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Information and emphasis 46 Summary Word order and information • 47
In a statement the subject usually makes a link with the situation or with the previous sentence.
I hate supermarkets. They're so crowded. And they're expensive. The prices horrify me.
Each of these sentences begins with something known, old information. I is the speaker; they refers back to supermarkets; the prices makes a link with expensive.
I hate supermarkets.
They're so crowded.
And they'reexpensive.
The prices horrify me.
The new information normally comes later in the sentence. For example, in the second sentence so crowded is new, mentioned for the first time.
The subject • 48 When we decide how to express an idea, we usually choose a subject that relates to the previous sentence.
There are twelve of us in the group. Twelve people will fit in the minibus.
We can either go in three cars or in the minibus. The minibus holds twelve people.
Front position • 49
Some elements can come before the subject. This is to give them emphasis or to contrast them with another phrase.
They spent the morning sightseeing. In the afternoon,they resumed their journey south.
I've read the book. The film I haven’t yet seen.
Sometimes there is inversion of subject and verb.
At the end of the garden was a swimming-pool.
The empty subjects there and it • 50 We can also use “there + be”.
There was a swimming-pool at the end of the garden.
We use it referring forward to a phrase or clause.
It's nice to see you. It was a good thing we didn't have to pay.
Emphasis • 51 We can emphasize a word by giving it extra stress.
I hate supermarkets. They're awful places.
I hate supermarkets (not little shops).
We can use the emphatic form of a verb.
I did go to the supermarket. I went this morning.
There are also patterns with it and what.
It's supermarkets I hate.
