emphasisthat

Emphasisthat is a term used in linguistic discourse to describe a discourse-pragmatic technique in which the word that signals focus or contrast is foregrounded within a clause. The term is not part of a formal phonology or grammar in the same way as canonical features like focus or topic though it is used by some researchers to categorize a particular pattern of emphasis in both spoken and written language. Emphasisthat emphasizes the word that introduces or anchors the proposition being highlighted, rather than relying solely on sentential structure or lexical choice.

In practice, emphasisthat can be realized in several ways. Prosodically, a speaker may place extra stress or higher pitch on the word that carries the emphasis. Syntactically, it can appear through focal or topical devices that draw attention to that element, such as sentence initial placement or parenthetical insertions that isolate that in the discourse. In writing, punctuation or typographic cues may serve to mark emphasis on that, signaling to the reader that this determiner or conjunction is the focal point of the statement.

Functions commonly associated with emphasisthat include signaling contrast with other propositions, correcting a previous statement, or clarifying which aspect of a claim is most important. The concept intersects with information structure, focus, and discourse markers, and is discussed primarily in informal or theoretical discussions rather than as a standard category in widely adopted grammars.

See also: focus (linguistics), information structure, discourse marker, contrastive focus.