Emphasis Structures

C1 · AdvancedAdvanced Grammar

I DO like this song. I made this cake myself. It was such a good idea!

What you'll learn

  • Emphatic 'do/does/did' adds stress to a statement that already has a full verb, often to insist or contradict
  • A reflexive pronoun (myself, himself...) can emphasize that someone did something personally, with no one else's help
  • 'Such' emphasizes a noun phrase; 'so' emphasizes an adjective or adverb on its own
  • 'The very' can emphasize that something is exactly the right one

Emphatic 'do'

A sentence that already has a full verb doesn't need 'do' — but adding it anyway, stressed in speech, emphasizes that the statement is true, especially to insist on something or contradict a doubt.

"I do like this song. (despite what you might think)"
"She did call, I promise. (I'm not lying)"

Reflexive pronouns for emphasis

A reflexive pronoun can be added — right after the subject or at the end of the sentence — to emphasize that a specific person did something personally, without help or delegation.

"I made this cake myself."
"The director himself approved it."
"I myself will handle it."

'Such' and 'so' as intensifiers

'Such' comes before a noun phrase (such a good idea, such kind people); 'so' comes before an adjective or adverb on its own, with no noun (so kind, so quickly).

"It was such a good idea!"
"It was so kind of you."

'The very' for exactness

'The very' before a noun emphasizes that it's exactly the right one, or the most extreme example of something.

"This is the very thing I needed."
"This is the very reason I called."

Real English

"He does care, even if he doesn't show it."
"Do come in, please."
"That was such a relief!"
"She said it herself."

Watch out

✗I do liked this song.
✓I do like this song.

After emphatic 'do/does/did', use the base form of the verb — the tense is already carried by 'do', not the main verb.

✗It was so a good idea!
✓It was such a good idea!

'So' can't come directly before a noun phrase — use 'such' when there's a noun involved.

✗The director approved it himself himself.
✓The director himself approved it. / The director approved it himself.

The emphatic reflexive pronoun is used only once, either right after the subject or at the end of the sentence — never both.

Real life — Defending yourself

"Did you even try to fix it?"

"I did try! I spent two hours on it myself before calling support."

"Really? That's such a hassle."

"It was. The technician himself said it was a tricky bug."

Practice

Exercise 1 · Choose the sentence with correct emphatic 'do'

Choose the sentence with correct emphatic 'do'.

Exercise 2 · Choose the sentence with correct emphatic 'do'

Choose the sentence with correct emphatic 'do' in the past.

Exercise 3 · Choose the sentence with correct reflexive emphasis

Choose the sentence with correct reflexive emphasis.

Exercise 4 · Choose the sentence with correct emphatic reflexive placement

Choose the sentence with correct emphatic reflexive placement.

Exercise 5 · Choose the correct emphatic intensifier

Choose the correct emphatic intensifier.

Exercise 6 · Choose the correct emphatic intensifier

Choose the correct emphatic intensifier.

Exercise 7 · Choose the correct emphatic phrase

Choose the correct emphatic phrase.

Exercise 8 · Choose the sentence with correct emphatic 'do'

Choose the sentence with correct emphatic 'do'.

Exercise 9 · Add emphatic 'do'

Add emphatic 'do' to insist this is true: 'I finished the report.' → I ___ the report.

Exercise 10 · Add a reflexive pronoun for emphasis

Add a reflexive pronoun for emphasis: 'The CEO wrote this email.' (no one else) → The CEO wrote this email ___.

Exercise 11 · Sort into groups

I do believe you.
I do believed you.
She herself said it.
She said it herself herself.

0 / 4 sorted

Quick challenge

Five quick questions to check what stuck.

Question 1 / 5

Score: 0/0

Choose the sentence with correct emphatic 'do'.

You learned

  • Emphatic 'do/does/did' stresses a statement that already has a full verb.
  • A reflexive pronoun can emphasize that someone did something personally.
  • 'Such' comes before a noun phrase; 'so' comes before an adjective/adverb alone.
  • 'The very' emphasizes that something is exactly the right one.

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