CCF20110106001

Cleft sentences

1    John solved the problem.

2    I needyour help, not your sympathy.

3    It gets really cold only in the winter.

English has a grammatical mechanism for focussing on words we wish to emphasize: we begin the sentence with It, and ‘point’ to the words:

la It was John who/that solved the problem.

2a It 'syour help (that) I need, not your sympathy.

3a It’s only in the winter that it gets really cold.

Each sentence is now divided (cleft) to form two clauses, the second being very similar in appearance to a defining relative clause. Either who or that can be used to refer to a person, but in all other cases we use that, even when referring to adverbial phrases as in 3a.

We can also emphasize words (but not nouns denoting persons) by using a noun clause introduced by what:

2b What I need is your help, not your sympathy.¹ or Your help is what 1 need, not your sympathy.

120 Rewrite the sentences so as to emphasize the words in italics, using It is or It was as in the examples above.

1    We need ąuality, not ąuantity.

2    The Govemment now needs a new sense ofpurpose.

3    An inąuest revealed thatpoisonous mushrooms had caused his death.

4    I didn’t realize the value of education until afterl left school.

5    You leam a foreign language only by constantpractice.

6    Twopersistent joumalists uncovered the scandal.

7    He takes after his mother rather than his father.

8    Cheap rented accommodalion is now desperately needed in London and other large cities.

9    Cheap rented accommodation is now desperately needed in Lond-on and other large cities.

I    0 The trouble started when thepolice arrroed.

II    He doesn’t pass his exams because he doesn 7 work hard enough.

12 I telephoned you in order to wam you about what was happening.