emphasis

‘What you see is what you get.’ (CLEFT CLAUSE)

C1, CLAUSES, cleft, emphasis, FOCUS, fronting, GSE, relative

The English Grammar Profile C1 point 10 in the category of FOCUS is defined as: ‘What’ + noun or pronoun + verb phrase as subject + ‘be’, for focus. Note that Pearson lists this point: GSE 59 B2 clauses with ‘What …’ to emphasise the topic or main point. For example: What we need now is a good night’s sleep. What I said was that I don’t need your help. […]

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absolutely | undoubtedly | undeniably

ADVERBS, C1, C2, certainty, emphasis, modify, range, true

The adverb ‘undeniably‘ is used to emphasize that something cannot be denied or disputed.  It is listed at C2 in the English Vocabulary Profile with the meaning: in a way that is almost certainly true.  For example: That‘s undeniably true. Listen In the English Grammar Profile, C1 point 64 in ADVERBS/modifiers is defined as: a wide range of

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EVEN + comparative adjective

ADJECTIVES, B1, comparatives, emphasis, intensity, modify, predicate

In this post, we explore ‘even + comparative’ which is used to emphasize qualities. In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 40 in ADJECTIVES is defined as: ‘even’ to modify and intensify comparative adjectives used predicatively after a verb, usually ‘be’ and ‘get’. We did an iWeb search for even _JJ and highlighted the A2 comparative adjectives:

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sense verb + OBJECT + VERB-ing

B2, emphasis, object, pattern, sense, VERBS

B2 point 54 in VERBS/patterns is defined as: some verbs connected with the senses + direct object + an ‘-ing’ form, to give emphasis to an ongoing activity. *I don’t believe B2 complexity should hinge on ‘activity’.  It should also include a state.  For example: I don’t see myself being with anyone else but you, Sarah. listen An iWeb search for: sense verbs

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ADVERBS (hedging | emphasis)

A2, ADVERBS, emphasis, hedging, MODALITY, position

Adverbs can modify assertions by hedging or emphasizing when placed in mid-position or after the main verb ‘be’. For example, “probably” in “you’re probably busy” hedges the assertion, making it less absolute. Conversely, “definitely” in “it is definitely the right thing to do” emphasizes the assertion, reinforcing its certainty. This usage of adverbs is categorized as A2 in the English Grammar Profile, with higher levels for certain constructions.

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STILL + present perfect simple negative ‘still haven’t found’

ADVERBS, B2, emphasis, PAST, perfect, PRESENT, simple

B2 English Grammar Profile point 61 in the category of PAST is defined as: negative form of the present perfect simple with ‘still’ to emphasise that something that was expected to happen continues not to happen. An iWeb search for: still have|has _xx _vvn 1 STILL HAVE N’T FOUND 1847 2 STILL HAVE N’T GOTTEN

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SO MUCH | A LOT adverbial phrases in end position

A2, ADVERBS, amount, B1, cause, consequence, degree, emphasis, end, frequency, intensity, modify, position, result, VERBS

The text discusses the use of “so much” and “a lot” as adverbs of degree in English grammar. These phrases modify verbs to indicate a high degree or intensity of an action. For example, in the sentence “You bother me a lot”, “a lot” intensifies the verb “bother”. Similarly, in “He loved it so much that he continued to show up every week”, “so much” intensifies “loved” and the phrase “so much that” establishes a cause-effect relationship between the high degree of love and the action of showing up every week.

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so much as | in as much as

ADVERBS, alternative, amount, C2, CLAUSES, conditional, CONJUNCTIONS, contrast, degree, DETERMINERS, emphasis, NEGATIVE, reason

A search in playphrase.me for “so much as” reveals the following 3 most common collocations/multi-word units containing negative meaning or being surrounded with negation:  You let your wife throw you out of your own house  without so much as a whimper. listen to the example The phrase “without so much as a” means “not even the slightest amount of“. In the example above, it emphasizes that the

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CAN (focus)

C1, emphasis, fixed expressions, FOCUS, MODALITY

“As you can see” is used to draw attention to something that is obvious or visible. For example, you might say “As you can see, the cat is sitting on the mat” or “As you can see, the results of the test are not good.”
“I can’t say” is used to express uncertainty or doubt. For example, you might say “I can’t say for sure when I’ll be finished with this project” or “I can’t say that I agree with your decision.”
“I can tell you that” is used to make a statement that is certain or factual. For example, you might say “I can tell you that the meeting will start at 10am” or “I can tell you that I’m not happy with the way things are going.”
“As you can imagine” is used to express something that is easy to understand or picture. For example, you might say “As you can imagine, I was very excited to get the job offer” or “As you can imagine, the traffic was terrible today.”
“I can say that” is used to make a statement that is true or accurate. For example, you might say “I can say that I’m very proud of my children” or “I can say that I’ve learned a lot from this experience.”
“I can assure you that” is used to express confidence or certainty. For example, you might say “I can assure you that I will do my best” or “I can assure you that your information is safe with me.”

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