Fronting: strange as it may seem

Strange as it may seem, much as I like him, on the hill stood a church: moving words to the front.

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English sentences usually start with information the reader already knows and end with what is new. Fronting means moving a part of the sentence that normally comes later to the very start. Writers do it to link a sentence to the one before, to set up a contrast, or to make a word stand out. Most fronting keeps the normal subject + verb order; a few patterns change it.

Normal order	Fronted
I kept some of the photos.	Some of the photos I kept.
Although it may seem strange, I liked it.	Strange as it may seem, I liked it.
Although I like him very much, ...	Much as I like him, ...
An old church stood on the hill.	On the hill stood an old church.

Fronting an object or a complement

Put the object or the complement first to contrast it with something else. The subject and verb keep their usual order. This is common in speech too, with a strong stress on the fronted word.

Some of the photos I kept; the rest I threw away.
His first novel I loved. His second I couldn't even finish.
Talented she certainly is, but she never practises.
That I can understand. What I can't understand is why you lied.

Adjective + as + subject + verb

Adjective or adverb + as + subject + verb means "although" and is typical of formal writing and careful speech. Though is also possible here.

Strange as it may seem, I actually enjoyed the exam.
Although it may seem strange, ...
Tired as she was, she finished the report before going home.
Hard though he tried, he couldn't remember her name.
Incorrect: Strange as may it seem, I enjoyed the exam.
Correct: Strange as it may seem, I enjoyed the exam.
After as, keep the normal order: subject, then verb.

Much as and try as

Much as + clause means "although ... very much". Try as + subject + might / may means "however hard someone tried".

Much as I like him, I wouldn't lend him any more money.
Much as we appreciate your offer, we have decided to decline.
Try as she might, she couldn't open the jar.
Incorrect: Much as I like him, but I can't lend him any more money.
Correct: Much as I like him, I can't lend him any more money.
Much as already means although, so don't add but.

Place and movement first, then the verb

When an adverbial of place or direction starts the sentence, a verb like be, stand, sit, lie, come or go can come before the subject. This is common in descriptions and stories.

On the hill stood an old church.
In the corner sat a small, grey-haired man.
Down came the rain.
Here comes the bus.
There goes our last chance.

The verb moves only when the subject is a noun. With a pronoun, keep the normal order.

Incorrect: Here comes it.
Correct: Here it comes.
Incorrect: Off went they to the station.
Correct: Off they went to the station.

Fronting to link ideas

Often the fronted part points back to something already said, so the new information can come last. This makes a text easier to follow. With a fronted adjective phrase and be, the verb comes before the subject.

She has written six novels. Of these, the best known is her first.
We visited three museums. The most interesting was the one about the railway.
The council wants to close the library. Equally worrying is the plan to sell the park.
More important than the price is the quality of the service.

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