Emphatic Structures

There are a number of ways to add emphasis to your sentences in English. Use these forms to emphasize your statements when you are expressing your opinions, disagreeing, making strong suggestions, expressing annoyance, etc...

1. Cleft sentences: It is/ It was: 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.
2. 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’.
3. Exceptional Use of ‘Do’ or ‘Did’: the auxiliary verbs ‘do’ and ‘did’ are not used in positive sentences.However, in order to emphasize something we feel strongly these auxiliary verbs can be used as an exception to the rule.

Cleft sentences from Sara

You can try some more exercises here: 1, 2, 3 online exercises for more practice.

See you around ;-)

Source: EOI Elx