stands first and the words of the predicate in their natural
order, there is no more emphasis upon them than these important
elements of a sentence ordinarily deserve. To emphasize either it is
necessary to force it out of its natural position. "George next went
to Boston," is the natural order of this sentence. Supposing, however,
that a writer wished to emphasize the fact that it was George who went
next, not James or Fred, he could do it by forcing the word "George"
from its present natural position to a position unnatural. He could
write, "It was George who next went to Boston," or, "The next to go to
Boston was George." Forcing the subject toward the position usually
occupied by the predicate emphasizes the subject. This is similar to
the emphasis given by the period. "It was George" is so far periodic,
followed by the loose structure; and the last arrangement is quite
periodic. Every device for throwing the subject back into the sentence
makes the sentence up to the point where the subject is introduced
periodic; this arrangement throws the emphasis forward to the word
that closes the period.

Other parts of a sentence may be emphasized by being placed out of
their natural order. In the natural order, adjectives and adverbs
precede the words they modify; conditional and concessive clauses
precede the clauses they modify; an object follows a verb; and
prepositional phrases and adjective clauses follow the words they
modify. These rules are general. Moving a part of a sentence from this
general order usually emphasizes it. "George went to Boston next"
emphasizes a little the time; but "Next George went to Boston" places
great emphasis on the time. So "It was to Boston that George went
next" emphasizes the place. "Went" cannot be so dealt with. It seems
irrevocably fixed that in a prose declarative sentence the verb shall
never stand first. It is not allowed by good use.

The rearrangement of the following sentence illustrates the emphasis
given by putting words out of their natural order:--

The strong and swarthy sailors of the Patria slowly rowed
the party to the shore.

The sailors of the Patria, strong and swarthy, slowly rowed
the party to the shore.

Slowly the strong and swarthy sailors of the Patria rowed
the party to the shore.

Of the steamer Patria, the sailors, strong and swarthy,
rowed the party to the shore.

To show the arrangement of clauses the follow