Cleft Sentences

Cleft sentences 1

100

What is the basic structure of an it-cleft sentence?

a-"It + be + [emphasized element] + who/that + [rest of the sentence]."

b-"It + be  + [rest of the sentence] +who/that + [emphasized element] "

 a- "It + be + [emphasized element] + who/that + [rest of the sentence]."

200

Transform this sentence into an it-cleft: "John ate the pizza."

"It was John who ate the pizza."

300

Rewrite this sentence as a wh-cleft: "He needs a vacation."

What he needs is a vacation.

400

Identify the emphasized element in this sentence: "It was the book that she borrowed from the library."

"The book."

500

Transform this sentence into an it-cleft: "They met at the cafe last week."

"It was at the cafe that they met last week."

Cleft sentences2

100

What word is  most commonly used to start a wh-cleft sentence?

"What."

200

Emphasise the action: We started the project from scratch.

What we did was (to) start the project from scratch

300

Rewrite starting with IT: "What surprised me was her reaction."

"It was her reaction that surprised me."

400

Emphasise the part in italics: The father took the children to school. 

It was to school that the father took the children.

500

Create a wh-cleft from this sentence: "The teacher explained the concept."

"What the teacher explained was the concept."

Inversion 1

100

• I could find my keys nowhere. 

Nowhere could I find my keys.

200

• I understand the true meaning only now.

 ⇒ Only now do I understand the true meaning.

300

______ started the discussion _______ a group of hooligans arrived and started shouting slogans.

A.Barely had they / when

B.No sooner had they / when

C.Barely they had / when

D.No sooner had they / that

A

400

• ______ break the law, _______ put themselves and others in unnecessary danger.

  A.Not only they / but they also

  B.Not only have they / but they also have

  C.Not only did they / but did they also

  D.Not only did they / but they also

D

500

_______ know how popular his post would become.

A.Little he

B.Little he did

C.Little did he

D.Little he has

C

Inversion 2

100

I had hardly arrived home when my phone rang.

 ............................................home when my phone rang.

Hardly had I arrived

200

The company had no sooner launched a new product than it went bankrupt.

 .....................................................a new product than it went bankrupt.

No sooner had the company launched

300

She didn't understand what the conversation was about.

Little ............................  what the conversation was about.

did she understand

400

I would accept this position only if everybody agreed.

Only.................................................. this position.

 if everybody agreed would I accept

500

^{.......................... her determination that nothing could stop her from finishing the race.} 

^{a- So was}

^{b- Such was}

^{c- What was}

^{d- It was}

B