It ~ that ~ emphasis

Question

A: Tom, you didn't clean the room.B: That was not true. I did it.  It was Brian that didn't clean the room.   or It was not Brian that cleaned the room.Which answer is proper?Thank you!

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

scarf cat 847A: Tom, you didn't clean the room.
B: That was not true. I did it.

Who are A and B? It looks like if A addresses Tom, then B is Tom.

scarf cat 847It was Brian that didn't clean the room.

Now you mention Brian. How did Brian get in here when only A, B, and Tom have been mentioned? B is not Brian because B is Tom, so is A Brian?

scarf cat 847Which answer is proper?

Let's relabel these in a way that might make sense:

Brian: Tom, you didn't clean the room.
Tom: That is not true. I did.

So Brian says that Tom didn't clean the room, and Tom says that he (Tom) did clean the room. The difference of opinion is whether Tom cleaned the room or Tom did not clean the room. Nothing in this exchange focuses on whether Brian cleaned or did not clean the room.

scarf cat 847It was Brian that didn't clean the room.

Well, if we are to believe Brian, it was Tom who didn't clean the room.

scarf cat 847It was not Brian that cleaned the room.

If we believe Tom, then we believe that Tom cleaned the room, so it was not Brian who cleaned the room.

On the basis of the discussion above, we can say either of these:

According to Brian, it was Tom who didn't clean the room.
According to Tom, it was not Brian who cleaned the room.

CJ

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