CLEFT SENTENCES

It is possible to emphasize certain parts of a sentence by putting them in front

position. This structure where the normal word order is changed is called ‘cleft
sentences’.

A. Cleft sentences with it.

What difference of emphasis is there in each of the following pairs of examples?

1. a. Dickens captured the imagination of Victorian England.

b. It was Dickens who captured the imagination of Victorian England.

2. a. Dickens devoted so much time to writing because his personal life was
unhappy.

b. It was because his personal life was unhappy that Dickens devoted so much
time to

3. a. Dickens published Pickwick Papers in 1836.

b. It was in 1836 that Dickens published Pickwick Papers.

Underline the information which is emphasized in each sentence b. What do you

notice about what comes before and after what you underlined?

 Dickens, because his personal life was unhappy, in 1836.

 The emphasized information is preceded by it + verb to be and followed by a
relative pronoun, who or that.
B. Cleft sentences with what.

Read these examples. In each pair, which sentence focuses on the information in italic
more strongly?

1. a. Critics have always admired Dickens’s style.

b. What critics have always admired is Dickens’s style.

2. a. I only bought Great Expectations.

b. All I bought was Great Expectations.

 Sentences 1b and 2b focus on the information in yellow more strongly than in

1a and 2a.

In 1 b. What means ‘the thing that’. What does all mean in 2 b.? the only thing that
1 b. can be rewritten as ‘Dickens’s style is what critics have always admired’. Can you
reorganize 2 b. in a similar way? Great expectations was all I bought.

It is also possible to emphasize an action. Examples:

He wanted to popularize his books, so what he did was (to) travel round the country.

In my literature classes, all we ever did was read Dickens.

1. Which verb is used to indicate that an action is being emphasized? The verb to
do is used.
2. Which verb form is indicated in italic? The infinitive form with or without to.
3. Which word is added in the second example to imply criticism? Ever.

EXERCISE

Rewrite each of the following sentences to emphasize the information in italic.

1. I wasn´t in my office yesterday, so you must have spoken to my assistant.

2. His arrogance really irritates me.
3. The doctor said that I just needed a good holiday.
4. The busy main road put us off buying the house.
5. She hardly ever sees her husband because he works all the time.
6. He knew he would never be able to afford a Mercedes, so he stole one.
7. I’ve no idea why she’s crying –I just smiled at her.
8. I can’t understand why you didn’t come and see me earlier.
9. She says that your lies upset her.
10. He says that he is fascinated most by Shakespeare’s extraordinary use of
language.