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EMPHATIC STRUCTURES: CLEFT SENTENCES
Cleft means divided. In a cleft sentence, information which could be given in one clause is
divided into two parts, each with its own verb. This way you give extra emphasis to part of
the sentence
It was Tom who didn’t want to come.

It Cleft sentences:
IT + BE (+ NOT AND/OR ADVERB) + EMPHASISED WORD/PHRASE +
THAT (WHO) CLAUSE
SENTENCE Mike tookSally to the party on Saturday.
EMPHASIS ON THE SUBJECT It was Mike who took Sally to the party on Saturday.
EMPHASIS ON THE OBJECT It was Sally that Mike took to the party on Saturday.
EMPHASIS ON THE ADVERBIAL It was on Saturday that Mike took Sally to the party.
EMPHASIS ON THE PREP. PHRASE It was to the party that Mike took Sally on Saturday.

WH- cleft sentences:
WH- Clause + BE +EMPHASISED WORD / PHRASE

EMPHASIS ON THE ACTION What Mike did was (to) take Sally to the party
In these sentences WHAT means THE THING(S) THAT. The WH-clause must contain a verb. To highlight the action we uses a form of DO in the WH-clause. The highlighted phrase usually contains a bare infinitive or TO + INF.
If the highlighted verb is in the continuous or perfect, theform of DO matches it.
The boys are taking Sandy to the match ™ What the boys are doing is taking Sandy to the match.

Other cleft sentences

The thing that I most disliked was the colour of her dress.
The only thing I won’t do is phone her again.
All you need is love.
WH- cleft sentences:
WH- Clause + BE + EMPHASISED WORD / PHRASE
EMPHATIC STRUCTURES: CLEFT SENTENCES
from LONGMANADVANCED LEARNER’S GRAMMAR. UNIT 34


EMPHATIC STRUCTURES: CLEFT SENTENCES

EXERCISES KEY
READ THE INFORMATION IN THE BOX THEN COMPLETE THE REPLIES. EACH REPLY MUST
CONTAIN A CLEFT SENTENCE.
1.Nick was late because he overslept, wasn’t he?
No, it WAS BECAUSE OF THE TRAFFIC JAM that he was late.
2.How on earth did Nick let the boss know he’d be late?
Well, what HE DID WAS (TO) call her fromhis mobile phone.
3.Wasn’t Nick late on Wednesday?
No, IT WAS ON MONDAY that he was late.
4. Nick’s boss had to start the meeting without him, didn’t she?
No, what she DID WAS (TO) RESCHEDULE THE MEETING FOR the afternoon.
5. Didn’t Nick get stuck in a traffic jam in the town centre?
No, not in the town centre; it WAS ON THE RING ROAD THAT NICK got stuck.
6. I heard the boss was a littleannoyed with Nick for being late.
No, she wasn’t “a little annoyed”. What SHE WAS WAS FURIOUS!
FOR EACH OF THE SENTENCES BELOW, WRITE A NEW SENTENCE AS SIMILAR AS
POSSIBLE IN MEANING TO THE ORIGINAL SENTENCE, BUT USING THE WORDS GIVEN
IN BOLD.
1.We just need 5 minutes to fix it. ALL
ALL WE NEED IS 5 MINUTES (TO FIX IT)
2.I’m not questioning his dedication. ISN’T
IT ISN’T HIS DEDICATIONTHAT I’M QUESTIONING.
3.These men a re totally ruthless. WHAT
WHAT THESE MEN ARE IS TOTALLY RUTHLESS.
4.We inherited everything except the house. ONLY THING
THE ONLY THING WE DIDN’T INHERIT WAS THE HOUSE.
5.You know the sales assistant told me exactly the same thing. THAT’S
THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT THE SALES ASSISTANT TOLD ME.
6.We’re taking the au-pair with us. DOING
WHAT WE ARE DOING ISTAKING THE AU-PAIR WITH US.
EMPHATIC STRUCTURES: CLEFT SENTENCES
from LONGMAN


|Cleft sentences are used to help us focus on a particular part of the sentence and to emphasise what we want |
|to say by introducing it or building up to it with a kind of relative clause. |
|Because there are two parts to the sentence it is called cleft (from the verb cleave)which means divided into|
|two. |
|Cleft sentences are particularly useful in writing where we cannot use intonation for purposes of focus or |
|emphasis, but they are also frequently used in speech. |

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