Cleft Sentences Exercises

E.O.I.
5th YEAR
UNIT 5: Cleft sentences
Cleft sentences are special constructions which are used to give

emphasis to a particular part of the sentence, in which a simple
sentence is expressed using a main clause and a subordinate
clause:
John took the money. It was John who took the money.
It was the money that John took.
These type of sentences are introduced by It is/It was or by a
clause beginning with what. They are particularly useful in writing
where we cannot use intonation for purposes of focus or
emphasis, but they are also frequently used in speech.
What clauses
They are formed with the following structure:
WHAT + FOCUS + TO BE
 We now need actions rather than words.
 What we now need are actions rather than words.
 Actions rather than words are what we now need.
 I enjoyed the brilliant music most of all in the Ballet
Frankfurt performance.
 What I enjoyed most in the Ballet Frankfurt performance
was the brilliant music.
 The brilliant music was what I enjoyed most in the Ballet
Frankfurt performance.
Note that cleft structures with what-clauses are often used with
verbs expressing an emotive response to something like adore,
dislike, enjoy, hate, like, loathe, love, need, prefer, want, etc.
It is sometimes very effective to use all instead of what in a cleft
structure if you want to focus on one particular thing and nothing
else:
 I want a new coat for Christmas.
 All I want for Christmas is a new coat.
E.O.I. 5th YEAR
 A new coat is all I want for Christmas.

 I touched the bedside light and it broke.
 All I did was (to) touch the bedside light and it broke.
Finally, we can also use preparatory it in cleft sentences and join
the words that we want to focus on to the relative clause with
that, who or when.
In the example which follows, note how this construction enables
us to focus on different aspects of the information, which may be
important at the time:
It is/was
They are formed with the following structure:
IT + TO BE + FOCUS
 My brother bought his new car from our next-door
neighbour last Saturday.
 It was my brother who bought his new car from our
 It was last Saturday when my brother bought his new car
from our neighbour.
 It was a new car that my brother bought from our
 It was our next-door neighbour that my brother bought his
new car from last Saturday.
Cleft structures include the reason why, the thing that, the
person/people who, the place where, the day when and what-
clauses which are usually linked to the clause that we want to
focus on with is or was.
 I've come to discuss my future with you.
 The reason why I've come is to discuss my future with you.
 Your generosity impresses more than anything else.
E.O.I. 5th YEAR
 The thing that impresses me more than anything else is

your generosity.
 The jewels are hidden under the floor at 23 Robin Hood
Road, Epping.
 The place where the jewels are hidden is under the floor at
23 Robin Hood Road, Epping.
 Under the floor at 23 Robin Hood Road is the place where
the jewels are hidden.
 Mary works harder than anybody else in this organisation.
 The person who works harder than anybody else in this
organisation is Mary.
 Mary is the person in this organisation who works harder
than anybody else.
 The Second World War ended on 7 May 1945 in Europe.
 The day (when) the Second World War ended in Europe
was 7 May 1945
 7 May 1945 was the day (when) the Second World War
ended in Europe.
Rewrite the sentences, making them more emphatic.

1. I was most unhappy with the service.
- ….What ………………………………………………………………(to be unhappy
with)
2. I can’t stand the noise.
- ….It’s ……………………………………………………………………. (the noise)
3. John didn’t pay for the wedding ring, Sarah did.
- ….It ………………………………………………………………………. (Jonh)
- ….It ………………………………………………………………………. (Sarah)
4. He’s always late. It really annoys me.
- ….What …………………………………………………………………. (to annoy)
E.O.I. 5th YEAR
5. Did you choose the furniture?

- ….Was ………………………………………………………………...…. (you)
6. The waiter’a attitude made things worse.
- ….It …………………………………………………………………...…. (waiter’s
attitude)
7. I love autumn because of the colour of the leaves.
- ….What …………………………………………………………………. (autumn)
8. Her terrible accent annoyed me most.
- ….What…………………………………………….………………….…. (to annoy)
9. I bought it because it was a bargain.
- ….It was …………………………………………………………………. (to be a
bargain)
10. In the end Martha went to the police.
- ….What ……………………………………………………………………(go to the
police)
Answers
1. What I was most unhappy with was the service…. (to be
unhappy with)
2. It’s the noise that I can’t stand…. (the noise)
3. It was John who didn’t pay for the wedding ring…. (Jonh)
-It was Sara who did pay for te wedding ring…. (Sarah)
4. What really annoys me is that/(the fact that) he’s always late….
(to annoy)
E.O.I. 5th YEAR
5. Was it you who chose the furniture…. (you)

6. It was the waiter’s attitude that made/did make things worse….
(waiter’s attitude)
7. What I love is autumn because of the colour of the leaves….
(autumn)
8. What annoyed me most was her terrible accent…. (to annoy)
9. It was because it was a bargain that I bought it…. (to be a
bargain)
10. What Martha did in the end was (to) go to the police…. (go to
the police)

Cleft Sentences Exercises

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Cleft Sentences Exercises

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Cleft Sentences Exercises

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

E.O.I.

Cleft sentences are special constructions which are used to give

 A new coat is all I want for Christmas.

 The thing that impresses me more than anything else is

Rewrite the sentences, making them more emphatic.

5. Did you choose the furniture?

5. Was it you who chose the furniture…. (you)

You might also like

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.