3. What clauses:
These are common with verbs such as need, want, like,
hate.
I hate rainy weather.
What I hate is rainy weather.
You need a holiday.
What you need is a holiday.
It is also possible to emphasize events using auxiliary do/did.
Peter left the window unlocked.
What Peter did was (to) leave the window unlocked.
They are destroying the environment.
What they are doing is destroying the environment
4. Clauses beginning all emphasize ‘the only
thing’.
I only need another $5.
All I need is another $5.
The use of '-ever' for emphasis
Whatever. whoever, whichever, whenever, wherever.
and however are used to express It doesn't matter
what/who/which. etc.
Examples
Well, I like it whatever - you might think.
Whatever the weather, l get up at dawn and go for a walk.
Take whichever one -you want.
5. Auxiliary do
This can emphasize the verb and is stressed in speech.
I do like this film! It’s really great!
It is also used in polite forms.
I do hope you’ll come again! Do sit down!
6. Auxiliary did
- You said you would phone me!
- I did phone you! But you didn't answer.
- OK, I didn't phone you, but I did send you a text
(SMS).
7. EXERCISES
We doubt his sincerity.
It is his sincerity that we doubt
What we doubt is his sincerity
His sincerity is what we doubt
•You should go to Spain for your holidays.
It is Spain that you should go for your holidays
Spain is where you should go for your holidays
Where you should go for your holidays is Spain
8. I like London because it has
beautiful parks
What I like about London is the beautiful parks.
It is the beautiful parks that I like about London
The beautiful parks is what I like about London
9. He never makes a fuss. I admire
this.
What I admire about him is the way he never makes a
fuss
This government has treated the Health Service
so badly. This irritates everybody
What irritates everybody is the way the
government has treated the H. S.
