C-1 Grammar: FRONTING

FRONTING So many years trying to put all the words in a pre-established order, and being punished if you didn’t, and now the teacher comes with this idea of “fronting”, which is nothing less than ordering the words out of order, i.e. the pre-established order. Let’s start right from the beginning: remember the order (famous “empty” or “MPT”) S + V + O + O + M + P + T [subject+verb+object+object+manner+place+time) “Fronting” means moving one of the MPT elements to “front position and then the verb and then the subject: Shouting and shooting arrived the sheriff  (M+V+S) When I looked up, from the seventh-floor balcony hung a desperate woman (P+V+S) What did we do this for? To emphasize the subject, which is left to the very end: everybody should pay attention or hurry up the reading to learn who arrived shouting and shooting. Have a look at the following sequence: Philip knew he had to find his wife before it was too late, so he drove like a maniac along the streets, speeding up, screeching at corners, flashing the lights, blowing the horn. When he got to the house, he ran in and stopped dead at the bottom of the stairs. Silence. He looked up. Late, it was too late: for on the first floor laughed...... his mother-in-law.   Not very different from Spanish if you think of it. Why not? Gritando y disparando llegó el sheriff Cuando miré hacia arriba, del balcón del séptimo piso colgaba una mujer desesperada But in English you cannot (yes together) write like this all the time; it’s just a technique to create suspense, emphasize. Now, BEWARE, if you place the objects in front position two things may happen: either you must turn it into the passive voice or have a different meaning altogether The policeman arrested the thief The thief arrested the policeman (absolute nonsense, I hope) The thief was arrested by the policeman (Passive voice)    A)     Try “fronting” in the stretches in italics. The answers will be below (don’t cheat). 1.       As desperate as he was after losing a fortune at the casino, Mr NN ran up the Tour Eiffel to have his last jump. 2.       When I returned after five years, a weird couple had settled in my old beloved home. 3.       The house was in absolute silent but I knew that Freddy Krugger was hidden somewhere. 4.       I couldn’t believe my eyes: there was a snake under the table (no green underline help). 5.       I pull and pull, the fishing-rod bent and bent and finally a shark came out of the water. 6.       When I opened the door Napoleon in person stood right in front of me. 7.       The bull ran through the open door into the house. 8.       Three children went into the sea in spite of the frightening waves. 9.       As I went into the house a burglar ran out through a back window (beware of “out”) 10.   The Hollywood star’s helicopter landed in the middle of nowhere.    B)     Fronting dependent clauses is even easier: you simply place the clause in front position, write in a comma                and then the main clause: How he got to know it, I’ve no idea Why he did it, we do not know 1.       I don’t know who that man was. 2.       I didn’t hear when he left. 3.       I never got to know how she made it to the top. 4.       She doesn’t know how to make good marmalade. 5.       He doesn’t know where she’s gone. C)     Find the “fronting”: In the following mini-texts find the sentence to front most naturally, and accurately, of course. 1.       Claustrophobic as he was, he had thought of walking up to the seventh floor to attend the interview. But he had to change his mind as soon as he entered the building because a crowd with banners and whistles came down the stairs.  2.       A noise woke him up. He looked at the clock. It was still 3am. He wouldn’t wake his wife up. Then the noise again. It came from the ground floor. Silently, he got up, took his Smith Wesson from the wardrobe and checked it was loaded. Yes, all six bullets were in the cylinder. On tiptoes he left the room and on tiptoes he descended the stairs. When he reached the living-room he couldn’t believe his eyes: a bear was snoring on the carpet. 3.       He was so hungry, and in the middle of the match. He ran to the fridge, took out a can of beer and some ham and returned to his sofa. Still hungry; what a nuisance! He ran again for more ham but the cat was in the fridge eating the rest of it.                 4.       He loved driving at 150 miles per hour. Down the mountain, he took the bends with a screech; he loved the screech of the tires. Another bend. And then another. Till the car flew to the bottom of the abyss. 5.       It was a beautiful day for rowing and the three young boys were having a good time on the lake. Talking of football, talking of girls, sipping some beer, they let time pass. Unexpectedly, the boat hit a rock and all three ended up in the water. KEY DON’T CHEAT A) 1.       …….up the Tour Eiffel ran Mr NN to have his last jump. 2.       ………..in my old beloved home  had settled  a weird couple 3.       ….somewhere  was hidden  Freddy Krugger 4.       …. Under the table  (there)  was  a snake. 5.       ….out of the water came a shark 6.       ….right in front of me stood Napoleon in person 7.       ….through the open door into the house ran the bull /into the house through the open door ran the bull 8.       In spite of the frightening waves into the sea went three children. 9.       ….out through the back window ran a burglar. 10.   In the middle of nowhere landed the Hollywood star’s helicopter. B) 1.    Who that man was, I don’t know 2.    When he left, I didn’t hear. 3.    How she made it to the top, I never got to know. 4.    How to make good marmalade, she doesn’t know. 5.    Where she’s gone, he doesn’t know. C)                                                                                                                                                                                                       1.       a crowd with banners and whistles came down the stairs  → down the stairs came a crowd with banners and whistles. 2.       a bear was snoring on the carpet → on the carpet was snoring a bear 3.       but the cat was in the fridge eating the rest of the ham. → but in the fridge was the cat eating the rest of it 4.       Till the car flew to the bottom of the abyss  → till to the bottom of the abyss flew the car 5.       and all three ended up in the water  → in the water ended up all three                *     *    *