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.”
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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.
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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
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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
thank you.
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