Cleft Sentences by Solomon Osuokam Ogbeh

Cleft sentences are a grammatical tool used to emphasise specific information in a sentence. By restructuring a sentence, you can highlight particular details, making them stand out more prominently than in a standard sentence. This technique is particularly useful in both written and spoken English for clarifying or stressing important aspects of a message.

Understanding Cleft Sentences

A cleft sentence divides a single idea into two clauses to highlight one element of that idea. It essentially splits the sentence into a "cleft" (a split) to focus attention on a particular part of the information. There are two main types of cleft sentences: it-clefts and wh-clefts.

1. It-Clefts

An it-cleft sentence places the emphasis on a particular part of the sentence by using the structure "It is/was [emphasised part] that [rest of the sentence]."

Structure:

• It is/was [emphasised part] that [rest of the sentence].

Examples:

• Standard Sentence: Chinedu won the science competition.
• It-Cleft Sentence: It was Chinedu who won the science competition.

2. Wh-Clefts

A wh-cleft (also known as a pseudo-cleft) uses a wh-word (such as what, where, who) to emphasise the part of the sentence being highlighted. The structure generally follows the pattern: "What [emphasised part] is/was [rest of the sentence]."

Structure:

• What [emphasised part] is/was [rest of the sentence].

Examples:

• Standard Sentence: The book that Mary borrowed is on the shelf.
• Wh-Cleft Sentence: What is on the shelf is the book that Mary borrowed.

Uses of Cleft Sentences

1. Emphasising Specific Information:

Cleft sentences allow you to draw attention to particular details, making them stand out in a conversation or text. This is useful when you want to highlight an important piece of information.

Example:

• Standard Sentence: The teacher gave the students a challenging assignment.
• Cleft Sentence: It was a challenging assignment that the teacher gave the students.
1. Clarifying Ambiguities:

By using cleft sentences, you can eliminate ambiguities and make the intended message clearer to the reader or listener.

Example:

• Standard Sentence: The committee reviewed the report and made changes.
• Cleft Sentence: What the committee did was review the report and make changes.
2. Shifting Focus:

Cleft sentences are also effective in shifting the focus of a discussion or narrative. This can be helpful in storytelling or persuasive writing to direct attention where you want it.

Example:

• Standard Sentence: Olufunke organised the charity event last month.
• Cleft Sentence: It was Olufunke who organised the charity event last month.

Creating Cleft Sentences

To create a cleft sentence, follow these steps:

1. Identify the key information you want to emphasise.
2. Choose the appropriate cleft structure (it-cleft or wh-cleft) based on what you need to highlight.
3. Rephrase the sentence using the cleft structure, ensuring the emphasised part is clear and correctly placed.

Examples for Practice:

1. Standard Sentence: The guests enjoyed the traditional Nigerian dishes prepared by the chef.
• Cleft Sentence: It was the traditional Nigerian dishes that the guests enjoyed, prepared by the chef.
2. Standard Sentence: Ada and her friends visited the National Museum last weekend.
• Cleft Sentence: What Ada and her friends did last weekend was visit the National Museum.

Exercises

To gain a better understanding of cleft sentences, try transforming the following standard sentences into cleft sentences:

1. Standard Sentence: The students presented their science project during the assembly.
2. Standard Sentence: The principal announced the new school policy on social media.
3. Standard Sentence: The football match between Lagos and Abuja ended in a draw.

In each of these examples, focus on emphasising the key part of the sentence to practice creating effective cleft sentences.

Cleft sentences are a powerful tool for emphasising specific details in English. By using it-clefts or wh-clefts, you can make your communication clearer and more impactful. Understanding and practising cleft sentences will enhance your ability to convey important information effectively in both written and spoken English.