CLEFT SENTENCES
Cleft Sentenses Konusunda Açıklama
A sentence which is divided into two parts to add emphasis to the first element is called a
cleft sentence.
There are three types of cleft sentences :
Type 1 : Cleft sentences beginning
it is / was + adjective clause :
It was Hakan, not me who robbed the bank.
= Hakan robbed the bank, not me / I.
Type 2 : Beginning with
it is / was + prepositional phrase :
It was
on T.V
that she first saw the news.
prep. phr.
= She first saw the news on T.V.
Type 3
: Beginning with
what / all + subject + do / did + to be + the rest of the sentence :
All / What she does is eat chocolate.
= She eats chocolate.
NOTE : All is slightly more emphatic than
what
but they are used in a similar way.
Exercise 1 . Rewrite these sentences, using the word (s) on phrase underlined after
it is + was an adjective clause
to make
cleft sentences.
1 ) Ahmet broket he window, not I.
a .
It
was
Ahmet who broket he window,
not I.
b .
It was Ahmet, not I, who broket he window.
2 )
Erdal
went to Germany, not Erol.
3 )
I invited
Maria
to Turkey, not her family.
4 )
Anne visited me
on Friday,
not Saturday.
5 )
I bought a
Skoda car
first, not a Murat car.
6 )
I use
a computer
to write a book, not a typewriter.
7 )
We have to pay the rent
at the beginning of each month,
not the end.
8 )
Christopher Columbus
discovered America, not Magellan.
9 )
İstanbul
was the capital city of the Ottoman Empire, not Ankara.
10 )
Şinasi wrote
the book Şair Evlenmesi,
not the Fiddler on the roof.
11 ) Erden
studied tourism at university, not my twins.
Using cleft sentences to ephasis time expressions
It was + time expression + when – clause
The most usual word order in an English sentence is
: Subject + verb + object + complement
, but we can emphasis different elements by changing the word order. A time expression can be emphasised by the word order shown above :
It was late
when I locked my door last night.
time clause
= I locked my door late last night.
Using cleft sentences to emphasis time expressions
It was nine o’clock
when Turksat was launched.
time clause
= Turkey launced Turksat at nine o’clock this evening.
This structure adds strength and immediacy to narrative, for example, story – telling and news – reporting.
Exercise 2. Rewrite these sentences according to this pattern for increased emphasis on the time element. Use
it was + time expression + when – clause.
1 ) The exam began at 9 o’clock.
It was 9 o’clock when the exam began.
2 )
Fire broke out on the Galata Bridge at five o’clock this morning.
3 )
The earthquake shook the city at 11.10 in the evening.
4 )
There was a power cut at 6 p.m this evening.
5 )
The train crash occured at exactly 3 o’clock in the afternoon.
6 )
The storm died down at dawn.
7 )
He telephoned me in the middle of the night.
8 )
She got up at around half – past ten in the morning.
9 )
Atatürk, the founder of the Turkish Republic, died at 9.05 a.m.
10 )
The murderer finished disposing of the body late last night.
Exercise 3
. Complete B, using a noun, place or time clause beginning with
It was + preposition.
1 ) a . She first met him at the cinema.
b .
It was at the cinema that she first met him.
2 ) a .
I first learnt to drive in France.
b .
……………………………………..
3 ) a .
He remembered then he’d left th car unlocked.
b.
………………………………………
4 ) a .
He saw her yesterday.
b .
…………………………………..
5 ) a .
She lost her ring in the kitchen.
b.
………………………………………..
6 ) a .
When he met the teacher, his life changed.
b.
…………………………………………