Grammar — Inversion and cleft sentences
- We use inversion and cleft sentences for emphasis.
Grammar — Inversion and cleft sentences: Inversion
- In statements, the subject normally comes before the verb. Sometimes, after certain words or expressions, this word order is reversed and this is called inversion. We add the auxiliary do with simple tenses such as Present Simple and Past Simple. Inversion is used for dramatic emphasis and is most common in formal English.
- No sooner had I written the essay than I had to start preparing for the final exam.
- Not until I knew all the details of the conference, did I organise my business trip to Abu Dhabi.
- Only when I noticed the price did I regret my decision.
Grammar — Inversion and cleft sentences: Cleft sentences
- We can emphasise certain information in sentences to make it sound more memorable/dramatic (or to contrast it with a previous statement) by adding certain structures. These include what + be and it + be.
- What + be can emphasise both subjects and objects (but not if they are people).
- Being away from home annoys me when I’m travelling. (being away from home = subject)
- What annoys me about travelling is being away from home.
- I didn’t enjoy the journey on the crowded train. (the journey on the crowded train = object)
- What I didn’t enjoy yesterday was the journey on the crowded train.
- I saw Ali at the station. NOT What/Who I saw was Ali at the station.
- What + be can also emphasise verbs by adding the auxiliary do.
- People began to scream.
- What people did was (to) begin to scream.
- Inversion and cleft sentences should not be overused as they can make a text sound unnatural.