EMPAHTIC CONSTRUCTIONS

We often emphasise a particular part of a sentence, perhaps to contradict what someone else has said
or for dramatic effect. While speaking, we can do this with stress and intonation alone, but we can also do
this by changing the position of elements in a sentence in speech and writing.

Emphatic structures are used to emphasize a particular part of a sentence.

1. The emphatic do is a particular use of the verb do (do, does, or did) to add emphasis to an
affirmative sentence. The emphatic do is far more common in speech than in formal written English. Unlike
ordinary auxiliary verbs, which are typically unstressed in speech, the emphatic do is almost
always stressed. 
The translation counterparts for the empathic do - «дійсно», «все ж-таки», «насправді».

Не said he would come and he did come. - Він сказав, що прийде, і дійсно прийшов.
Now I see that she does know the subject well.
Зараз я бачу, що вона дійсно добре знає предмет.

2. Double negation
Negative particle not before an adjective or an adverb with negative prefixes un-, in-
(il-, im-, ir-) dis- has a meaning of intensification and is translated as «доволі, цілком + adjective /
adverb):
not uncommon — доволі звичайний; not infrequently — доволі часто; not impossible —
цілком ймовірно

The pattern «not + without +noun » has the same meaning:

It is not without significance that . . . Також досить важливо , що…

Negative particle not may also be used before an adjective, participle or adverb with a
negative meaning but without a negative prefix.
Humour is not missing in his work.
В його творі доволі достатньо гумору (Його твір не без гумору).
The phase «by no means + negative prefix + adjective/adverb» has the meaning «зовсім нe…», but
can be translated according to the particular contextual meaning.

It is by no means unreasonable to compare these data. - Цілком резонно порівняти ці дані.

3. Cleft sentences.

Cleft means divided. In a cleft sentence, information which could be given in one clause is divided
into two parts, each with its own verb. This way you give extra emphasis to part of the sentence.

It Cleft sentences: IT + BE (+ NOT AND/OR ADVERB) + EMPHASISED WORD/PHRASE + THAT (WHO)

CLAUSE
 Clefting may be employed to highlight different parts of the sentence:

E.g. It was John who studied law at Stanford (the subject as focus)
It is her honesty that I want to praise (the object as focus)
It was last year that I graduated from the university (the adverbial modifier of time as focus)
It was in the library that he spent all day (the adverbial modifier of place as focus).

The English cleft sentence is conveyed into Ukrainian as a simple sentence by adding the
words of intensity: «саме», «як раз», «тільки», «лише»; in a negative sentence – «зовсім нe».

It is language that enables us to communicate with each other.

Саме мова дає нам можливість спілкуватись один з oдним.
It was then that the London Bridge began to be rebuilt.
Саме тоді почали перебудовувати Лондонський міст.
It is Greek that she wants to study.- Вона хоче вивчати саме грецьку.
But it is not the Doctor who is the central figure of the play.
Зовсім не лікар є головною діючою особою п’єси.
It is when men begin to use tools for social production that they also begin to speak.
Саме тоді, коли люди починають користуватись знаряддям виробництва, вони
також починають розмовляти.

4. Pseudo-cleft sentences
Pseudo-cleft sentences (also called wh-clefts) are similar in function to cleft sentences, but they are
formed with the pronoun what (= the thing(s) that/which). The emphasis in a pseudo-cleft sentence is on
the phrase after the what-clause + be:

What you need is a good sleep. – Все, шо нам потрібно, це сон.
What I didn't like was the end of the movie.
What changed his mind was  a book he'd read.

5. Adverbs of time and adverb clauses of time ( it is not until… that)

The sentences with this construction are normally translated into Ukrainian
autonymically.

It was not until midnight that the vessel started. - Судно відправилось тільки о півночі.
Якщо слово until є сполучником та між двома частинами конструкції стоїть все
підрядне речення, додаються слова «тільки тоді, коли».
It was not until his book was published for the second time that it became more widely
known.
Тільки тоді, коли його книга була опублікована вдруге, вона стала більш відомою.

6. Emphatic phrase not… till / until + noun

This construction is translated autonymically by adding the words «тільки», «лише»
before an adverbial modifier.
The work was not finished till 8 o'clock . - Робота була закінчена тільки о 8.

The phrase «not + until (till) + after» is translated as «тільки після»:

His work was not published until after World War II .
Його робота була опублікована тільки після Другої Світової війни.

7. Emphasis with inversion

 In English, with regard to emphasis with inversion, you may have heard a native speaker say
something like “never have we been to such a show” or “rarely were we able to tell the difference”.

Emphasis with inversion or auxiliary inversion consists of inserting an adverb or an adverbial phrase
of some sort at the beginning of the sentence, followed by an auxiliary and subject (adverb + auxiliary +
subject).

The term inversion covers two different grammatical operations.

 Using a question form of the main verb


Not only did he fail to report the accident, but also later denied that he had been driving the car.
Never have I enjoyed myself more!

• Changing the normal positions of verb and subject

Along the street came a strange procession.

All the examples below are used in formal language, usually for rhetorical effect, such as in political
speeches. They are not usual in everyday spoken language.

Compare:
Never have I heard a weaker excuse! I have never heard a weaker excuse!

• Time expressions: never, rarely, seldom

These are most commonly used with present perfect or past perfect, or with modals such as can and could.
Sentences of this type often contain comparatives.

Rarely can a minister have been faced with such a problem.

Seldom has the team given a worse performance.
Rarely had I had so much responsibility.

• Time expressions: hardly, barely, scarcely, no sooner

These refer to an event which quickly follows another in the past. They are usually used with past perfect,
although no sooner can be followed by past simple. Note the words used in the contrasting clause.

Hardly had the train left the station, when there was an explosion.
Scarcely had I entered the room when the phone rang.
No sooner had I reached the door than I realised it was locked.
No sooner was the team back on the pitch than it started raining.

• After only
Here only combines with other time expressions and is usually used with past
simple.
Only after posting the letter did 1 remember that I had forgotten to put on a
stamp.
Other examples are only if/when, only then, only later.

e.g. Only i n the course of time will they realize the importance of his work.
Тільки з часом вони зрозуміють важливість його роботи.
 Основні посилювальні слова, які викликають інверсію присудка:
Only — тільки; not only . . . but also — не тільки…, але й;
so. . . that — так…що; hardly (scarcely)…when —ледь… як;
no sooner . . . than — як тільки (щойно)

Заперечні слова, які викликають інверсію присудка:

never – ніколи nowhere – ніде nobody – ніхто not until – тільки, тільки тоді, коли
nor / neither – також, також ні…
Only tomorrow will they receive our telegram.
Тільки завтра вони отримають нашу телеграму.
Only in one paper did we find confirmation of our theory.
Тільки в одній роботі ми знайшли підтвердження нашої теорії.

Note that when only refers to 'the state of being the only one', there is no inversion following it.
Only Mary realised that the door was not locked.

• Phrases containing no/not

These include under no circumstances, on no account, at no time, in no way, on no condition, not until, not
only ... (but also).
On no condition are they to open fire without a warning.
Not until I got home did I notice that I had the wrong umbrella.\

• Little
Little also has a negative or restrictive meaning in this sense: (it is usually transated antonymically)

e.g. Little did we know that…. Ми і не здогадувались …. (ми й гадки не мали…)

Little does the government appreciate what the results will be.

• This occurs with so and adjectives when the main verb is be. It is used for emphasis and is more common
than the example with such.

So devastating were the floods that some areas may never recover.
• Such used with be means so much/so great
Such was the force of the storm that trees were uprooted.
• As in the examples with such, inversion only occurs if so/such is the first word in the clause.

• Three types of If- sentence can be inverted without If-. This makes the sentences more formal and makes
the event less likely. If they were to escape, there would be an outcry.

Were they to escape, there would be an outcry.

If the police had found out, I would have been in trouble.
Were the police to have found out, I would have been in trouble.
If you should hear anything, let me know.
Should you hear anything, let me know.
If he has cheated, he will have to be punished.
Should he have cheated, he will have to be punished.
If I had known, I would have protested strongly.
Had I known, I would have protested strongly.
Inversion after so, neither and nor

These are used in 'echoing' statements, agreeing or disagreeing.

A: / am going home. B: So am I.
A: / don't like meat. B: Neither do I.

Не is very busy now, and so are both his friends. - Він дуже зайнятий зараз, і обидва його
друга також.

8. Placing participle at the beginning of a sentence.

Lying inside the box was a small ring.

Всередині коробки лежала маленька обручка.

Connected with this phenomenon are also other types of changes.

З цим явищем пов’язані також і деякі інші види змін.

9. Clauses of concession

Such sentences begin with a nominal part of a predicate, expressed by an adjective,

participle, adverb followed by as / though.

Important as this work is , it does not cover the problem on the whole.
Якою б важливою не була ця робота, вона не охоплює проблему в цілому.
Harmful though it is for his health , he is not able to give up smoking.
Хоча це і шкодить його здоров’ю, він не може кинути палити.
Strange though it may seem , I did not think about it.
Як це не дивно, я не думаю про це.

Clauses of concession may also begin with the adverbs:

however – як би не, хоча й; whoever – хто б не; whatever – що б не;
wherever – де б не, куди б не; whenever – коли б не

1. In twelve of the following sentences, there are mistakes with word order and missing
auxiliaries. Tick (✓) the correct sentences and then find the mistakes and correct them.
Translate the sentences.

1 They’re going to complain about this and so are we.

2. Little we knew the full extent of his involvement in the fraud.

3. The sales director is resigning and so most of the marketing team are.
4. I tried to get there by nine, only was there a traffic jam on the motorway.
5. Over there stood the three-metre tall statue of Lenin.
6. The embassy refuses to intervene. Well, so it be.
7. Tomorrow the first day is of the rest of your life.
8. Long live the glorious republic!
9. No way is the boss treating me like that and getting away with it!
10. Under no circumstances, latecomers will be admitted to the auditorium.
11. Armando and Josepha are quite destitute and such the condition is of many of the refugees.
12. Now the time is for wise investors to think seriously about buying Treasury Bonds.
13. Rarely had we encountered such friendly and positive attitudes.
14. Oh look – here comes the procession at last.
15. Not since Kubrick’s 2001 a director has made such an intellectually challenging sci-fi movie.
16. The government’s proposals are unrealistic, as those are of the opposition.
17. Opposite this house ran the old city walls.
18. Only with the greatest of luck, he managed to escape from the rising floodwaters.
19. May John and Carol have a long and happy life together.
20. No doubt didn’t he realise the consequences of his actions.
3. Translate the sentences paying due regard to rendering emphatic constructions.

1. Вони точно знають, що саме я створив компанію.

2. Тільки за допомогою ліхтарика нам вдалося відшукати ящик.
3. Я не знаю відповіді на це питання. І я також.
4 Звичайно ви праві!
5. Ніколи я не мав наміру зашкодити твоїй репутації.
6. Про що я хотів би поговорити з тобою, так це про твої постійні запізнення.
7. Саме через сильний вітер старе вікно і розбилося.
8. Ми і не здогадувалися, що він говорив неправду.
9. Хто це розповів тобі, що вони збираються одружитися ? – Я дійсно чув це на власні вуха.
10. Французька академія наук була створена лише в 1878 році.