AULAFYCurso abierto de inglés C1
HomeCourseContemporary Art, Markets & ControversyGrammar Focus
Contemporary Art, Markets & ControversyL02
grammar

Grammar Focus

Detailed explanation, examples and controlled practice for the unit grammar point.

60 minC1c1grammarcontemporary-art-markets-controversyfrontingcleft sentencesemphasiscontrast

Lesson objectives

  • Recognise and control Fronting for emphasis (What I'd really like…; Having said that…).
  • Notice common errors Spanish-speaking learners make at advanced level.
  • Apply the structure in exam-style sentences related to contemporary art, markets & controversy.

Explicación (en español)

En el nivel C1 Advanced, el uso de "Fronting" es esencial para demostrar control sobre la cohesión y el énfasis. El fronting consiste en mover un elemento (un objeto, una frase completa o una cláusula) al principio de la oración para cambiar el foco de la información. En lugar de seguir la estructura estándar de Sujeto + Verbo + Objeto, colocamos lo que queremos resaltar al principio para captar la atención del lector o interlocutor.

Un tipo común de fronting es el uso de cláusulas de comentario o de contraste al inicio, como "Having said that..." (Dicho esto...) o "What I'd really like is..." (Lo que realmente me gustaría es...). Estas estructuras permiten añadir matices de opinión o introducir una transición suave entre ideas complejas. En el contexto de debates sobre arte o mercados, esto es vital para presentar una idea y luego matizarla inmediatamente, mostrando un pensamiento crítico avanzado.

Un error típico de los hispanohablantes es intentar traducir literalmente estructuras de énfasis. Por ejemplo, en español solemos decir "Lo que quiero es..." y en inglés algunos intentan "That which I want is...", lo cual suena arcaico o incorrecto. La estructura correcta es el cleft sentence: "What I want is...". Otro error común es el uso incorrecto de la puntuación; cuando movemos una frase para enfatizar, generalmente debe ir seguida de una coma para separar el elemento enfático del resto de la oración principal.

En comparación con el español, el fronting en inglés es más rígido en cuanto a la posición de los elementos, pero muy efectivo para evitar la monotonía. Mientras que en español podemos cambiar el orden de las palabras con cierta libertad sin que suene extraño, en inglés, un fronting mal ejecutado puede hacer que la frase pierda su sentido gramatical. Dominar esto te permitirá pasar de un nivel B2 (comunicativo) a un C1 (sofisticado y persuasivo).

Form — estructura

Type of Fronting Structure Purpose
Pseudo-cleft (What-clause) What + subject + verb + is/was + [emphasised part] To focus on a specific noun or idea.
Concessive/Contrastive Fronting [Phrase/Clause], + [Main Clause] To introduce a counter-argument or nuance.
Adverbial/Prepositional Fronting [Adverb/Prepositional Phrase], + [Main Clause] To set the scene or focus on time/place/manner.

Examples

  1. What the gallery needs is a more diverse collection of artists. (Lo que la galería necesita es una colección de artistas más diversa).
  2. Having said that, the auction prices were unexpectedly high. (Dicho esto, los precios de la subasta fueron inesperadamente altos).
  3. What I find most controversial is the use of AI in digital art. (Lo que encuentro más polémico es el uso de la IA en el arte digital).
  4. Never before has such a provocative installation been seen in this museum. (Nunca antes se había visto una instalación tan provocativa en este museo).
  5. What they failed to realise was the impact of the scandal on the market. (Lo que no se dieron cuenta fue del impacto del escándalo en el mercado).
  6. Despite the artist's reputation, the painting was deemed a forgery. (A pesar de la reputación del artista, la pintura fue considerada una falsificación).
  7. What matters most in the art world is authenticity. (Lo que más importa en el mundo del arte es la autenticidad).
  8. Having considered all the arguments, the committee decided to reject the proposal. (Habiendo considerado todos los argumentos, el comité decidió rechazar la propuesta).

Contrast

  1. ✗ What I want is a painting. / ✓ What I want is a painting. (Note: This is correct, but ensure you don't say "Is what I want a painting".)
  2. ✗ Having said that, I like it. / ✓ Having said that, I still like it. (In English, "Having said that" needs a clear logical connection to the following clause.)
  3. ✗ The artist is what he creates. / ✓ It is the artist's vision that defines the work. (Using "It is..." is a more natural way to perform fronting for emphasis than "The artist is what...")
  4. ✗ Only then I realized the truth. / ✓ Only then did I realise the truth. (When starting with negative or restrictive expressions like "Only then", we must use inversion: Auxiliary + Subject + Verb.)

Mini-quiz — 10 preguntas

Part 1: Sentence Transformation (Rewrite the sentences using the word in brackets to keep the meaning the same).

  1. The curator wants more funding. (What)
  1. Although the sculpture is beautiful, it is very expensive. (Having)
  1. I really need a new studio space to work. (What)
  1. The price of the artwork is what caused the controversy. (It)

Part 2: Multiple Choice (Choose the correct option).

  1. ____ the artist's talent, the piece was sold for a pittance. a) Despite b) Having said that c) What

  2. ____ the museum wants is to attract a younger audience. a) That b) What c) It is

  3. ____ the scandal, the gallery remains open. a) Having said that b) Despite c) What

Part 3: Fill in the blanks (Complete the sentence with one suitable word).

  1. What I find most interesting ____ the way light interacts with the canvas.
  2. Having ____ the evidence, the critic decided to write a scathing review.
  3. Only after the auction ended ____ the true value of the collection been revealed.

Respuestas: 1. What the curator wants is more funding. 2. Having said that the sculpture is beautiful, it is very expensive. (Or: Having considered its beauty, it is very expensive / Note: "Having said that" is used as a transition; in this specific transformation, "Despite" is the original logic, but the student must use the fronting structure provided.) -> Corrected target: Having said that, the sculpture is beautiful, yet it is very expensive. 3. What I really need is a new studio space to work. 4. It was the price of the artwork that caused the controversy. 5. a) Despite 6. b) What 7. b) Despite 8. is 9. considered / examined 10. did