cleft sentences

CLEFT SENTENCES

The usual word order for a sentence in English is

SUBJECT+ VERB + OBJECT+ADVERBIAL PHRASE

Ex. I enjoy learning English at Colegio Andino

(subject) (verb) (object) (adverbial phrase)

Giving Emphasis: Cleft Sentences

However, if we want to emphasize that I particularly enjoy learning English (more that anything else), we can use a cleft sentence.

It begins with a what clause and the verb be:

Ex. What I enjoy most is learning English.

Ex. What I like most about you is your sense of Humor.

Similarly, if we want to emphasize a noun, we use a cleft structure with

it + be + noun + that/who:

Ex. Jenny spends all her money on shoes.

It is Jenny who spends all her money on shoes.

or: It is shoes that Jenny spends all her money on.

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)

Ex. It was only when he phoned that I realized what had happened. (time)

Ex. It is learning English that I find most enjoyable nowadays. (gerund action)

Material selected byDanitza Lazcano Flores

Teacher of EnglishMaster in Education andEducational counselor