adverbials first
9.70 Adverbs and prepositional phrases can often be put first. This is the normal position for sentence adverbials (see paragraph 9.56), so they are not particularly emphatic in this position. Other phrases are sometimes placed first, usually to make descriptions more dramatic or vivid in stories and accounts.
At eight o’clock I went down for my breakfast. For years I’d had to hide what I was thinking.
The subject and verb often change place after prepositional phrases relating to place, and after negative adverbials.
In his pocket was a bag of money.
On no account must they be let in.
For general information on adverbials, see Chapter 6. Negative adverbials are dealt with in Chapter 5.
reported question first
9.71 When you are saying that you do not know something, you can put the reported question first.
What I’m going to do next I don’t quite know.
How he escaped serious injury I can’t imagine.
For more information on reported questions, see paragraphs 7.32 to 7.38.
other parts of the clause
9.72 An adjective or noun phrase can occasionally be put before a linking verb, but this is not common.
Noreen, she was called. She came from the village.
Rare is the individual who does not belong to one of these groups.
The object of a verb is sometimes put first, usually in formal or literary uses. Note that the subject still has to be mentioned.
The money I gave to the agent.
If they sensed my fear, they would attack. This I knew.
Introducing your statement: The problem is…, The thing is…
9.73 People often use structures that point forward to what they are going to say and classify or label it in some way. These are sometimes called prefacing structures or prefaces.
A preface usually introduces the second part of the same sentence, usually a that-clause or a wh-clause. However, you can also use a whole sentence as the preface to another sentence (see paragraph 9.78).
pointing forward to the second part of sentence
9.74 A common prefacing structure is the and a noun, followed by is; e.g. The answer is ….
The noun is sometimes modified by an adjective, or there is sometimes extra information in the form of a phrase or a clause after it. The nouns most commonly used in this structure are:
answer
conclusion
fact
point
problem
question
rule
solution
thing
tragedy
trouble
truth
wonder
The fact is, the point is, and the thing is are used to show that what you are about to say is important.
The simple fact is that if you get ill, you may be unable to take the examination.
The point is to find out who was responsible.
The thing is, how are we to get her out?
classifying
9.75 Some of these nouns are used in to indicate what sort of thing you are about to say.
The rule is: if in doubt, dry clean.
Is photography an art or a science? The answer is that it is both.
The obvious conclusion is that man is not responsible for what he does.
labelling
9.76 Some of these nouns are used to label what you are going to talk about.
The problem is that the demand for health care is unlimited.
The only solution is to approach each culture with an open mind.
The answer is planning, timing, and, above all, practical experience.
other ways of labelling
9.77 Split sentences (see paragraphs 9.25 to 9.30) can be used in labelling.
What we need is law and order.
Impersonal it structures with adjectives followed by a that-clause are a less emphatic way of prefacing (see paragraph 9.42).
It is interesting that the new products sell better on the web than in shops.
You can use the sentence adverbials at any rate, at least, and rather as prefaces when you are slightly correcting a previous statement, often after or.
This had saved her life; or at any rate her sanity.
Anyway can also be used, usually after the correction.
It is, for most of its length anyway, a romantic comedy.
using whole sentences to point forward
9.78 A whole sentence can be used to point forward to the sentence or sentences that follow it. For example, a sentence containing an adjective like interesting, remarkable, or funny, or a general abstract word such as reason or factor (see paragraphs 10.19 to 10.23), is often used as a preface.
It was a bit strange. Nobody was talking to each other.
This has had very interesting effects on different people.
There were other factors, of course: I too was tired of Miami.
But there were problems. How could we get to Edinburgh without a car?
Focusing on the speaker’s attitude
9.79 There are several ways that speakers can focus on their attitude towards what they are saying, and who they are talking to.
Certain adverbials indicate your attitude to what you are saying. These are explained in paragraphs 9.80 to 9.90.
Other structures can be used to show strong reactions, or exclamations. These are explained in paragraph 9.91 to 9.94.
Finally, you can show the way you feel towards people, and indicate your relationship to them by the way you address them. Different ways of addressing people are explained in paragraphs 9.95 to 9.99.
Indicating your attitude to what you are saying
indicating your opinion
9.80 One way of showing your reaction to, or your opinion of, the fact or event you are talking about is by using commenting adverbials, which comment on the whole message given in a sentence.
Surprisingly, I found myself enjoying the play.
Luckily, I had seen the play before so I knew what it was about.
It was, fortunately, not a bad accident, and Henry is only slightly hurt.