English – Emphasis: Cleft Sentences and Inversion – BAC Literary Stream

English – Emphasis: Cleft Sentences and Inversion – BAC Literary Stream

Emphatic structures help you highlight important information in a sentence. They are useful for the BAC writing section to add sophistication to your style.

Cleft Sentences with ‘It is/was… that/who’:

Used to emphasize a particular element of the sentence.

• Normal: “Ahmed bought the car yesterday.”
• Emphasis on subject: “It was Ahmed who bought the car yesterday.”
• Emphasis on object: “It was the car that Ahmed bought yesterday.”
• Emphasis on time: “It was yesterday that Ahmed bought the car.”

Cleft Sentences with ‘What’:

Used to emphasize the action or thing.

• “What I need is a good rest.”
• “What impressed me most was his courage.”
• “What we should do is study harder.”

Inversion for Emphasis:

Inverting the subject and verb creates emphasis. Common with negative adverbials.

• “Never have I seen such a beautiful view.”
• “Not only did she pass the exam, but she also got the highest mark.”
• “Hardly had we arrived when it started raining.”
• “No sooner had I left than the phone rang.”
• “Seldom do we visit our relatives.”
• “Only after finishing my homework did I watch TV.”

Emphatic ‘Do/Does/Did’:

Add emphasis to the verb in affirmative sentences.

• “I do believe you are right.”
• “She does work very hard.”
• “We did enjoy the party last night.”

BAC Exercise:

Rewrite for emphasis:
1. My brother helped me. → It was ________.
2. I want to travel abroad. → What ________.
3. I have never seen such a beautiful sunset. → Never ________.
4. She not only sings but also dances. → Not only ________.
5. I like your honesty. → What ________.

Answers: 1. my brother who helped me, 2. I want is to travel abroad, 3. have I seen such a beautiful sunset, 4. does she sing but also dance, 5. I like is your honesty

Similar Lessons

• English – Intensifiers and Downtoners: Expressing Degree
• English – Linking Words

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• English Grammar and Writing — Causative Verbs: Have, Get, Let, Make — BAC Practice Part 14 — 3rd Year Secondary — Literary Stream