Cleft Sentence A cleft sentence is a complex sentence (one having a main clause and a dependent clause) that has

a meaning that could be expressed by a simple sentence. 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. It is called cleft because there are two parts to the sentence, it comes 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. Cleft sentence with IT If we want to emphasize a noun, we use a cleft structure: it + be + noun + that/who ex. Jenny spends all her money on shoes. It is Jenny who spends all her money on shoes. We can also use an it- cleft sentence to focus on other parts of the sentence Ex. It was in London that he met his first wife. (place) It was only when he phoned that I realized what had happened. (time) It is learning English that I find most enjoyable nowadays. (gerund action)

1. I don't like his clothes. It is his clothes that I don't like. 2. Monica studied English at La Laguna university. It was at La Laguna university that Monica studied English. 3. You couldnt have seen Mary in the park. It couldnt have been Mary (who/whom/that) you saw in the park 4. Im more worried by the expense of the journey than by the time it takes. Its not the amount of time it/the journey takes that worries me as/so much as the expense of the journey/its expense.

Dragana Zafirovska I Stanka Stefanovska

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5. My dream was always to go on the stage. It was always my dream to go on the stage. 6. Mr Palmer saw I could also act. It was Mr Palmer who saw I could act 7. I didnt invite them. It wasn`t me who invited them 8. I began to suspect something at that moment. It was at that moment that I suspected something 9. Money is the thing people care about nowadays. It is money the thing that people care about nowadays 10. His attitude towards other people really annoys me. It is his attitude towards other people that really annoys me. 11. I didnt decide to take a short cut across country! It wasn't me who decided to take a short cut across country! 12. The demonstrators didnt start the trouble. It wasn't the demonstrators who started the trouble. 13. I didnt suggest having a barbecue! It wasn't me who suggested having a barbecue! 14. The computer gives me a headache. It is the computer that gives me a headache. 15. My uncle Tom came on Thursday. It was my uncle Tom who came on Thursday.

Dragana Zafirovska I Stanka Stefanovska

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