Emphasis
1
Emotive and contrastive emphasis
We often emphasize (‘strengthen’) a particular word or expression. There are two main reasons for this.
We may wish to show that we feel bly about what we are saying (‘emotive emphasis’).
You do look nice today.
Your hair looks so good like that.
If he does decide to come, let me know, will you?
Do sit down.
Or we may wish to show a contrast between, for instance, true and false, or present and past or a rule and an exception (‘contrastive emphasis’).
Why weren’t you at the meeting? ~ I was at the meeting.
I don’t do much sport now, but I did play football when I was younger.
I don’t see my family much, but I do visit my mother occasionally.
We can also use emphasis to show that something expected actually happened.
I thought I’d pass the exam, and I did pass.
2 Vocabulary: special words
Words such as so, such, really and just can show emphasis.
Thank you so much. It was such a lovely party. I really enjoyed it.
I just love the way he talks. (NOTE: love is stressed not just.)
Swearwords are often used for emphasis in an informal style.
That’s a bloody good idea.
Why ever did he marry her?
What on earth is she doing here?
Where the hell have you been?
Myself, yourself etc can be used emphasize nouns.
I got a letter from the Managing Director himself.
Indeed can be used to emphasize very with an adjective or adverb.
I was very surprised indeed.
very can emphasize superlatives, next, last, first and same.
I’d like a bottle of your very best lemonade.
The letter arrived on the very next day.
We were born in the very same street in the very same year.
3 Kinds of English
I. Showing accents in writing
Writers may spell words in special ways to show a non-standard or conversational pronunciation – for example,
Apostrophes may be used in place of letters that are not pronounced. These spellings are common in cartoon
Strips or nowadays they are usual in computer games.
’e’s gone ’ome. (=he is gone home.)
’elp yerself. (=help yourself.)
Yer gettin’ old. (=you are getting old)
Fish ‘n’ chips. (=Fish and chips.)
C’n I ‘ave a glass o’ water? (=Can I have a glass of water?)
I dunno. (=I don’t know)
I gotta go. (=I’ve got go)
It’s gonna rain. (=It’s going to rain)
I don’t wanna play. (=I don’t want to play)
Where d’she put ‘em? (=where did she put them?)
C’mon, we’re late. (=come on we are late)
II.
Showing dialects in writing
I bain’t ready. (=I am not ready)
He don’t like it. I wants a rest.
Where’s them papers what I give you?
Can ye no help me? (=can’t you help me)
I ain’t done nothing. (=I haven’t done anything)
She’s after telling me. (=she told me.)
Are youse coming or not? (=are you-plural-coming or not)
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