Words and Phrases to Show Emphasis

Words and Phrases to Show Emphasis

Hello English learners. Welcome to a new lesson. In case you are writing essays or have to write for school or work, this lesson will be very helpful, as we are going to look at different words and phrases you can use to show emphasis.

Here is the list:

• Especially/particularly
• In particular
• Above all
• Crucial/crucially
• Essential/vital
• To draw attention to
• I would like to stress that
• Bear/keep in mind
• Without a doubt
• To say the least

The English teachers at My Lingua Academy are happy to help you improve your English. You can attend our online individual and group private lessons or learn English for free with our blog posts where you will find loads of grammar and vocabulary lessons, as well as exercises and quizzes. 

Especially/particularly

Especially is an adverb we use to emphasize that something refers to one person or thing more than to others. Especially and particularly are usually placed at the beginning of a clause.

•  I love long walks, especially in spring.
•  He was very much influenced by other writers, especially by James Joyce.
•  I hate getting up early, particularly in winter.
• The apartment they rented looked nice and cosy, particularly the living room.

Words and phrases for emphasis

In particular

We use the phrase in particular when we want to say that one person or thing is more important than others. We usually use it after a noun phrase or at the beginning of a sentence.

• One musician, in particular, deserves to be mentioned for his charity work.
• The situation in the region is alarming, in particular the area affected by the fire.
• The NGO is trying to raise awareness about climate change, the loss of animal and plant species in particular.

Above all

Use the phrase above all to say that one thing is more important than any others in the list.

•  I love all sports but above all swimming.
•  Sean wanted his children to be well-educated and successful, but above all he wanted them to be safe and healthy.
•  The new game was easy to operate and above all it was fun.

Crucial/crucially

If something is crucial, it is very important.

• Voters’ support is absolutely crucial in empowering the communities we serve.
• The future of our company depends crucially on outside funding.

Words and phrases for emphasis

Essential/vital

Something essential or vital is of utmost importance, so we can use these adjectives to add emphasis.

• Adequate experience and English fluency are essential for this job.
• Good nutrition is vital for the patients who suffer from this health disorder.

To draw attention to

We can use the phrase to emphasize that something is important and therefore should be considered.

• The survey aimed to draw attention to the problems of the people living in rural areas.
• The headteacher tried to draw attention to the need to provide better sports facilities for the students.

I would like to stress that

Use the phrase to add emphasis.

• I would like to stress that there were very few cases of employees who were single parents.
• I would like to stress that winters are getting milder, even in the northern parts of the country.

Words and phrases for emphasis

Bear/keep in mind

You can use the phrases when you want to emphasize that something is worth remembering.

• We should bear in mind that the price doesn’t include lunch and dinner so we should take some extra cash for the food.
• Please, keep in mind that your success in writing depends solely on your focus and correctness.
• You should keep in mind that grammar rules differ from language to language.

Without a doubt

Use the phrase to emphasize an opinion that something is definitely true.

• Cynthia is, without a doubt, the best seller in the company
• I’m sure many people would disagree, but the violin is without a doubt the most beautiful sounding instrument.

To say the least

We can use the phrase to say the least to point out that something is more important than you suggested. It is usually placed at the end of a sentence.

• The disappearance of the famous actress is quite strange, to say the least.
• The results of the research were disappointing, to say the least.

If you really want to learn English, book an online English lesson with one of our certified and experienced English teachers We are going to make sure that you have a good run for the money you are investing in your linguistic education. Waste no time and take a trial test for only 1 euro.