Emphatic Sentences: Structure and Usage | 强调句的构成与用法

📚 Emphatic Sentences: Structure and Usage | 强调句的构成与用法

In English grammar, an emphatic sentence is a structure used to highlight a specific element of a sentence, such as the subject, object, or adverbial. The most common pattern is “It is/was + highlighted element + that/who + the rest of the sentence.” This device allows speakers and writers to control focus and convey meaning with greater precision.

在英语语法中，强调句是一种用来突出句子中特定成分（如主语、宾语或状语）的结构。最常见的句型是”It is/was + 被强调部分 + that/who + 句子其余部分”。这一手段使说话者和写作者能够控制焦点，以更高的精确度传达意义。

1. Basic Structure of Emphatic Sentences | 强调句的基本结构

The fundamental structure of an emphatic sentence is: It + be (is/was) + the emphasized element + that/who + the remaining clause. The verb “be” agrees in tense with the original sentence, and the choice between “that” and “who” depends on whether the emphasized element refers to a person.

强调句的基本结构为：It + be（is/was）+ 被强调成分 + that/who + 其余从句。动词be的时态与原句保持一致，而选择that还是who取决于被强调成分是否指人。

It + is/was + 被强调成分 + that/who + 句子其余部分

For example, the sentence “John met Mary in the park yesterday” can be transformed into four different emphatic sentences, each highlighting a different element: John, Mary, in the park, or yesterday.

例如，句子”John met Mary in the park yesterday”可以转换成四个不同的强调句，分别突出John、Mary、in the park或yesterday。

2. Emphasizing the Subject | 强调主语

When the subject is emphasized, the structure is “It is/was + subject + that/who + predicate.” If the subject refers to a person, both “that” and “who” are acceptable, though “who” is more natural in informal contexts.

当强调主语时，结构为”It is/was + 主语 + that/who + 谓语”。如果主语指人，that和who都可以使用，不过在非正式语境中who更为自然。

Example: “Tom broke the window.” → “It was Tom who broke the window.”

例句：”Tom broke the window.” → “It was Tom who broke the window.”（是汤姆打破了窗户。）

Note that the verb following the emphasized subject must agree with the subject in number and person. For instance, “It is I who am responsible” maintains first-person agreement, although in everyday speech “It is me who is responsible” is often heard.

注意，被强调主语后的动词必须在数和人称上与其保持一致。例如，”It is I who am responsible”保持了第一人称的一致关系，尽管日常口语中常听到”It is me who is responsible”。

3. Emphasizing the Object | 强调宾语

To emphasize an object, place it after “It is/was” and continue with “that” plus the rest of the sentence. In this case, “who” is less common, and “that” is the preferred connective for both people and things.

要强调宾语时，将其放在”It is/was”之后，用”that”连接句子的其余部分。在这种情况下，who较少使用，that是既指人又指物时的首选连接词。

Example: “She loves classical music.” → “It is classical music that she loves.”

例句：”She loves classical music.” → “It is classical music that she loves.”（她热爱的是古典音乐。）

When the object is a person, both “that” and “whom” may be used in formal writing, but “that” is far more common in modern English. For example: “It was the manager that/whom they criticized.”

当宾语指人时，正式写作中that和whom都可以使用，但在现代英语中that要常见得多。例如：”It was the manager that/whom they criticized.”（他们批评的是那位经理。）

4. Emphasizing Adverbials | 强调状语

Adverbials of time, place, and manner can all be emphasized using the same structure. When an adverbial is moved to the front of the emphatic frame, the rest of the sentence must remain grammatically intact after “that.”

时间状语、地点状语和方式状语都可以用同样的结构来强调。当状语被移至强调框架前部时，句子的其余部分在that之后必须保持语法完整。

Example: “They held the meeting in Room 302.” → “It was in Room 302 that they held the meeting.”

例句：”They held the meeting in Room 302.” → “It was in Room 302 that they held the meeting.”（他们是在302室开的会。）

It is important to note that adverbial emphasis does not require inversion. The clause following “that” retains normal subject-verb order, unlike some other structures in English.

需要特别注意的是，状语强调不需要倒装。that后面的从句保持正常的语序，这不同于英语中的其他一些结构。

5. Emphasizing “Not… Until” Structures | 强调”not…until”结构

The “not…until” structure has a special emphatic form. In this case, the negative adverbial is combined with the emphasized time expression, producing “It is/was not until + time + that + affirmative clause.”

“not…until”结构具有特殊的强调形式。在这种情况下，否定状语与强调的时间表达结合，产生”It is/was not until + 时间 + that + 肯定从句”的句式。

It was not until + 时间 + that + 肯定句

Example: “He did not realize the mistake until the next morning.” → “It was not until the next morning that he realized the mistake.”

例句：”He did not realize the mistake until the next morning.” → “It was not until the next morning that he realized the mistake.”（直到第二天早上他才意识到错误。）

A common error is to keep the negative form after “that.” Remember: the clause after “that” must always be positive. This is because the negation is already absorbed into “not until.”

一个常见错误是在that之后保留否定形式。请记住：that后面的从句必须始终是肯定形式。这是因为否定意义已经被”not until”吸收了。

6. Emphasizing Verbs with Do/Does/Did | 用do/does/did强调谓语动词

When the predicate verb itself needs emphasis, and the sentence is in the simple present or simple past tense, the auxiliary verbs “do,” “does,” or “did” are placed before the base form of the verb. After this transformation, the verb must revert to its base form.

当谓语动词本身需要被强调，且句子是一般现在时或一般过去时时，助动词do、does或did被放在动词原形之前。经过此转换后，动词必须恢复原形。

Example: “She does appreciate your help.” Here, “does” adds emphasis to “appreciate.”

例句：”She does appreciate your help.”（她确实很感激你的帮助。）这里，does为appreciate增添了强调色彩。

In negative sentences, this structure combines with negation: “He did not say anything” can be strengthened as “He did not say anything at all,” or the emphasis can be placed on the positive counterpart: “He did say something.” This structure is particularly useful in argumentative and persuasive writing.

在否定句中，这一结构与否定结合：”He did not say anything”可以加强为”He did not say anything at all”，或者强调其肯定对应形式：”He did say something”（他确实说了些什么）。这一结构在议论文和说服性写作中特别有用。

7. Emphatic Questions | 强调疑问句

Interrogative sentences can also be converted into emphatic forms. For special questions, the pattern is “Wh-word + is/was + it + that + the rest of the sentence?” This structure emphasizes the question word itself.

疑问句也可以转换成强调形式。对于特殊疑问句，句型为”疑问词 + is/was + it + that + 句子其余部分？”这一结构强调疑问词本身。

Example: “Where did you buy this book?” → “Where was it that you bought this book?”

例句：”Where did you buy this book?” → “Where was it that you bought this book?”（你到底在哪里买的这本书？）

For yes/no questions, the pattern becomes “Is/Was + it + highlighted element + that + the rest of the sentence?” For example: “Was it John that called you last night?” This form expresses surprise or seeks confirmation of a specific detail.

对于一般疑问句，句型变为”Is/Was + it + 被强调成分 + that + 句子其余部分？”例如：”Was it John that called you last night?”（昨晚给你打电话的是约翰吗？）这一形式表达惊讶或寻求对特定细节的确认。

8. Emphasizing Clauses | 强调从句

Not only single words but also entire clauses can be emphasized. Both noun clauses and adverbial clauses can be placed in the emphatic position. For instance, a subject clause can be emphasized as: “It is what you do that matters, not what you say.”

不仅单个词语，整个从句也可以被强调。名词性从句和状语从句都可以放在被强调的位置。例如，主语从句可以被强调为：”It is what you do that matters, not what you say.”（重要的是你所做的，而不是你所说的。）

Similarly, an adverbial clause of reason can be emphasized: “It was because he was ill that he missed the exam.” In this construction, “because,” not “why,” is used, since the emphatic frame requires a complete clause following “that.”

类似地，原因状语从句也可以被强调：”It was because he was ill that he missed the exam.”（正是因为他病了，才错过了考试。）在这种结构中，使用because而非why，因为强调框架要求that后面跟一个完整的从句。

9. Distinguishing Emphatic Sentences from Subject Clauses | 区分强调句与主语从句

A frequent source of confusion is the difference between emphatic sentences and sentences containing “it” as a formal subject. In an emphatic sentence, removing “It is/was…that” leaves a complete sentence. In a subject clause construction, removal does not yield a grammatically complete sentence.

一个常见的混淆来源是强调句与it作形式主语的主语从句之间的区别。在强调句中，去掉”It is/was…that”后仍然是一个完整的句子。而在主语从句结构中，去掉后无法得到语法完整的句子。

Compare: “It was yesterday that he left” (removing the frame gives “He left yesterday,” which is complete). Versus: “It is necessary that he leave immediately” (removing the frame gives “Necessary he leave immediately,” which is incomplete). This diagnostic test is reliable and simple to apply.

比较：”It was yesterday that he left”（去掉框架后得到”He left yesterday”，这是一个完整的句子。）与”It is necessary that he leave immediately”（去掉框架后得到”Necessary he leave immediately”，这是不完整的。）这一检验方法可靠且易于应用。

10. Common Errors and Test Tips | 常见错误与应试技巧

Examinations frequently test emphatic sentences through error correction and sentence transformation. One common mistake is using “when” or “where” instead of “that” after emphasizing time or place adverbials. Remember: in emphatic sentences, “that” is always correct, regardless of what is being emphasized.

考试中常通过改错和句式转换来考查强调句。一个常见错误是在强调时间或地点状语时使用when或where代替that。请记住：在强调句中，无论被强调的是什么成分，that永远是正确选择。

Another frequent error involves tense agreement. If the original sentence is in the past tense, use “was”; if it is in the present or future tense, use “is.” For example: “It is today that we start the project” (present), but “It was last week that we started the project” (past).

另一个常见错误涉及时态一致。如果原句是过去时，使用was；如果是现在时或将来时，使用is。例如：”It is today that we start the project”（现在时），但”It was last week that we started the project”（过去时）。

Key exam strategies: (1) Always verify that removing the emphatic frame leaves a complete sentence; (2) check that “not until” is followed by an affirmative clause; (3) ensure the verb after do/does/did is in base form; and (4) use “that” in all standard emphatic constructions.

关键应试策略：（1）始终验证去掉强调框架后句子是否完整；（2）检查not until后接的是肯定从句；（3）确保do/does/did后的动词是原形；（4）在所有标准强调结构中一律使用that。

Additionally, practice transforming sentences with different elements highlighted. The more familiar you become with the pattern, the more quickly you will recognize it on exams and avoid confusing it with appositive clauses or subject clauses.

此外，多练习对句子不同成分进行强调转换。你对这一句型越熟悉，在考试中就能越快识别出它，避免将其与同位语从句或主语从句混淆。

Published by TutorHao | English Revision Series | aleveler.com

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Emphatic Sentences: Structure and Usage | 强调句的构成与用法