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Emphatic Structures: Paraphrasing for FCE

Level: B2 (FCE / Cambridge First) Skills: Use of English Part 4 & Writing Time: 90 minutes

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson you will be able to:

  • Recognise and use five types of emphatic structures.
  • Rewrite sentences with the same meaning but different emphasis (paraphrasing).
  • Complete FCE-style key word transformations that test these structures.

Part 1: What are emphatic structures? / Struktury emfatyczne

We use emphatic structures to put the focus on one particular part of a sentence – for example, to correct someone, to express surprise, or to make writing more lively. The meaning stays the same, but the information order changes. That is why they are useful for paraphrasing.

Po polsku: Struktury emfatyczne służą do wyróżnienia jednego elementu zdania (np. sprostowania, wyrażenia zdziwienia). Znaczenie zdania pozostaje takie samo, zmienia się tylko to, na czym ktoś ma skupić uwagę. W egzaminie FCE (Use of English, cz. 4) takie struktury często pojawiają się w transformacjach zdań.

Plain sentence: Ann broke the vase.

  • It was Ann who broke the vase. (not someone else)
  • What Ann did was break the vase. (the action)
  • Ann did break the vase! (it is true, although you thought not)

Part 2: The structures – explanations / Wyjaśnienia

1. It is / was + focus + that / who (cleft sentence with it)

PatternExamples
It is/was (not) + subject / object / adverbial + that / who(m) + rest of the sentence It was Mary who called you. (subject)
It was the manager that I wrote to. (object)
It was in Prague that we first met. (place)
It wasn’t me who called the police. (negative)

Question: Is/Was it + focus + that / who(m) …?

  • Was it his bicycle that got stolen last night?
  • Is it Jim that you are going to meet?
Rules / Zasady:
  • For people we use who or that; for things, places and time only that: It was the radio that broke down. (not who)
  • The tense in the that-clause is the same as in the original sentence.
  • After it is/was the verb be usually stays singular: It was my parents who paid for the trip.
  • We often use it to contrast: It wasn’t the price that put me off; it was the service.
Po polsku: Stawiamy po It is/was element, który chcemy wyróżnić, a resztę zdania wprowadzamy przez that / who. Dla osób: who lub that, dla rzeczy, miejsc i czasu: tylko that. Czasownik be po it jest w liczbie pojedynczej.

2. That is / was + question word (and the question form)

PatternExamples
That is/was + question word (what, why, how, where, when, who) That’s what he did to save the boy.
That’s why I left early.
That was when she realised the truth.
  • Is/Was that + question word …? → Was that why they moved house?
  • Question word + is/was it that …? → Why is it that you are always late for work?
Po polsku: That’s why… = Dlatego…; That’s what… = Właśnie to…; That’s how… = Właśnie tak…; Why is it that…? = Dlaczego właściwie…?

3. Question word + subject + verb + is / was (pseudo-cleft sentence)

PatternExamples
What / Where / Who / When + subject + verb + is/was + focus What he needs is a long holiday.
What I like most is her sense of humour.
Where we met was a small café.
What + do (did) … + is/was + (to) + infinitive What we did was (to) phone the police.

Reversed order: A long holiday is what he needs.

The reason (why) / The place (where) / The person (who): The reason why she left was that she was bored.

Po polsku: What he needs is… = To, czego on potrzebuje, to… Po what … do/did … is/was możemy użyć bezokolicznika z to lub bez to: What I did was call / to call the manager.

4. Question words + ever (surprise, anger, admiration)

PatternExamples
whatever / whoever / whenever / wherever / however + question Whatever are you talking about?
Whoever told you that?
Wherever have you been?
However did you manage to open the door?

We use these to show surprise, anger, admiration or concern. They are written as one word, and the question word is stressed.

Uwaga: to nie to samo co whatever = cokolwiek (Take whatever you want.).
Po polsku: Dodajemy ever do słówka pytającego, żeby wyrazić zdziwienie, złość, podziw lub zaniepokojenie (np. Co ty w ogóle mówisz?, Gdzież’eś ty był?).

5. do / does / did + bare infinitive (emphatic auxiliary)

UseExamples
Present simple (do/does)I do like your new hat. She does look tired.
Past simple (did)He did buy the diamond ring. I did lock the door!
Imperative (do)Do sit down. Do be careful!

We use the emphatic auxiliary to contradict something, confirm that something is true, insist, or to sound very polite or warm. Only in affirmative sentences. After do/does/did we use the base form (no -s, no -ed): She does like it (not She does likes).

Po polsku: Czasownik pomocniczy do/does/did w zdaniu twierdzącym oznacza „rzeczywiście, naprawdę” – używamy go do podkreślenia, zaprzeczenia czyimś wątpliwościom lub uprzejmej zachęty (Do come in!). Po nim zawsze czasownik w formie podstawowej.

Summary table / Podsumowanie

#StructureFormulaExample
1It-cleftIt is/was + focus + that/whoIt was Tom who broke the window.
2That is/was + wh-That’s why/what/how/when…That’s why I left.
3Pseudo-cleftWhat/Where/Who + S + V + is/wasWhat I need is a rest.
4wh- + everWhatever/Whoever… + questionWhatever are you doing?
5Emphatic auxiliarydo/does/did + base formI did like it.

Style tips / Wskazówki

  • Emphatic structures make writing and speaking more lively, but do not overuse them. One or two in a paragraph is enough.
  • They are useful in FCE Writing (articles, reviews, informal letters/emails) to show opinion and contrast: What impressed me most was… / It was the service that let the restaurant down.
  • Careful: do not change the meaning, the tense or the key word in the exam.

Exam tip

Ask students to underline the part of the first sentence that is emphasised, and to check the tense and the meaning before they write the answer.

Common mistakes: using which instead of that, a wrong auxiliary after do/did, and forgetting the inversion after wherever / whatever.

Part 3: Practice / Ćwiczenia

Exercise 1: Which structure is it? (8 points)

Write the letter (A–F).

A: it-cleft  |  B: that is/was + question word  |  C: pseudo-cleft (What … is)  |  D: question word + ever  |  E: emphatic do/does/did  |  F: question form of a cleft sentence

  1. It was my uncle who taught me to swim.
  2. What I want is a quiet evening.
  3. Whatever are you doing in my room?
  4. That’s why she left early.
  5. I did lock the door – I remember it clearly.
  6. Was it your brother that broke the vase?
  7. It isn’t the price that worries me.
  8. Do be quiet!

Exercise 2: It was / is … that / who (6 points)

Rewrite the sentences to emphasise the bold part.

  1. My grandmother taught me to cook.
    It
  2. We first met in Prague.
    It
  3. The loud music woke the baby.
    It
  4. They decided to move after the wedding.
    It
  5. I don’t blame you.
    It
  6. Peter, not Laura, forgot the tickets.
    It

Exercise 3: What … is / was (6 points)

Rewrite the sentences as in the example.

Example: I need a good night’s sleep. → What I need is a good night’s sleep.

  1. She hates being kept waiting. → What
  2. We phoned the police at once. → What
  3. I like her sense of humour most. → What
  4. They need a bigger flat. → What
  5. They met in a café. → The place where
  6. She left because she was bored. → The reason why

Exercise 4: Emphatic do / does / did (5 points)

Rewrite the sentences adding do, does or did for emphasis.

  1. I like your new haircut. (You think I don’t.) →
  2. She said she would call, and she called. →
  3. He works hard, whatever people say. →
  4. Come in and sit down. (very polite) →
  5. We enjoyed the trip, although it rained. →

Exercise 5: Surprise! Question words + ever (5 points)

Rewrite the questions to show surprise or anger.

  1. What are you doing in my garden? →
  2. Who told you that story? →
  3. How did you open the door without a key? →
  4. Where have you put my glasses? →
  5. When did you find the time to paint the whole house? →

Exercise 6: Find and correct the mistake (6 points)

Each sentence has one mistake. Type the corrected sentence.

  1. It was John who he broke the window. →
  2. It was last Friday when we met. →
  3. What I need are a holiday. →
  4. I did went to the party, I promise! →
  5. She does likes the film. →
  6. Whatever you are doing? →

Exercise 7: Make it more lively! (Optional, open answers)

Rewrite the sentences from a review of a restaurant using five different emphatic structures from this lesson.

  1. The service disappointed me, not the food.
  2. I enjoyed the dessert most.
  3. We chose this restaurant because of its good reputation.
  4. I recommend the fish soup.
  5. The waiter was very polite.

Self-check checklist:






Part 4: Exam – FCE Use of English, Part 4 / Egzamin

Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between two and five words, including the word given. (Contractions count as two words: don’t = do not.)

Exam Timer: 20:00

Worked Example:

Ann broke the vase.   WHO
It was Ann who broke the vase.

  1. Tom broke the window, not his brother.
    WHO
    It the window, not his brother.
    Words: 0 (2–5 words required)
  2. I really need a holiday.
    WHAT
    a holiday.
    Words: 0 (2–5 words required)
  3. I know you don’t believe me, but I liked the film.
    DID
    I know you don’t believe me, but I the film.
    Words: 0 (2–5 words required)
  4. Where did you find that terrible hat? I’m amazed!
    WHEREVER
    that terrible hat?
    Words: 0 (2–5 words required)
  5. The noise doesn’t bother me; the smell does.
    THAT
    It isn’t bothers me; it’s the smell.
    Words: 0 (2–5 words required)
  6. I was ill, so I didn’t go to the party.
    WHY
    I was ill. didn’t go to the party.
    Words: 0 (2–5 words required)
  7. Did Mrs Brown give you this book?
    WAS
    gave you this book?
    Words: 0 (2–5 words required)
  8. She finally understood the problem when the teacher drew a diagram.
    WHEN
    It was a diagram that she finally understood the problem.
    Words: 0 (2–5 words required)

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