Cleft construction
/klɛft kənˈstrʌkʃən/
C1
Definition
A cleft construction is a way to make one part of a sentence stand out by dividing the sentence into two parts. Usually, the sentence starts with "It is" or "It was," followed by the important information. This form helps to focus attention on a particular word or phrase.
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⚡ See It in Action
Sentence structure that emphasizes one part by splitting the sentence
- •It is the dog that barked last night.
- •It was my friend who helped me with homework.
- •It is in the garden where the flowers grow best.
Used to focus attention or clarify information in conversation or writing
- •When someone asks "Who broke the window?" you can say, "It was John who broke it."
- •To correct or highlight, "It is the blue car that I want, not the red one."
🧲 Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "cleft construction" like "normal sentence," but split in two to show what is most important
- ✓Picture a spotlight on a stage shining on one actor while the rest of the stage is darker; the spotlight is the part emphasized by the cleft
- ✓It's like when you want to say, "This is what I want to show you," making that part louder or clearer in your speech
- ✓Sounds like "cleft" (split) + "construction" (building a sentence) → imagine building a sentence with a split or break to highlight something
- ✓Imagine a teacher saying, "It is the book that I like," to show the book, not something else
- ✓NOT like a simple sentence that gives all information equally; cleft construction breaks the sentence to focus on one piece
- ✓NOT like a question or command, cleft construction is a statement designed to emphasize
🔄 Try Other Words
- •Emphatic sentence: a sentence made to show importance (Use when you want to stress something but do not specify the form)
- •Focus structure: a way to put attention on one part of a sentence (Use for general grammar talk about focusing parts)
- •It-cleft: the common type of cleft construction starting with "It is" or "It was" (Use when talking about this specific form)
🔍 Unboxing
- •Word parts: "cleft" means split or divided; "construction" means building or making something (here, a sentence)
- •Etymology: "cleft" is from Old English meaning split or divided; "construction" from Latin meaning to build
- •Historical development: Used in English grammar to describe sentences that split information for emphasis, especially studied in 20th-century linguistics
- •Modern usage: Common in spoken and written English to highlight important information and make sentences clearer or more focused
💭 Reflect & Connect
•How can using cleft constructions change the meaning or feeling of a sentence compared to a simple sentence?
•When might it be better NOT to use a cleft construction in conversation or writing?
Fill in the blanks with the correct word:
1.To emphasize the subject, speakers often use cleft construction starting with "It ___" followed by the important information.
2.A cleft construction helps to ___ attention on one part of the sentence.
3.Unlike a simple sentence, a cleft construction ___ the sentence into two parts to show focus.
4.When correcting someone, you might say, "It ___ my sister who called you," to make clear who did it.
5.Cleft constructions often use words like "who," "that," or "where" ___ the emphasized part.
6.You ___ use a cleft construction to make a question; it is mainly for making statements.
7.In cleft construction, the part after "It is" or "It was" is usually the ___ part of the sentence.