Fronting: Object at Sentence Start

In a standard English sentence, the information flows from the doer to the action to the receiver. You (Subject) buy (Verb) the coffee (Object). When we use fronting, we hijack this flow. We pluck the coffee from the end and slap it at the beginning. Now we have: The coffee you buy. Notice something important? The rest of the sentence stays exactly the same. You don't flip the subject and the verb. It is not The coffee buy you. That would just be confusing. Fronting works because English listeners expect the most important 'new' information to come at the end. By putting the object at the start, you are breaking the 'rules' of expectation. This creates a tiny mental speed bump for the listener. That speed bump is where the emphasis lives. It tells the listener that the object is the most important part of your thought. It is like highlighting a line in a book with a bright neon marker. You are signaling a connection to something already mentioned or setting up a sharp contrast.

1. 1Creating this pattern is surprisingly simple. You just need to follow these three steps:
2. 2Identify the Object in your standard sentence. This is usually the thing receiving the action.
3. 3Move that Object to the very beginning of the clause.
4. 4Keep the Subject and Verb in their original order right after it.
5. 5Think of the formula as: Object + Subject + Verb (OSV).
6. 6Standard: I can handle the pressure.
7. 7Fronted: The pressure I can handle.
8. 8Standard: They didn't say a word.
9. 9Fronted: Not a word did they say. (Note: If the object is negative, we sometimes add 'do' for emphasis, but simple fronting usually keeps the SV order: That movie I've seen before).

You should reach for fronting when you want to achieve one of three things: emphasis, contrast, or flow.

• Emphasis: When the object is the star of the show. A more beautiful sunset I have never seen. Here, the sunset is the focus, not your ability to see.
• Contrast: This is the most common use. The red car I like, but the blue one I hate. By putting the objects first, you make the comparison much sharper. It’s like a grammar tennis match.
• Flow (Linking): If you just finished talking about a specific book, starting the next sentence with That book... helps the listener follow your train of thought. He gave me a rare coin. This coin I will keep forever. It creates a smooth bridge between sentences. You’ll hear this a lot in storytelling or when someone is giving instructions. It makes the transition feel more natural and less like a list of random facts.

Fronting is a seasoning, not the main course. If you front every sentence, you’ll sound like you’re trying too hard to be dramatic. Avoid it in standard academic writing unless you have a very specific rhetorical reason. Don't use it for mundane, everyday facts where there is no emotional weight. Saying My shoes I put on while getting ready for work just sounds weird. Also, avoid it if it makes the sentence ambiguous. If the object and subject could both be doers, the listener might get lost. The dog the man bit is a classic example of why we usually stick to SVO. (Did the dog bite the man? Did the man bite the dog? Who knows!). Keep it for moments when you want to be punchy, persuasive, or poetic. Think of it like a grammar traffic light; use it to stop the reader and make them look at the 'what' before they move on to the 'who'.

The biggest trap you’ll fall into is the 'Double Object' mistake. This happens when you move the object to the front but forget to delete it from its original spot.

• ✗ That car I sold it yesterday.
• ✓ That car I sold yesterday.

In the first version, it is redundant. You already mentioned the car! Another common slip is accidentally swapping the subject and verb.

• ✗ Those secrets kept she.
• ✓ Those secrets she kept.

Unless you are writing a dark fantasy novel or using a negative adverb (like Never), keep your subject before your verb. Finally, watch out for punctuation. People often feel the need to put a comma after the fronted object. While not always 'wrong', it can break the rhythm. This movie, I love feels like two separate thoughts. This movie I love feels like one emphatic statement. Keep the flow tight!

Don't confuse Fronting with Cleft Sentences or Passive Voice.

• Passive Voice: The window was broken by Jim. Here, the object becomes the subject. The focus is on the result, and the doer might even disappear.
• Cleft Sentences: It was the window that Jim broke. This uses 'It was...' to create a very formal type of emphasis. It’s a bit wordy.
• Fronting: The window Jim broke. This is the most direct and often the most 'raw' way to emphasize the object. It keeps the original verb active and the subject involved. It feels more 'spoken' and immediate than a cleft sentence. While Clefts are like a formal introduction ("Allow me to present... the window!"), Fronting is like pointing a finger and shouting ("The window!"). Choose fronting when you want to keep the energy high and the sentence lean.