Adding Emphasis in English

Use these forms to emphasize your statements when you are expressing your opinions, disagreeing, making strong suggestions, expressing annoyance, etc.


Use of the Passive

The passive voice is used when focusing on the person or thing affected by an action. Generally, more emphasis is given to the beginning of a sentence. By using a passive sentence, we emphasize by showing what happens to something rather than who or what does something.

Example:
Reports are expected by the end of the week.
In this example, attention is called to what is expected of students (reports).

Inversion

Invert the word order by placing a prepositional phrase or other expression (at no time, suddenly into, little, seldom, never, etc.) at the beginning of the sentence followed by inverted word order.

Examples:
At no time did I say you couldn't come.
Hardly had I arrived when he started complaining.
Little did I understand what was happening.
Seldom have I felt so alone.

Note that the auxiliary verb is placed before the subject which is followed by the main verb.

Expressing Annoyance

Use the continuous form modified by 'always', 'forever', etc. to express annoyance at another person's action. This form is considered an exception as it used to express a routine rather than an action occurring at a particular moment in time.

Examples:
Martha is always getting into trouble.
Peter is forever asking tricky questions.
George was always being reprimanded by his teachers.

Note that this form is generally used with the present or past continuous (he is always doing, they were always doing).

Cleft Sentences: It

Sentences introduced by 'It is' or 'It was' are often used to emphasize a specific subject or object. The introductory clause is then followed by a relative pronoun.

Examples:
It was I who received the promotion.
It is the awful weather that drives him crazy.

Cleft Sentences: What

Sentences introduced by a clause 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 as is followed by the verb 'to be'.

Examples:
What we need is a good long shower.
What he thinks isn't necessarily true.

Exceptional Use of 'Do' or 'Did'

You have probably learned that the auxiliary verbs 'do' and 'did' are not used in positive sentences - for example: He went to the store. NOT He did go to the store. However, in order to emphasize something we feel strongly these auxiliary verbs can be used as an exception to the rule.

Examples:
No that's not true. John did speak to Mary.
I do believe that you should think twice about this situation.

Note this form is often used to express something contrary to what another person believes.

"at your English Tips 6"

Preposition + Verb
Always use the gerund when the verb is the object of a preposition
What shall we do? - How about visiting Tom!
I looked into purchasing a new computer.

Interested In
The correct usage of showing interest is a passive infinitive "to be interested in".
They are interested in geography.
Was he interested in coming to the presentation?

Good and Bad
The comparative form for "good" is "better". The superlative form is "the best". The comparative form for "bad" is "worse". THe superlative form is "the worst".
She is the worst tennis player on the team.
He's better at math than Jack, but worse at geography.

The Basics of "At"
Use "at" with times of the day and places in a city.
I'll meet you at three o'clock.
Let's meet at the bank.

Ask
The verb "ask" plus an object is constructed "S + ask + person being asked + infinitive with to".
She asked him to repeat the question.
My friend asked me to come early to the meeting.


On
Use "on" with days of the week. However, in British English use "at the weekend".
I'll see you on Tuesday.
Let's meet on Sunday.



Since
Use the present perfect (continuous) with the time expression "since" when using a specific date or time.
He's lived in that house since 1998.
They've been playing golf since ten this morning.

Let, Make and Help

With the verbs "let, make and help" we use the following structure: 

S + (let, make or help) + object + verb without to 

She let him stay out late.

What did your father make you do?

For other verbs that take this structure we use: S + verb + object + to verb 

Sentence Patterns

Sentence structures and patterns can be really confusing for anyone...I found these links that may help you. Choose the 1 that can be most helpful for you.

http://www.eslgold.com/grammar/basic_sentence.html

http://esl.about.com/od/writingintermediate/a/sentence_patterns.htm

http://www.towson.edu/ows/SentPatt.htm

Language Functions

When we talk to people, we always have reasons why. Whether we want to apologize, request, express a wish or simply just to disagree with somebody. Here are some guides I found from a helpful link....Enjoy!!!

Contrasting Ideas

There are a number of formulas used when contrasting ideas in English. Here are some of the most common:

Formula:      main statement, but contrasting statement

I'd really like to come to the film, but I have to study tonight.

Use a comma or semi colon (;) with 'but'. 'But' is the most common way to show contrasting ideas.

Formula:      main statement, in spite of contrasting statement OR 

                   in spite of contrasting statement, main statement

They continued on their journey, in spite of the pouring rain.

Use 'in spite of' plus a noun, noun phrase or gerund.

Formula:       main statement, despite contrasting statement OR

                    Despite contrasting statement, main statement

They continued on their journey, despite the pouring rain.

Use 'despite' plus a noun, noun phrase or gerund.

Formula:        main statement, although contrasting statement OR 

                     Although contrasting statement, main statement

We wanted to buy a sports car, although we knew that fast cars can be dangerous.

Use 'although' with a subject and a verb.

More English Functions
Disagreeing
Making Complaints
Asking for Information
Giving Advice
Guessing
Being Imprecise or Vague
Saying 'No' Nicely
Showing Preferences
Making Suggestions
Offering Help
Giving Warning
Demanding Explanations