WPWord Play

Cleft Sentences

LESSON
Lesson Reference
Grammar rules and examples for self-study
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REVIEW
Review Exercises
Fill-in and gap-fill practice tasks
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ANSWER KEY
Answer Key
Correct answers for all exercises
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Cleft Sentences

Grammar Reference

Form Example
It-cleftIt + be + X + that/who + clauseIt was John who called.
Wh-cleftWhat/who/where + clause + be + XWhat I need is sleep.
The thing/reasonThe X that/why + clause + be + YThe thing that worries me is...
Useemphasis, contrast, correctionformal and emphatic structures

Cleft Sentences — Exercises

Identify the type of cleft sentence

  1. It was the accountant who discovered the fraud.
    (it-cleft / wh-cleft / all-cleft) 
  2. What surprised me was his calmness.
    (it-cleft / wh-cleft / all-cleft) 
  3. All she needed was a little encouragement.
    (it-cleft / wh-cleft / all-cleft) 
  4. It was in Paris that they first met.
    (it-cleft / wh-cleft / all-cleft) 
  5. What the team lacked was strong leadership.
    (it-cleft / wh-cleft / all-cleft) 
  6. It was the noise that woke me.
    (it-cleft / wh-cleft / all-cleft) 
  7. What I enjoy most is cooking.
    (it-cleft / wh-cleft / all-cleft) 
  8. All we ask is your honesty.
    (it-cleft / wh-cleft / all-cleft) 

Rewrite as a cleft sentence emphasising the underlined element

  1. [The noise] woke me up. (use it-cleft)
  2. [Hard work] leads to success. (use wh-cleft)
  3. I just want [honesty]. (use all-cleft)
  4. [The manager] made that decision. (use it-cleft)

Exercise three — Production

  1. Write an it-cleft sentence emphasising the cause or reason for something.
  2. Write a wh-cleft sentence beginning "What I..." to express a personal view.

Cleft Sentences — Answer Key

Identify the type of cleft sentence

  1. it-cleft
  2. wh-cleft
  3. all-cleft
  4. it-cleft
  5. wh-cleft
  6. it-cleft
  7. wh-cleft
  8. all-cleft

Rewrite as a cleft sentence emphasising the underlined element

  1. It was the noise that woke me up.
  2. What leads to success is hard work.
  3. All I want is honesty.
  4. It was the manager who made that decision.

Exercise three — Production

  1. Open answer — graded automatically online; no single fixed model answer.
  2. Open answer — graded automatically online; no single fixed model answer.