Exercise 1. The sentences 1-4 contain examples of 'fronting'. Match each sentence with a pattern a-d.
a. object/complement of sentence or clause in subject position
b. superlative/comparative + be + subject
c. adverbial phrase of position/movement + be + subject
d. such/so/also + adjective + be + subject
1. Much more shocking is the fact that 73 million working children are younger than 10 years old.
2. So shocking are these figures that charities across the world are attempting to find solutions to the problem.
3. Standing behind the problem, however, are world governments who need to listen to concerned charities.
4. Outraged the charities may be, but without the action of governments change will be hard.
Answer (1)
In English grammar, 'fronting' refers to the practice of placing an element of a sentence at the beginning to provide emphasis or stylistic variety. Let's analyze each sentence to understand which pattern of fronting it follows:
"Much more shocking is the fact that 73 million working children are younger than 10 years old."
This sentence fits pattern b : superlative/comparative + be + subject . Here, "Much more shocking" acts as a comparative phrase placed at the beginning of the sentence for emphasis.
"So shocking are these figures that charities across the world are attempting to find solutions to the problem."
This sentence fits pattern d : such/so/also + adjective + be + subject . "So shocking" is the fronted adjective phrase that emphasizes how surprising the figures are.
"Standing behind the problem, however, are world governments who need to listen to concerned charities."
This sentence matches pattern c : adverbial phrase of position/movement + be + subject . "Standing behind the problem" is an adverbial phrase that sets the scene for the subject that follows.
"Outraged the charities may be, but without the action of governments change will be hard."
This sentence corresponds to pattern a : object/complement of sentence or clause in subject position . "Outraged the charities may be" places the complement "outraged" at the beginning to create emphasis.
These sentence structures are used to highlight certain parts of information, making the statements more impactful and engaging for the reader.
