cleft sentence is a construction that makes possible to put special emphasis on a particular...
TRANSCRIPT
Cleft Sentences Profª. Flavia Maria
CLEFT SENTENCES
CLEFT SENTENCE is a construction that makes possible to put special emphasis on a particular sentence function. This special structure is called CLEFT SENTENCE because to form such a sentence we cleave the sentence into two parts in a way that emphasized part takes place in the first section. Consequently, structural pattern of a cleft sentence remains as:
CLEFT SENTENCES It + be + emphasized sentence function
FIRST PART
+ (who / that )…………
SECOND PART
CLEFT SENTENCES
Consider the following sentence:
Peter wrote Mary a love letter in Paris
Subj V Oi Od A1
last week. A2
CLEFT SENTENCES
Emphasizing the Subject Function: Sentence: Peter wrote Mary a love letter
in Paris last week.
Pattern: It + be + emphasized sentence function + (who / that )…………
CLEFT SENTENCES
Cleft Sentence: (considering the tense)
It was Peter who wrote a love letter toMary in Paris last week.
(It was Peter who wrote Mary a love letter in Paris last week - also
acceptable)
CLEFT SENTENCES
Emphasizing the Direct Object Function:
It was a love letter that Peter wrote (to) Mary in Paris last week
CLEFT SENTENCES
Emphasizing the Indirect Object Function:
It was Mary Peter wrote a love letter to
in Paris last week.
CLEFT SENTENCES
Emphasizing the Adverbial (1) Function:
It was in Paris that Peter wrote Mary a love letter last week.
CLEFT SENTENCES
Emphasizing the Adverbial (2) Function:
It was last week that Peter wrote Mary a love letter in Paris.