Cleft sentencees

Cleft sentences

Before moving on to grammar, let's quickly check what you remember

Fill in the Blank

What's this?

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What's this?

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What's this?

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What's this?

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What's this?

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What's this

Ok, great, let's move on to today's topic

Cleft sentences

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 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.

Examples

I've come to discuss my future with you.

The reason why I've come is to discuss my future with you.

Examples

Your generosity impresses more than anything else.

The thing that impresses me more than anything else is your generosity.

Examples

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.

Examples

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.

Examples

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.

Examples

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.

How we can change the 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 neighbour last Saturday.

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 neighbour last Saturday.

It was our next-door neighbour that my brother bought his new car from last Saturday.

Ok, let's try it on your own with some easy examples

Multiple Choice

The place _______ is that house over there.

• where I used to live

• that I used to live

• which I used to live

• when I used to live

Multiple Choice

A: Did you call the police?

B: No, what I ____ was hide in the bedroom.

• did

• do

• was

• were

Multiple Choice

A: You don't understand me.

B: No, _____ I don't understand is why you do this to yourself.

• that

• what

• who

• which

Multiple Choice

A: Didn't you arrive late yesterday?

B: No, ____ was John who arrived so late.

• It

• the person who

• who

• It's

Multiple Select

Tim spread the rumour.

• It was Tim who spread the rumour.

• The person who spread the rumour was Tim.

• All Tim do is spreading the rumour.

• The rumour was spread by Tim.

Multiple Choice

______ is to protect their family.

• The reason why they did it

• I did it because

• How they did it

• It's why they did it

Multiple Choice

" ________ is a cup of tea"

• I want all

• All I want

• I want

Multiple Choice

" _________ is that we can’t stand the climate here."

• The reason of why we’re thinking of emigrating

• We’re thinking of emigrating

• The reason why we’re thinking of emigrating

Multiple Choice

_______ the police had rescued from the fire.

• The baby

• The baby that

• It was the baby that

• The baby whom

Multiple Choice

______ enjoyed most of the trip was the food.

• What I

• All I

• What

• It's what I