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Fronting: This question we have already discussed

People like that I just can’t stand.​

Affirmative sentences most often begin with the grammatical subject.

  • I just can’t stand people like that.

If we begin a sentence with something else (‘fronting’), this is often to make it the topic – the thing we are talking about – even though it is not the grammatical subject. This can also move the main new information to the end – its most natural position (see here).

  • This question we have already discussed at some length.
  • All the other information which you need I am sending today. (from a business letter)
  • Any video in our catalogue we can supply, if available. (notice in music shop)

Fronting is particularly common in speech.

  • People like that I just can’t stand.
  • These books I’m just going to give away.
  • (A) fat lot of good that does me. (= ‘That doesn’t do me much good’, but putting strong emphasis on me.)

Question-word clauses (see here) are often fronted.

  • What I’m going to do next I just don’t know.
  • How she got the gun through customs we never found out.

Very good lesson we had.​

Fronting words in short sentences can also give them extra emphasis. This happens mostly in speech.

  • Strange people they are!
  • Very good lesson we had yesterday.
  • Last for ever these shoes will.

In a few exclamatory expressions, a noun is fronted before that, but this is uncommon in modern English.

  • Fool that I was!

Adverbs, etc: Off we go!​

Many adverbs and adverbial expressions can go at the beginning of a clause ( (see here). This often happens when we are using the adverbs to structure a piece of narrative or a description.

  • Once upon a time there were three little pigs. One day … Then … Soon after that … After dark, …
  • Inside the front door there is … Opposite the living room is … On the right you can see … At the top of the stairs …

Adverb particles are often fronted when giving instructions to small children.

  • Off we go!
  • Down you come!

Inversion ( (see here) is necessary after some emphatic fronted adverbs and adverbial expressions.

  • Under no circumstances can tickets be exchanged. (not Under no circumstances tickets can …)
  • Round the corner came Mrs Porter.

Fronting with as or though​

Fronted adjectives and adverbs are possible in a structure with as or though (see here).

  • Young as I was, I realised what was happening.
  • Tired though she was, she went on working.
  • Fast though she drove, she could not catch them.
  • Much as I respect his work, I cannot agree with him.
note

See also entries on basic word order (see here), normal order and variations (see here), ‘spacing out’ information in speech (see here), tags (see here) and cleft sentences ( (see here).

For the use of passive and other structures to bring objects to the front, (see here), (see here).