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Giving Emphasis: Cleft Sentences

Giving Emphasis: Cleft Sentences

Date: Oct 17 2008

Topic: Grammar

Author: Pavlionka

Lesson

 

The usual word order for a sentence in English is 

SUBJECT + VERB + OBJECT + [ADVERBIAL PHRASE]

Ex.        I       enjoy  learning English [here at Ebaby!]

      (subject)  (verb)       (object)      (adverbial phrase)

However, if we want to emphasise that I particularly enjoy learning English (more that anything else), we can use a cleft sentence. It begins with a what clause and the verb be:

Ex. What I enjoy most is learning English.

Ex. What I like most about you is your sense of humour.

Similarly, if we want to emphasise a noun, we use a cleft structure with

it +  be + noun + that/who:

Ex. Jenny spends all her money on shoes.

     It is Jenny who spends all her money on shoes.

or: It is shoes that Jenny spends all her money on. 

We can also use an it- cleft sentence to focus on other parts of the sentence:

Ex. It was in London that he met his first wife. (place)

Ex. It was only when he phoned that I realised what had happened. (time)

Ex. It is learning English that I find most enjoyable nowadays. (gerund action)

It was just brief introduction to  cleft sentences. This topic, actually, is advanced but not that hard as you can see LaughingAnd now, please, write here in comments what you liked the most about this lesson (using the cleft sentence, of course) Wink 

 

Comments

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Ram prasad

India

what do i like about best france the food.


It was food that i like about France. 

03:23 PM May 22 2011 |

Amanu

Amanu

Saudi Arabia

GOod lesson _^ thank you…..I enjoy .like this lesson^

08:02 AM Dec 04 2008 |

Azeri-aydan

Azerbaijan

hi

07:57 AM Dec 03 2008 |

Azeri-aydan

Azerbaijan

It is ENGLISHBABY that it teach me

07:55 AM Dec 03 2008 |

kalidou

Mauritania

i liked learning this lesson. Thanks!

03:24 PM Dec 02 2008 |

544079314

544079314

China

Good!

I really want to improve my English , it's a good start

Thank you!Laughing

03:09 AM Nov 29 2008 |

EstebanM

EstebanM

Colombia

Nice, friend. Thanks!

11:54 PM Nov 26 2008 |

mamy_nonna

Egypt

What i like most about this lesson that I learned somthing really new for me,, i never heard about the CLEFT SENTENCE before

thanks alot 

06:31 PM Nov 25 2008 |

sweet-boy1991

Morocco

What I find difficult in English as a language is pronunciation !!

It was in Casablanca thad I spent my week-end in.

Good i get it

11:04 PM Nov 23 2008 |

om moaaz

om moaaz

Egypt

thanks alot for ur effort dear

god pless u

for more lessons

10:41 PM Nov 23 2008 |

tiffintime

tiffintime

Sri Lanka

What I like best about this lesson is that it's short and sweet! Cool

07:19 AM Nov 21 2008 |

sweet-boy1991

Morocco

that's good

01:47 AM Nov 21 2008 |

amany7

amany7

Saudi Arabia

 It was pavlionika who wrote this wonderful lesson … thanks for her …...;)

06:46 PM Nov 19 2008 |

champ_mem007

Pakistan

yea!!

What I enjoy most is your Ebaby's lessons…

thanks

and keep sending…Smile

06:27 PM Nov 19 2008 |

dhewi_ms

dhewi_ms

Indonesia

I got it, thanks.
but give me more lesson, please.. :D

03:22 AM Nov 18 2008 |

almunibary

almunibary

Yemen

What I enjoy most is your learning English.

Thank you a million. 

10:18 AM Nov 17 2008 |

lucky-tracy

China

good lesson,thanks.

07:18 AM Nov 17 2008 |

amyyao

amyyao

China

That's right.thank you.

01:12 PM Nov 08 2008 |

aileyz

aileyz

Germany

share more please.. 

08:04 AM Nov 08 2008 |

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