Name Cleft Sentences

Rewriting Cleft Sentences

“Cleft” means divided. A cleft sentence is used to emphasise a
particular part of a sentence. In a cleft sentence, one element of the
sentence is shifted from its normal place in the sentence into a
separate clause.

NORMAL SENTENCE: The pigeon is in love with popcorn.

CLEFT SENTENCE: It is popcorn the pigeon is in love with.

DIRECTIONS: Rewrite each sentence below to be a cleft sentence.

1. Linda doesn’t like pizza.

2. The boys spray-painted the gymnasium wall.

3. My mother made the chocolate cake.

4. Mike is unhappy in his job.

5. The HP computer doesn’t work.

6. The commuter bus is late.

7. On Monday it rained.

8. That company made her a better offer.

9. The women were gossiping.

 Name Cleft Sentences

A Sentence Divided…
“Cleft” means divided. Cleft sentences can be used to emphasise a particular part
of a sentence. In a cleft sentence, one element of the sentence is shifted from its
normal place in the sentence into a separate clause. The emphasis in the sentence
changes in a cleft sentence, depending on what is shifted.

NORMAL SENTENCE: Doug wore his Spiderman costume to school last week.
CLEFT SENTENCE: It was Doug who wore his Spiderman costume to school last week. It
was a Spiderman costume that Doug wore to school last week.

DIRECTIONS: Read the sentence below. Rewrite the sentence four times as a cleft
sentence, each time shifting the emphasis onto a different aspect of the sentence.

Tina asked to be excused from class yesterday because she didn’t feel well.

1.

2.

3.

4.
 Name Cleft Sentences

Max’s Teacher

“Cleft” means divided. Cleft sentences can be used to emphasise a

particular part of a sentence. In a cleft sentence, one element of the
sentence is shifted from its normal place in the sentence into a
separate clause. The emphasis in the sentence changes in a cleft sentence,
depending on what is shifted.

Max asked the teacher a silly question about maths after school.

You can emphasise the subject: It was Max who asked a silly question about maths after school.
You can emphasise the object: It was a silly question that Max asked about maths after school.
You can emphasise the prepositional phrase: It was after school that Max asked a silly question about maths.

DIRECTIONS: Now you fill in the chart for the sentence below.

Phoebe drew a picture of a superhero in art class.

Emphasise the subject:

Emphasise the object:

Emphasise the adjectival or adverbial phrase:

Emphasise the prepositional phrase:

Name Cleft Sentences

Wh- Cleft Sentences

FORMULA: WH- Clause + Be + Emphasised Word or Phrase

In a Wh- cleft sentence, the emphasis is on the action.

NORMAL SENTENCE: Jim did a cannonball into the pool.

WH- CLEFT SENTENCE: What Jim did was a cannonball into the pool.

DIRECTIONS: Rewrite each sentence as a Wh- cleft sentence, placing the

emphasis on the action.

10. The cat read the newspaper.

11. The dog climbed a tree.

12. The fish did a backflip.

13. The policeman did a wheelie.

14. The moon ate a star for breakfast.

15. The student taught maths.

16. The pig ran a marathon.

17. The sandwich did a burp.

Name Cleft Sentences

Emphatic Structures: Cleft Sentences

You can add emphasis to a sentence by shifting one element
of it from its normal place into a separate clause.

EXAMPLE: I don’t like Kim’s new hairdo.

It’s Kim’s new hairdo that I don’t like.

DIRECTIONS: Read the paragraph. Then complete each sentence by

creating a cleft sentence.

Traffic was terrible because of the weather. Rain came down in

sheets. For ten miles, a line of cars barely moved. Roger
sighed. He had been in the car for hours, and he had hours,
still, to go.

18. Traffic was terrible because of an accident. No, it

___________________________

_______________________________________________________ that traffic was terrible.

19. The rain came down in a drizzle. No, it

______________________________________

____________________________________________________ that the rain came down.

20. For five miles, a line of cars barely moved. No, it

_____________________________

_____________________________________________ that a line of cars barely

moved.

21. Roger sighed because he was bored. No, it

_________________________________

____________________________________________________ that Roger sighed.

22. Roger had been in the car for ten minutes. No, it
___________________________
______________________________________________ that Roger had been in
the car.