Wednesday, October 23, 2013

EMPHATIC EXPRESSIONS (Advanced) (EXERCISE A8E29)















An emphatic expression is one that is said with emphasis and stress to indicate importance.  This type of expression is used to show you have strong feelings about what you are saying.  Often emphatic expressions that are written have an exclamation point (!) at the end of the sentence. While spoken emphatic phrases have stress on the word that is used to emphasize or intensify your feelings.

Creating an emphatic expression involves adding an adverb intensifier to your existing sentence or expression to make your feelings even stronger.  In an emphatic phrase the adverb intensifier is always added before the verb.  Perhaps most common emphatic intensifiers in English are “really” and “very much.” 


Some useful emphatic intensifiers:

Deeply: – strongly, with much feeling                    Fully: – completely, without any doubt
Positively: – without any doubt                              Really: – strongly
Sincerely: – with my best wishes in mind               Strongly: – with conviction
Totally: – without any doubt                                   Utterly: – without any doubt
Very much* – strongly

*Directly emphasizing a verb with the adverb ‘very’ requires also using the word ‘much’ not just the word ‘very’ by     
  itself. The word ‘very’ by itself is used to emphasize other adverbs or adjectives.
  For example: I very much doubt he ate the pizza. vs. He ate a very big pizza.


1.      Use the emphatic intensifiers in the box above in the sentences below. (Some words can be used more than once):

(A)   We ___________________________ deny any wrongdoing.
(B)   I _____________________________ regret my decision now.
(C)   We ___________________________ appreciate all of your help.
(D)   He _____________________________believes he is right regardless of what evidence we provide him with to the contrary.
       (E) We’d like to _________________________ encourage you to apply for the job.
       (F) My company ________________________ supports working from home.
       (G) They ________________________ reject any compromise in the negotiations.

2. Choose the most suitable word or phrase given:

(A)    I expected to receive three letters, but none __________________________ arrived.
        (i) all                (ii) completely      (iii) whatsoever    (iv) utterly
 (B) I was so tired I ___________________________________ had to take a nap.
           (i) simply         (ii) utterly              (iii) quite                 (iv) by no means
 (C) I’ll take this tie. It’s the ________________________ thing I’m looking for.
        (i) just                (ii) quite                 (iii) sheer                (iv) very
 (D) If you ask me, it’s a / an __________________________ waste of time.
        (i) sheer            (ii) absolutely          (iii) very                 (iv) really
 (E) I ________________________ like your new shoes. Where did you buy them?
        (i) would           (ii) do                       (iii) utterly              (iv) just
 (F) Helen’s new boyfriend is not _______________________ what I expected.
       (i) at all                (ii) just                    (iii) absolutely        (iv) very
 (G) ____________________________ do you think you are doing, might I ask?
       (i) Actually         (ii) Just                     (iii) Whatever         (iv)What
       
ANSWERS: EMPHATIC EXPRESSIONS


Some useful emphatic intensifiers:
Deeply: – strongly, with much feeling                    Fully: – completely, without any doubt
Positively: – without any doubt                              Really: – strongly
Sincerely: – with my best wishes in mind               Strongly: – with conviction
Totally: – without any doubt                                   Utterly: – without any doubt
Very much* – strongly

*Directly emphasizing a verb with the adverb ‘very’ requires also using the word ‘much’ not just the word ‘very’ by     
  itself. The word ‘very’ by itself is used to emphasize other adverbs or adjectives.
  For example: I very much doubt he ate the pizza. vs. He ate a very big pizza.


1.   Use the emphatic intensifiers in the box above in the sentences below. (Some words can be used more than once):


(A)   We totally / strongly / utterly deny any wrongdoing.
(B)   I deeply /very much /really /utterly regret my decision now.
(C)   We sincerely / really appreciate all of your help.
(D)   He deeply / positively / very much / fully / really / strongly/ uttgerly believes he is right regardless of what evidence we provide him with to the contrary.
       (E) We’d like to really / strongly encourage you to apply for the job.
       (F) My company totally / very much / fully /strongly supports working from home.
       (G) They totally / very much / fully / really /strongly /utterly reject any compromise in the
              negotiations.

2. Choose the most suitable word or phrase given:

(A)                        I expected to receive three letters, but none whatsoever arrived.
            (i) all                (ii) completely      (iii) whatsoever    (iv) utterly
 (B) I was so tired I simply had to take a nap.
           (i) simply         (ii) utterly              (iii) quite                 (iv) by no means
 (C) I’ll take this tie. It’s the very thing I’m looking for.
        (i) just                (ii) quite                 (iii) sheer                (iv) very
 (D) If you ask me, it’s a sheer waste of time.
        (i) sheer            (ii) absolutely          (iii) very                 (iv) really
 (E) I do like your new shoes. Where did you buy them?
        (i) would           (ii) do                       (iii) utterly              (iv) just
 (F) Helen’s new boyfriend is not at all what I expected.
       (i) at all                (ii) just                    (iii) absolutely        (iv) very
 (G) Whatever do you think you are doing, might I ask?
       (i) Actually         (ii) Just                     (iii) Whatever         (iv) What
       



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