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English grammar

Emphasis with do, auxiliaries and fronting

B2 · Upper intermediate Building the sentence Questions 10

The rule

English has quiet ways of insisting. An emphatic do in a positive statement contradicts an assumption: I did send it answers the belief that you did not. An auxiliary can be stressed for the same job: She has replied. Fronting moves a phrase to the front for weight: That I do not accept. Never in twenty years have I … combines fronting with inversion. And what and it clefts, covered separately, are the other half of the same toolkit. All of these are about arguing without raising your voice.

Pattern

do / does / did + bare infinitive (emphatic) · stressed auxiliary · fronting: object / adjunct first · Never … have I …

Examples

  1. I did write; I have the postal receipt here.

  2. She does know about it, whatever she says now.

  3. That I am not prepared to accept.

  4. Never in twenty years have I had to write twice.

Common mistakes

  • Wrong: I did sent it last week.

    Right: I did send it last week.

    Emphatic do takes the bare infinitive.

  • Wrong: She does knows about it.

    Right: She does know about it.

    The -s moves to does and leaves the main verb bare.

  • Wrong: Never I have had to write twice.

    Right: Never have I had to write twice.

    Fronted never requires inversion.

Practice questions

Try each one yourself first, then open “Show answer” for the solution and the reason.

  1. 1Choose the correct sentence.

    1. I am do understand why you are annoyed.
    2. I do understand why you are annoyed.
    3. I do understood why you are annoyed.
    4. I do understanding why you are annoyed.
    Show answer

    Answer: B I do understand why you are annoyed.

    Emphatic do plus the bare infinitive.

  2. 2Choose the correct sentence.

    1. He did apologise, eventually.
    2. He was did apologise, eventually.
    3. He did apologised, eventually.
    4. He did apologising, eventually.
    Show answer

    Answer: A He did apologise, eventually.

    Past emphatic did plus the bare form.

  3. 3Choose the correct sentence.

    1. Only later we did find the second letter.
    2. Only later did we find the second letter.
    3. Only later we found the second letter did.
    4. Only later found we the second letter.
    Show answer

    Answer: B Only later did we find the second letter.

    Fronted only later triggers inversion.

  4. 4Fill in the gap.

    We _____ ask, and nobody could tell us.

    1. were
    2. did
    3. do
    4. have
    Show answer

    Answer: B We did ask, and nobody could tell us.

    Past emphasis takes did.

  5. 5Fill in the gap.

    She _____ have a point about the timing.

    1. does
    2. did have
    3. do
    4. is
    Show answer

    Answer: A She does have a point about the timing.

    Third person present emphasis takes does.

  6. 6Fill in the gap.

    Rarely _____ a complaint been dealt with so quickly.

    1. did
    2. was
    3. have
    4. has
    Show answer

    Answer: D Rarely has a complaint been dealt with so quickly.

    Inversion with a singular perfect.

  7. 7Fill in the gap.

    _____ I can do about it is write again.

    1. That all
    2. It all
    3. What all
    4. All
    Show answer

    Answer: D All I can do about it is write again.

    All I can do is is a cleft for emphasis.

  8. 8Fill in the gap.

    Not for one moment _____ we believe them.

    1. have
    2. were
    3. do
    4. did
    Show answer

    Answer: D Not for one moment did we believe them.

    A negative fronted phrase inverts.

  9. 9This sentence is wrong. Choose the fix.

    Which sentence is wrong?

    1. I have received your letter.
    2. I received your letter.
    3. I did receive your letter.
    4. I did received your letter.
    Show answer

    Answer: D I did received your letter.

    After did the verb is bare.

  10. 10This sentence is wrong. Choose the fix.

    Which sentence is wrong?

    1. Never will I agree to that clause.
    2. At no point will I agree to that clause.
    3. Never I will agree to that clause.
    4. I will never agree to that clause.
    Show answer

    Answer: C Never I will agree to that clause.

    Fronted never needs inversion.

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