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Joy English · Level C1 · Cleft sentencesjoy-english.com

Cleft sentences for emphasis

Name:Date:

Use it-clefts and what-clefts to focus on the most important part of a sentence.

Choose the correct form

Choose the option that completes each sentence correctly.

  1. ___ annoyed me was the lack of any explanation.
    • a) It
    • b) What
    • c) That
    • d) Which
  2. It was the noise, not the cost, ___ made them move.
    • a) what
    • b) where
    • c) that
    • d) whose
  3. What I'd like to do ___ to take a year off.
    • a) is
    • b) does
    • c) has
    • d) would
  4. It was not until the third interview ___ she mentioned the salary.
    • a) when
    • b) then
    • c) that
    • d) which
  5. All we need ___ a little more time.
    • a) has
    • b) are
    • c) were
    • d) is
  6. What happened next was ___ the funding was withdrawn.
    • a) what
    • b) that
    • c) which
    • d) because
  7. Which sentence correctly puts the focus on Maya?
    • a) It was Maya what proposed the change.
    • b) It were Maya who proposed the change.
    • c) It was Maya who proposed the change.
    • d) Was Maya who proposed the change.
  8. Which sentence puts the focus on the place?
    • a) What was in Lisbon we first met.
    • b) It was in Lisbon that we first met.
    • c) In Lisbon was that we first met.
    • d) It was that in Lisbon we first met.

Complete the sentences

Type one word in each gap to complete the cleft sentence.

  1. ___ I really admire about her is her patience.
  2. It was only after the merger ___ prices began to rise.
  3. What the committee needs ___ a clear timetable.
  4. It ___ Tariq who broke the news to the team yesterday.
  5. It is your attitude, not your ability, ___ concerns me.
  6. What we did ___ to book the tickets before they sold out.
  7. Rather than complain, ___ he did was to offer a solution.
  8. It was not Mina's apology ___ her honesty that impressed us.

Answer key

Choose the correct form

  1. b) WhatA what-cleft begins with What, meaning the thing that annoyed me.
  2. c) thatIn an it-cleft the focused element is followed by that.
  3. a) isIn a what-cleft, the verb be joins the what clause to the focus.
  4. c) thatThe it-cleft with not until takes that.
  5. d) isIn an all-cleft, the clause all we need acts as a singular subject, so the verb is is.
  6. b) thatWhat happened was that introduces a full clause that describes the event.
  7. c) It was Maya who proposed the change.The correct pattern is It + was + focus + who. Be agrees with it and what is not used as a relative here.
  8. b) It was in Lisbon that we first met.An it-cleft with a place adverbial uses It was + place + that + clause.

Complete the sentences

  1. WhatA what-cleft starts with What and then states the focus after is.
  2. thatAn it-cleft with a time expression takes that.
  3. isThe what clause is followed by the verb be; with a singular focus such as a clear timetable, we use is.
  4. wasThe it-cleft refers to the past, so the verb be is was.
  5. that / whichIn an it-cleft, that introduces the clause; which is also possible when the focus is a thing.
  6. wasThe clause what we did refers to the past, so be is was.
  7. whatA what-cleft uses what, meaning the thing that he did.
  8. butThe contrast is expressed with not X but Y inside the cleft.

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