1 GP 2
Handout 2
Emphatic structures: It clefts and wh-clefts
Exercise 1
What information from the left column has to be known from the context for each of the sentences in the right column to be
motivated and interpretable?
1. Somebody criticised the boss at the Board meeting. A. It was at the Board meeting that John criticised the boss. 4
2. John did something at the Board meeting. B. What John did at the Board meeting was criticise the boss. 2
3. Something happened at the Board meeting. C. It was John who criticised the boss at the Board meeting.
4. John criticised the boss at some occasion. 13
D. What happened at the Board meeting was that John criticised the
5. John criticised somebody at the Board meeting. boss.
6. Something (unusual) happened. E. What happened was that John criticised the boss at the Board
5 It was the boss that John meeting. 6
criticised at the board meeting
Now, underline the fragments in the right column that represent new information. Do you notice anything systematic about
their position in the sentence?
new
It is/was information
_________ that ________________ .
new
What __________________ is/was ______________
information .
Cleft sentences give prominence to a focused element through changes that include splitting the sentence.
Cleft sentences are of two basic types: it clefts and wh-clefts.
part 1 part 2
Example: He bought a small red convertible. [He bought] [a small red convertible]
It cleft: It was [a small red convertible] that [he bought].
emphasis
Wh-cleft: What [he bought] was [a small red convertible].
emphasis
1. It cleft sentences
• Structure: It + is/was + emphasis + (that) + rest of message
1) Rob ate my biscuits yesterday.
2) It was Rob that ate my biscuits yesterday. (not Catherine, not another person)
my biscuits that Rob
3) It was ...........................................................
ate yesterday (not my sandwiches)
4) yesterday that Rob
It was ........................................................... (not today)
ate my biscuits
• Uses of it clefts (depending on the distribution of old and new information in the sentence)
- to contradict/correct something that has been said or written
A: This has blown up into an enormous scandal. I hear they are going to fire the secretary of state.
B: No, it’s the secretary of defense who they want to fire, not the secretary of state.
- to argue a point in persuasive writing
But why is the shape of the wing so important? It is the shape that determines the maximum speed that can be
attained by a jet airplane.
- to establish the writer’s topic (for example, as a lead-in sentence to an article)
, 2 GP 2
Handout 2
It was just about 90 years ago that Henry Ford gave us the weekend. On September 25, 1926, in a somewhat
shocking move for that time, he decided to establish a 40-hour week, giving his employees two days off instead of
one.
Exercise 2
In each of the following texts and dialogues, identify the use of the it cleft sentence (contradict, argue a point, establish a
topic).
establish
1. It was just over 100 years ago that Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first flight in a powered aircraft. This historic
a topic
event inaugurated a new era in transportation.
argue 2. The new JX that will be introduced this year resembles other cars on the market. It has a low silhouette with sleek
a point
aerodynamic lines, twin headlights, and dual exhausts. Even the grill doesn’t differ much from other models. But you
can still tell that this is a Jaguar. It’s the distinctive hood ornament that immediately establishes its identity.
contradict 3. A: I was just as surprised as you are that he took the job. I couldn’t imagine why someone with his talent could ever
consider working for that company.
B: What are you talking about? It was you who told him that he would be lucky to get a job with as many benefits as
they offer! That’s what convinced him to take the position.
contradict 4. A: I read in the newspaper that Boeing is going to make a new jumbo jet that can carry 800 people.
B: No, it’s that French company that makes Airbus that’s going to do that. Boeing is going to make a smaller plane that
goes almost as fast as the old Concorde.
establish
5. It was just a little more than 70 years ago that the Battle of Britain was in full swing. Bombing raids were being carried
a topic
out on large cities on a daily basis, and the only defence against this was the Royal Air Force (RAF). Though equipped
with fighter planes that were equivalent to their adversary’s, the RAF was woefully outnumbered.
Exercise 3
1. What sentence elements can be focused on by means of clefting?
(a) Ann sent me a picture from Oslo.
1) It was ...........................................
Ann that who sent me a picture from Oslo ,
(...........)
2) It was ...........................................
a picture that Ann sent me from Oslo .
(...........)
3) It was ...........................................
from Oslo that Ann sent me a picture .
(...........)
4) It was ...........................................
Oslo that Ann sent me a picture from .
(...........)
5) It was ...........................................
me that Ann sent a picture from Oslo .
(...........)
(b) John is the chairman / John is happy.
1) the chairman that John
It is ........................................... is (...........)
2) It is ...........................................
happy that John is .
(...........)
subject complements
......................................................... don’t undergo clefting.
2. Look at the following sentences in (a), (b) and (c), and the corresponding clefts. Can that be replaced with wh-words such
as who, which, what, where, when, why, and how? Can that be omitted?
Handout 2
Emphatic structures: It clefts and wh-clefts
Exercise 1
What information from the left column has to be known from the context for each of the sentences in the right column to be
motivated and interpretable?
1. Somebody criticised the boss at the Board meeting. A. It was at the Board meeting that John criticised the boss. 4
2. John did something at the Board meeting. B. What John did at the Board meeting was criticise the boss. 2
3. Something happened at the Board meeting. C. It was John who criticised the boss at the Board meeting.
4. John criticised the boss at some occasion. 13
D. What happened at the Board meeting was that John criticised the
5. John criticised somebody at the Board meeting. boss.
6. Something (unusual) happened. E. What happened was that John criticised the boss at the Board
5 It was the boss that John meeting. 6
criticised at the board meeting
Now, underline the fragments in the right column that represent new information. Do you notice anything systematic about
their position in the sentence?
new
It is/was information
_________ that ________________ .
new
What __________________ is/was ______________
information .
Cleft sentences give prominence to a focused element through changes that include splitting the sentence.
Cleft sentences are of two basic types: it clefts and wh-clefts.
part 1 part 2
Example: He bought a small red convertible. [He bought] [a small red convertible]
It cleft: It was [a small red convertible] that [he bought].
emphasis
Wh-cleft: What [he bought] was [a small red convertible].
emphasis
1. It cleft sentences
• Structure: It + is/was + emphasis + (that) + rest of message
1) Rob ate my biscuits yesterday.
2) It was Rob that ate my biscuits yesterday. (not Catherine, not another person)
my biscuits that Rob
3) It was ...........................................................
ate yesterday (not my sandwiches)
4) yesterday that Rob
It was ........................................................... (not today)
ate my biscuits
• Uses of it clefts (depending on the distribution of old and new information in the sentence)
- to contradict/correct something that has been said or written
A: This has blown up into an enormous scandal. I hear they are going to fire the secretary of state.
B: No, it’s the secretary of defense who they want to fire, not the secretary of state.
- to argue a point in persuasive writing
But why is the shape of the wing so important? It is the shape that determines the maximum speed that can be
attained by a jet airplane.
- to establish the writer’s topic (for example, as a lead-in sentence to an article)
, 2 GP 2
Handout 2
It was just about 90 years ago that Henry Ford gave us the weekend. On September 25, 1926, in a somewhat
shocking move for that time, he decided to establish a 40-hour week, giving his employees two days off instead of
one.
Exercise 2
In each of the following texts and dialogues, identify the use of the it cleft sentence (contradict, argue a point, establish a
topic).
establish
1. It was just over 100 years ago that Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first flight in a powered aircraft. This historic
a topic
event inaugurated a new era in transportation.
argue 2. The new JX that will be introduced this year resembles other cars on the market. It has a low silhouette with sleek
a point
aerodynamic lines, twin headlights, and dual exhausts. Even the grill doesn’t differ much from other models. But you
can still tell that this is a Jaguar. It’s the distinctive hood ornament that immediately establishes its identity.
contradict 3. A: I was just as surprised as you are that he took the job. I couldn’t imagine why someone with his talent could ever
consider working for that company.
B: What are you talking about? It was you who told him that he would be lucky to get a job with as many benefits as
they offer! That’s what convinced him to take the position.
contradict 4. A: I read in the newspaper that Boeing is going to make a new jumbo jet that can carry 800 people.
B: No, it’s that French company that makes Airbus that’s going to do that. Boeing is going to make a smaller plane that
goes almost as fast as the old Concorde.
establish
5. It was just a little more than 70 years ago that the Battle of Britain was in full swing. Bombing raids were being carried
a topic
out on large cities on a daily basis, and the only defence against this was the Royal Air Force (RAF). Though equipped
with fighter planes that were equivalent to their adversary’s, the RAF was woefully outnumbered.
Exercise 3
1. What sentence elements can be focused on by means of clefting?
(a) Ann sent me a picture from Oslo.
1) It was ...........................................
Ann that who sent me a picture from Oslo ,
(...........)
2) It was ...........................................
a picture that Ann sent me from Oslo .
(...........)
3) It was ...........................................
from Oslo that Ann sent me a picture .
(...........)
4) It was ...........................................
Oslo that Ann sent me a picture from .
(...........)
5) It was ...........................................
me that Ann sent a picture from Oslo .
(...........)
(b) John is the chairman / John is happy.
1) the chairman that John
It is ........................................... is (...........)
2) It is ...........................................
happy that John is .
(...........)
subject complements
......................................................... don’t undergo clefting.
2. Look at the following sentences in (a), (b) and (c), and the corresponding clefts. Can that be replaced with wh-words such
as who, which, what, where, when, why, and how? Can that be omitted?
