Guide to English grammar

It was England who won the World Cup in 1966.
It was the World Cup (that) England won in 1966.
It was in 1966 (that) England won the World Cup.

We use who, which or that with the subject. With an object or adverbial we normally use that.
We can include a phrase with not.
It was England, not Germany, who won the World Cup in 1966.
It was in 1966, not 1970, that it happened.

NOTE
We can sometimes also emphasize a prepositional object.

How do you like the choir? -It's the orchestra I'm in.
We can also emphasize a whole clause.
It was because they were playing in London that England had an advantage.

For relative pronouns, • 273.)

3 When a pronoun comes after be, it is usually in the object form.
It was me who told you, remember?

4 The phrase that we emphasize often relates to what has gone before.

The Sixties was the decade of the Beatles and Swinging London. And it was in 1966 that England won the World Cup.
A practical guide to English grammar 52
4 The pattern with what

1 In the conversation Music practice, Susan wants to emphasize that Emma needs a personal organizer (and not anything else).

What you need is a personal organizer.
We can emphasize the new information with a “what-clause + be”. The new information comes after be.

2 Look at these examples.

A technical fault caused the delay.
The guests played mini-golf after tea.
We can emphasize different parts of the sentence.
What caused the delay was a technical fault.
What the guests played after tea was mini-golf.
What the guests did after tea was (to) play mini-golf.
What happened after tea was (that) the guests played mini-golf.

NOTE

1. 
   We cannot use who in this pattern. We must put a noun in front of it.
   

The people who played mini-golf were the guests. (NOT Who played mini-golf were the guests.)

2. 
   We can emphasize an action, e.g. “What the guests did was (to) play mini-golf”. Compare these examples with other verb forms.
   

What the guests are doing is playing mini-golf.
What I've done is sent / is (to) send a letter of complaint.
What we could do is (to) hire a car.

3. 
   We can sometimes emphasize a prepositional object.
   

What I long for is a little excitement.

4. 
   We can reverse the order of the what-clause and a noun phrase. Compare the two orders
   

I've got a terrible memory. -What you need is a personal organizer.
They've got some personal organizers here, look. -Oh, good. A personal organizer is what I need.

5. 
   We can use when and where.
   

1966 was (the year) when England won the World Cup.
The sports hall is (the place) where the students do the examination.

5 Overview: emphasis

• 51(1) • 51(2) • 51(3) • 51(4) • 49 • 186(3) • 26(6c) • 212

Form Emphatic stress Emphatic verb It What Phrase in front position Emphatic pronouns On earth/ever Adverbs of degree

Example I saw a ghost. I did see a ghost.