英语中表示强调的方法是多种多样的.一谈到强调用法,很多人首先就会想到"It is... that..."这种强调结构.诚然,这种强调结构在英语中用得较多,也为大多数人所熟悉,但除此结构之外,英语中还有多种表示强调的用法同样需要广大英语学习者掌握.下面就分别加以介绍:

　　一、 通过句子的倒装来表示强调

　　用倒装语序来表示强调就是把所要强调的部分放置句首的强调方法.例如:

　　Only in this way can she achieve great success. (强调状语only in this way)

　　Such would be our home in the future. (强调表语such)

　　二、 用动词的进行时来表示强调

　　谓语动词的进行时常可用来强调说话人当时的想法、感觉等心理活动,而不是表示动作正在进行.例如:

　　She is looking ill today.(比She looks ill today. 语气要强烈)

　　She is always doing things for other people. (比She always does things for other people. 语气要强烈)

　　另外,用"情态动词+ 不定式的进行时"的形式来加强语气,在英语中也较为常见.例如:

　　You must not always be talking so much.

　　When a person is learning a foreign language, he must not always be translating everything into his own language.

　　三、 用"形容词最高级 + of短语"来表示强调

　　例如:

　　The truest of friends is he who helps others when they are in difficulty.(比The truest friend is he who helps others when they are in difficulty. 语气强烈)

　　He is the meanest of the men. (比He is the meanest man. 语气要强烈)

　　四、 用否定形式来表示强调

　　1. can't句的强调作用.例如:

　　He can't be more foolish. (比较:He is very foolish.)

　　The job couldn't have been easier. (比较:The job was very easy.)

　　从上面两个例子可以看出,当can't 与形容词或副词的比较级形式连用时,往往不在于否定谓语动词,而是在于加强全句的语势.

　　2. 用一般疑问句的否定形式表示强调.否定形式的一般疑问句,实际上是一种修辞问句,往往不要求对方回答,但要求用降调才能表示肯定句或感叹句的强调语气.例如:

　　Isn't it a funny thing?

　　Isn't the whole living-room a mess?

　　3. 用双重否定形式来表示强调.例如:

　　Nothing can live without water.

　　It is impossible for this careless student not to commit errors.

　　五、 通过各种不同的词汇和短语来表示强调

　　1. 在人称代词所有格的后面加上own来表示强调.例如:

　　I saw this accident with my own eyes.

　　He can't read his own handwriting.

　　2. 用助动词 do来表示强调.例如:

　　Do come early tomorrow if you can.

　　You did give me a help in my English study.

　　3. 在疑问代词和疑问副词后加上in the world, on earth, the hell, the devil, ever等来表示强调.例如:

　　What on earth are you doing here?

　　When ever did you lose your English dictionary?

　　4. 用强调性形容词来表示强调.注意使用very时,必须和this, the, that或人称代词所有格连用.例如:

　　What he said was utter nonsense.

　　He did it under your very eyes.

　　5. 在形容词和副词比较级的前面加上 far, much, even, a great deal 等,最高级的前面加上by far, much 等来表示强调.例如:

　　The new theater is even/ much/ far/ a great deal larger than the old one.

　　He is by far/ much the best student in our class.

　　6. 在否定句中用at all, a damn, let alone, in the least等来表示强调.例如:

　　He can't speak his own native language well, let alone foreign language.

　　I don't care a damn what he does.

　　7. 用 not to mention, to say nothing of, not to speak of 等来表示强调.例如:

　　You have wasted at least three hours, to say nothing of the material.

　　The dampness is unpleasant, not to mention the cold.

　　以上列举了几种非常常见的表示强调的方法.实际上,英语中表示强调的方法还有很多,由于篇幅所限,这里不一一列举.

　　(文/吴彬　英语辅导报大学一年级版03~04学年第45期;版权归英语辅导报社所有，独家网络合作伙伴新浪教育，未经许可，不得以任何形式进行转载。)