Giving Emphasis: Inversion, Clefting, Tailing, Fronting
Manipulating Sentence Structure for Focus and Impact
⏰ When do we use these structures?
We use these techniques when standard Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) word order does not provide enough “punch” or focus.
- Inversion is often used in formal English to add dramatic effect or stress a negative condition.
- Cleft Sentences allow us to isolate specific information (like a time, person, or object) to highlight it above everything else.
- Tailing and Fronting are commonly used in informal spoken English to make conversations flow more naturally or to clarify a topic immediately.
📌 Structure
1. Inversion This occurs after adverbs with a negative or restrictive meaning (e.g., no sooner, never before, little, under no circumstances, only when). The auxiliary verb switches places with the subject.
- Formula:
Negative/Restrictive Adverb+Auxiliary Verb+Subject+Main Verb.- Example: “Only when I checked… did I realise…”.
- So/Such: We can also invert with so + adjective.
- Example: “So strong was the competition that he failed…”.
2. Cleft Sentences These “cleave” (split) a sentence into two parts to focus on one specific element.
- It-Clefts:It + be +
focus+ relative clause.- Example: “It was in 2021 when the new course was added…”.
- Wh-Clefts:Wh-clause + be +
focus.- Example: “What I love about living here is the peace and quiet…”.
3. Tailing (Informal) The main topic is placed at the end of the sentence to clarify or remind the listener what you are talking about. It requires a pronoun in the main clause.
- Formula:
Clause with Pronoun+,+Noun Phrase.- Example: “It was the best we’d ever stayed in, that hotel.”.
4. Fronting (Informal) We move a phrase (often the object or topic) to the very front.
- Formula:
Topic/Object+Subject+Verb.- Example: “Some TV programmes I think are too violent.”.
📝 Notes
- Tailing Punctuation: Notice the position of the comma in tailing structures; it separates the main clause from the “tail”.
- Headers: This is a type of fronting where a pronoun is added later to refer back to the initial phrase.
- Example: “That man you were talking to, who was he?”.
- Register: Be careful not to overuse Inversion in casual conversation, as it can sound stiff or overly dramatic. Conversely, Tailing is rare in formal academic writing.
Comparison Table: Methods of Emphasis
| Method | Register | Key Feature | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inversion | Formal | Aux verb comes before Subject. | Never have I seen such a thing. |
| Clefting | Neutral/Formal | Splits sentence using It or What. | It was John who called. |
| Tailing | Informal (Spoken) | Topic moves to the end. | She’s great, my sister. |
| Fronting | Informal (Spoken) | Topic moves to the start. | The reason for that I can’t say. |
💬 Examples
- Inversion: “Under no circumstances are you to leave the building.”
- Cleft (Wh-): “What surprised me was how much traffic there was.”
- Tailing: “The students like her a lot, their new teacher.”
- Fronting (Header): “My sister, her husband’s a lawyer and she…”
Exercise 1
⬇️ Interactive exercise will appear here soon.