cleft sentence

The Best Guide to the Cleft Sentence

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A cleft sentence is a phrase that takes a simple sentence and divides it into to part in order place emphasis on one of the parts.[1]https://www.slideserve.com/nusa/what-is-a-cleft-sentence

It Cleft Sentence

This type of cleft uses the word “it” to identify what it is placing emphasis on.

The pattern is:

it + be + “highlighted word or phrase” + that/who clause[2]https://www.slideshare.net/caticah/cleft-sentences-72374267

For example, if the original sentence is “Susie bought a movie from the store last month.”

We can make the…

Subject the focus

It was Susie who/that bought a movie from the store last month.

Object the focus

It was a movie that Susie bought from the store last month.

Time the focus

It was last month that Susie bought a movie from the store.

Place the focus

It was from the store that Susie bought a movie last month.

What Cleft Sentence

This type of cleft uses the word “what” to identify what it is placing emphasis on.

The pattern is:

what + be + “highlighted word or phrase”

For example, if the same original sentence as before “Susie bought a movie from the store last month.”

We can make the…

Word/phrase the focus

What Susie bought at the store last month was a movie.

Action the focus

What Susie did last month was buy a movie from the store.

Whole sentence the focus

What happened was Susie bough a movie from the store last month.

Other Types of Cleft Sentence

There are a few other types of cleft sentence structures you can use.

For example:

  • The
    person who     said it was Fred.
  • The thing
    she wants is a hamburger.
  • The place
    I used to work at is closed.
  • The time
    I went to university was the best
    time of my life.
  • The
    reason     she didn’t say anything was
    due to her shyness.

Practice Exercises

Rewrite the following sentences to put emphasis on the underlined part. Use “it” cleft sentences.

 17%

Question 1 of 6

1. We need a house with a yard before we can get a dog.

Question 1 of 6

Question 2 of 6

2. The fire made many people suffer.

Question 2 of 6

Question 3 of 6

3. You will do better on the exam if you study.

Question 3 of 6

Question 4 of 6

4. The professor explained how to solve the problem during the lecture.

Question 4 of 6

Question 5 of 6

5. They climbed to the top of the mountain last weekend.

Question 5 of 6

Question 6 of 6

6. Solar panels are a great way to invest in renewable energy.

Question 6 of 6


 

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