oxford_guide_to_english_grammar

PAGE 61 51 Emphasis
51 Emphasis
MUSIC PRACTICE
Susan: Why weren't you at the music practice yesterday?
Emma: I didn't know there was one. How did you find out about it?
Susan: It was you who told me. Don't you remember? You told me yourself last
week.
Emma: Oh, yes. I'd forgotten. I've got a terrible memory. I thought it was
Thursdays, not Tuesdays.
Susan: What you need is a personal organizer.
Emma: I'd only lose it. Are all the practices going to be on Tuesdays?
Susan: Yes, and if you want to be in the orchestra, you have to attend.
Emma: Oh, I do want to be in it. I'd love to play in the orchestra.
1 Emphatic stress
a
b
We can put emphatic stress on a word to contrast it with something else.
Are all the practices going to be on Tuesdays? ~ No, they're going to be
on Thursdays.
I wanted plain paper, not ruled.
We can also use emphatic stress to give extra force to a word expressing an
extreme quality or feeling.
I've got a terrible memory. The talk was extremely interesting.
It's a huge building. I'd love a cup of coffee.
NOTE
Some words can be repeated for emphasis. They are very, really and some words expressing
quantity and length of time.
I've been very very busy, NOT I've been busy busy.
This has happened many, many times before.
We waited and waited, but no one came. We had a long, long wait.
The noise just went on and on.
We can also sometimes do this with adjectives expressing extreme feelings.
What a terrible, terrible tragedy!
2 The emphatic form of the verb
a
We can stress the auxiliary or the ordinary verb be.
You can dial direct to Brazil. Carlos said you couldn't.
I haven't taken your calculator, I tell you. I haven't touched it.
Are you tired? ~ Yes, I am. I'm exhausted.
In a simple tense we use the auxiliary do.
I do want to be in the orchestra. The garden does look nice.
I did post the letter. I'm absolutely certain.
Do you want to fly in a balloon? ~ No, I don't. The idea terrifies me.
The emphatic forms emphasize the positive or negative meaning. In the
conversation Music practice Emma is emphatic that yes, she wants to be in the
orchestra.
NOTE
We can also add emphasis by using adverbs such as really, indeed, certainly and definitely.
The garden really does look nice. You can indeed dial direct to Brazil.