statements.  

1. Verbs to emphasize: Highlight, emphasize, underline, bring attention, draw one's attention. See example number 1 above.

2. Dummy auxiliary do: It is used to emphasize sentences in present (do/don't/does/doesn't) or past (did/didn't). It is placed in front of the base form of the verb and it doesn't have any meaning. It just emphasizes the main verb of the sentence. See example number 2.

3. Adverbs used to emphasize: really, simply, literally, for sure. See example number 3.

4. Inversion after certain adverbs: There is a group of adverbs which are placed at the beginning of a sentence for emphasis and they are followed by interrogative order. See example number 4 above.

Some of these adverbs are: never, hardly, seldom, rarely, scarcely, in no circumstances, under no circumstances, not only, so, neither, nor, little...

5. Cleft sentences - It: Sentences introduced by 'It + verb to be' are often used to emphasize a specific subject or object. The introductory clause is then followed by a relative pronoun. See example number 5 above.

6. Cleft sentences - What: Sentences beginning with 'What' are also used to emphasize a specific subject or object. The clause introduced by 'What' is employed as the subject of the sentence which is followed by the verb 'to be'. See example number 6 above.

Watch the video below for a more in-depth explanation of cleft sentences

 

Vídeo alojado en Youtube
 

 

Let's practise how to emphasize sentences in English.

 Rewrite the sentences putting the words in the correct order. Begin with the underlined word.

  1. friends old my all was missed I What
  2. somewhere own my of home a is want I All
  3. complaining constant her is angry me makes What
  4. passport my lost I that was happened What
  5. price the was most me surprised that thing The
  6. clear not is emigrated they why reason The
  7. apologise to had I was happened that All
  8. idea the had first who dad my was It
 

Rewrite the following sentences using the word or words given in brackets to add emphasis.

  1. London markets sell everything ranging from food to clothes and antiques. (Do) 
  2. She got some bargains at Brooklyn Flea Market. (Did)
  3. She got some bargains at Brooklyn Flea Market. (It was)
  4. She got some bargains at Brooklyn Flea Market. (What)
  5. He has seldom bought designer clothes. (Seldom)
  6. She adores cheap leather clothes. (What)
  7. I have never bought second-hand furniture. (Never)
  8. You can go not only to Camden Town but also to Portobello Road. (Not only...but also)

Creado con eXeLearning (Ventana nueva)