Emphasis in English: inversion and cleft sentences
Advanced English moves words around to put the focus where you want it. Inversion and cleft sentences are common in speeches, formal writing and careful speech.
These are C1 lessons: you'll understand them earlier, but using them well comes with an advanced level.
The essentials
- Inversion after a negative or limiting expression: Never have I seen such a crowd. Not only did she win, she broke the record.
- Cleft sentences with what: What I need is a holiday.
- Cleft sentences with it: It was Maria who found the mistake (not someone else).
- Inverted conditionals without if: Should you need help, call me. Had I known, I would have come.
Every lesson on this topic
Each lesson has a full explanation, examples, common mistakes and practice questions.
C1 (English at C1)
- Never have I seen…: inversion for emphasis: Put a negative or limiting expression first, then the auxiliary before the subject, for emphasis in formal speech and writing
- What I need is…: cleft sentences for focus: Use what-clauses, it-clefts and all / the reason / the thing to put the focus where you want it
- Should you need…, Had I known…: inverted conditionals: Formal conditionals without if: should, were and had at the start
Other topics
- Present perfect or past simple?
- Talking about the past: English past tenses
- English conditionals: first, second, third and mixed
- English modal verbs: must, have to, should and more
- Talking about the future in English
- The passive in English
- Reported speech and reporting verbs
- Relative clauses: who, which, that, whose
- Linking words: although, despite, however, whereas
- -ing or to? Verb patterns in English
- Formal, professional and academic English