One very easy way to make your spoken English more effective is to use emphatic phrases. Apart from making your ideas and opinions stronger, they also impress speaking test interviewers!
Actually, why not say that last sentence like this:
Not only do they make your ideas and opinions stronger, but they also impress speaking test interviewers!
So, here are three easy ways to make your point more effectively
1. Not only… but (also)
The important thing about this kind of phrase is that after "Not only", we use a verb inversion. In other words, we put the verb and object in question order.
So, let's say we have two ideas like this:
- Germany invests in new technology.
- It has an efficient and productive workforce.
We could say:
Not only does Germany invest in new technology, but it also has an efficient and productive workforce.
Notice that in (1) above, it was "Germany invests in..." and in our stronger sentence, it is "does Germany invest". That's exactly the same as question word order ("Does Germany invest in new technology?").
Similarly, we can rephrase:
- The food in that restaurant is cheap.
- It's also terrific!
Instead, say:
Not only is the food in that restaurant cheap, but it's also terrific!
2. What ... + is
This is used with a noun phrase or a verb.
Noun phrase
With a noun phrase, like "strong leadership", instead of saying, “We need strong leadership”, we can say:
What we need is strong leadership.
Instead of saying, “Our company is looking for people with a proven track record in sales”, we can say:
What our company is looking for is people with a proven track record in sales.
NOTE: We can also swap the parts of the sentence around: “Strong leadership is what we need.”
Verb
With a verb, you use "What... to do is [+ verb]". For example, instead of saying, “I’d really like to travel to Bali", we can say:
What I’d really like to do is to travel to Bali.
Instead of saying, “Mayor Mendoza intends to create better conditions for women”, we can say:
What Mayor Mendoza intends to do is to create better conditions for women.
3. It is… that
This is very similar to the previous phrase. Instead of saying, “We need strong leadership”, we can say:
It is strong leadership that we need.
Instead of saying, “The beautiful beaches make Bali an ideal holiday destination”, we can say:
It is the beautiful beaches that make Bali an ideal holiday destination.
So, there you go—three simple ways to make your point stronger and impress your listener (or your speaking test interviewer). Start using them today!
