Scribd
Upload
90 views7 pages

Cleft Sentences and Emphasis Inversion

Cleft sentences are grammatical structures that emphasize specific parts of a sentence by dividing it into two clauses. They are particularly useful in writing and speech to highlight information, using various forms such as 'the reason why,' 'the thing that,' and 'what-clauses.' Additionally, the document discusses inversion in sentences, detailing how to invert subjects and verbs for emphasis in various contexts.

Uploaded by

oldrevn
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
90 views7 pages

Cleft Sentences and Emphasis Inversion

Cleft sentences are grammatical structures that emphasize specific parts of a sentence by dividing it into two clauses. They are particularly useful in writing and speech to highlight information, using various forms such as 'the reason why,' 'the thing that,' and 'what-clauses.' Additionally, the document discusses inversion in sentences, detailing how to invert subjects and verbs for emphasis in various contexts.

Uploaded by

oldrevn
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

EMPHASIS: CLEFT SENTENCES

________________________________________________________________________________

Cleft sentences are used to help us focus on a particular part of the sentence and to emphasise what we want to say
by introducing it or building up to it with a kind of relative clause.

Because there are two parts to the sentence it is called cleft (from the verb cleave) which means divided into two.

Cleft sentences are particularly useful in writing where we cannot use intonation for purposes of focus or emphasis,
but they are also frequently used in speech.

Cleft structures include:


➢ the reason why
➢ the thing that
➢ the person/people who
➢ the place where
➢ the day when
➢ and what-clauses which are usually linked to the clause that we want to focus on with is or was

Compare the following sets of sentences and notice how the cleft structure in each case enables us to select the
information we want to focus on:
❖ I've come to discuss my future with you.
❖ The reason why I've come is to discuss (to + infinitive) my future with you.

❖ Your generosity impresses me more than anything else.


❖ The thing that impresses more than anything else is your generosity.
❖ The thing that is most impressive is his generosity.

❖ The jewels are hidden under the floor at 23 Robin Hood Road, Epping.
❖ The place where the jewels are hidden is under the floor at 23 Robin Hood Road, Epping.
❖ Under the floor at 23 Robin Hood Road is the place where the jewels are hidden.

❖ Mary works harder than anybody else in this organisation.


❖ The person who works harder than anybody else in this organisation is Mary.
❖ Mary is the person in this organisation who works harder than anybody else.

❖ The Second World War ended on 7 May 1945 in Europe.


❖ The day (when) the Second World War ended in Europe was 7 May 1945
❖ 7 May 1945 was the day (when) the Second World War ended in Europe.

❖ We now need actions rather than words.


❖ What we now need are actions rather than words.
❖ Actions rather than words are what we now need.

❖ I enjoyed the brilliant music most of all in the Ballet Frankfurt performance.
❖ What I enjoyed most in the Ballet Frankfurt performance was the brilliant music.
❖ The brilliant music was what I enjoyed most in the Ballet Frankfurt performance.

Note from the last two examples that cleft structures with what-clauses are often used with verbs expressing an
emotive response to something like adore, dislike, enjoy, hate, like, loathe, love, need, prefer, want, etc.

1|P a g e
Cleft structures with what-clauses are also often used with does / do /did / is / was and with the verb happen
when we want to give emphasis to the whole sentence, rather than a particular clause.

Compare the following:

❖ The police interviewed all the witnesses to the accident first.


❖ What the police did first was (to) interview all the witnesses to the accident.

❖ You should invest all your money in telecoms companies.


❖ What you should do is (to) invest all your money in telecoms companies.
❖ What you should invest all your money in is telecoms companies.

❖ She writes all her novels on a typewriter.


❖ What she does is (to) write all her novels on a type writer.

❖ Their car broke down on the motorway so they didn't get to Jo's wedding on time.
❖ What happened was that their car broke down on the motorway so they didn't get to Jo's wedding on
time.

It is sometimes very effective to use all instead of what in a cleft structure if you want to focus on one particular
thing and nothing else:

❖ I want a new coat for Christmas.


❖ All I want for Christmas is a new coat.
❖ A new coat is all I want for Christmas.

❖ I touched the bedside light and it broke.


❖ All I did was (to) touch the bedside light and it broke.

Finally, we can also use preparatory ‘it’ in cleft sentences and join the words that we want to focus on to the relative
clause with that, who or when.

In the example which follows, note how this construction enables us to focus on different aspects of the information,
which may be important at the time:

• My brother bought his new car from our next-door neighbour last Saturday.
• It was my brother who bought his new car from our neighbour last Saturday.
• It was last Saturday when my brother bought his new car from our neighbour.
• It was a new car that my brother bought from our neighbour last Saturday.
• It was our next-door neighbour that my brother bought his new car from last Saturday.

Finally, here is a summary of simple cleft structures:

Example: I am annoyed that he is so selfish.

• It’s his selfishness that annoys me.


• His selfishness is what annoys me.
• What annoys me is his selfishness.
• The thing that annoys me is his selfishness.

2|P a g e
EXERCISES: Complete the sentences using the appropriate structures for cleft sentences.
There are several possible answers

1. I’ve come to discuss my future with you.


_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________

2. Your generosity impresses me more than anything else.


_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________

3. The jewels are hidden under the floor at 23 Robin Hood Road, Epping.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________

4. Mary works harder than anybody else in this organisation.


_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________

5. The Second World War ended on 7 May 1945 in Europe.


_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________

6. We now need actions rather than words.


_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________

7. I enjoyed the brilliant music most of all in the Ballet Frankfurt performance.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________

3|P a g e
8. The police interviewed all the witnesses to the accident first.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________

9. You should invest your money in telecoms companies.


_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________

10. She writes all her novels on a typewriter.


_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________

11. Their car broke down on the motorway so they didn’t get to Jo’s wedding on time.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________

12. I want a new coat for Christmas.


_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________

13. I touched the bedside light and it broke.


_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________

14. My brother bought his new car from our next-door neighbour last Saturday.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________

4|P a g e
INVERSION
There are two ways to invert the subject and the verb.

A. PARTIAL INVERSION be/have/modal/auxiliary verb + subject + main verb

1) In questions. Is Helen coming soon?


2) After the following words or expressions, when they come at the beginning of a sentence.

Seldom Only in this way Rarely Only then


Little Hardy (ever) … when Barely No sooner … than
Nowhere (else) Not only … but (also) Never (before) Not until/till
Not (even) once In no way On no account In/Under no circumstances
Only by Not since, etc.

e.g. Never (before) have I seen her behave in such a silly way.
Not only did she do her homework but (also) prepared the meal.
Seldom do they carry out their promises.

BUT: They seldom carry out their promises. (There is no inversion because the world seldom does not come at the
beginning of a sentence)

NOTE: When the expressions only after, only by, only if, only when, not until/till come at the beginning of a
sentence the inversion is in the main clause.
e.g. Only after she went to sleep was she able to relax.
Only if you pay attention will you learn.

3) With so, neither, nor, as to express agreement.


e.g. ‘I like “Green day”’. ‘So do I’ (we use ‘so’ to agree with an affirmative statement)
‘I don’t like candies’ ‘Neither do I’ (we use ‘neither/nor’ to agree with a negative statement)
4) With should, were, had when they come at the beginning of an if-clause instead of “if”
e.g. type 1: Should Jane come, let me know
type 2: Were I you, I wouldn’t say anything
type 3: Had they been told, I would have offered my help.

main verb + subject


B. FULL INVERSION

It is used in following cases:

1) After verbs of movement or adverbial expressions of place when they come at the beginning of a sentence
e.g. Outside the door was a dog
On the sofa sat an old man
Here comes the bride
There goes the taxi
If the subject is a pronoun, there is no inversion.
Here she comes (NOT: Here comes she)
Up you get (NOT: Up get you)

2) In direct speech when the subject of the introductory verb is a noun.


e.g. ‘I don’t know French’ said Liza (or Liza said)
‘I’ll carry your baggage’ said the doorbell (or the doorbell said)

BUT: ‘What can I do for you? she asked (NOT: asked she, because the subject of the introductory verb is a pronoun)

5|P a g e
EXERCISE 1. CHOOSE THE CORRECT OPTION TO COMPLETE THE SENTENCES.
1. _______________________ that I was speaking to someone as important as Professor Sims.
a) Little have I known b) Little did I know c) Little I knew d) I knew little
2. In no way ___________________ question his honesty, although I think that he made some wrong decisions.
a) did I ever b) I ever did c) had I ever d) I had ever
3. Hardly _____________________ we were told that it would soon be time for lunch.
a) we had finished breakfast that b) had we finished breakfast that
c) had we finished breakfast when d) we had finished breakfast when
4. At no time before I accepted the job ___________________ that I would have to do so much travelling around the
country.
a) did they told b) I was told c) I had been told d) was I told
5. Not since the 1960s _______________ attended an anti-war demonstration in London.
a) so many people have b) have so many people
c) did so many people have d) had so many people had

EXERCISE 2. USING INVERSION, REWRITE THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES BEGINNING WITH THE WORDS GIVEN.
1. You come to realise the significance of the murder only in the last few pages of the book.
Only in the last __________________________________________________________
2. The demands of her job are such that she is rarely able to take a holiday.
Such __________________________________________________________________
3. The matter could be explained in no other way.
In ____________________________________________________________________
4. I have seldom heard such beautiful singing.
Seldom ________________________________________________________________
Peter didn't realize that he had lost his keys until he got home.
Not ___________________________________________________________________
5. If Mr Chan had been kinder to his employees, his business would not have collapsed.
______________________________________________________________________
6. If an emergency should arise, dial 999.
______________________________________________________________________
7. There are no circumstances where audience members may consume alcohol.
Under no circumstances __________________________________________________
8. They started to argue soon after they had got married.
No sooner _____________________________________________________________
9. You can't use my new car at any time.
At no time _____________________________________________________________

EXERCISE 3. REWRITE THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES USING INVERSION.


1. The gang didn't know that the police had them under surveillance.
Little ____________________________________________________________
6|P a g e
2. We won't consider you for the basketball team until you grow up.
Not until _________________________________________________________
3. Nobody has won so many matches for his team since 1994.
Not since ________________________________________________________
4. You will not be allowed to enter the auditorium under any circumstances once the play has started.
Under no circumstances ____________________________________________
5. He would never play in front of a live audience again.
Never ___________________________________________________________
6. Amy had not enjoyed herself so much since she went to the circus as a child.
Not since ________________________________________________________
7. I have never seen such a terrible performance of Hamlet before.
Never before _____________________________________________________
8. They only realized the painting had been hung upside down when someone complained at reception.
Only when _______________________________________________________
9. I had been in the room for a few minutes when I realized that everyone was staring at me.
Only after ________________________________________________________
10. He discovered that he had injured his knee when he tried to run.
Only when _______________________________________________________
11. The new park was hardly finished when vandals destroyed the flowerbeds.
Hardly __________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
12. You shouldn't sign a contract you haven't read thoroughly under any circumstances.
Under no circumstances ____________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
EXERCISE 4. REWRITE THE SENTENCES, BEGINNING WITH THE WORDS IN BOLD:

1.- The rain came down


Down came the rain
2.- The birds flew away
………………………………………………...
3.- My house is at the end of the road
………………………………………………...
4.- The actors came onto the stage
………………………………………………...
5.- The airplane rose up into the sky
………………………………………………...
6.- The Grand Hotel stands at the foot of the mountains
…………………………………………………
7.- The policeman walked down the street
…………………………………………………
8.- The window cleaner climbed up the ladder
…………………………………………………

7|P a g e

Common questions

Powered by AI

Cleft and inversion structures collectively enhance written communication by providing tools to emphasize and prioritize information, thereby guiding the reader's understanding and persuasion. Cleft structures break down and highlight specific sentence elements, crucial when intonation is unavailable in writing. Inversion structures, especially with negative expressions or conditional clauses, further clarify relationships and sequences, enhancing the interpretative and emotive impact of the text .

Cleft sentences enhance emphasis in writing by allowing the writer to focus on a specific part of the sentence. They divide the sentence into two parts, using a kind of relative clause to introduce the focus element, which compensates for the lack of vocal intonation in written text. This structure helps in highlighting the intended part of the message, similar to how emphasis is achieved through intonation in speech .

Inversion structures are used after expressions like 'only then' to create emphasis and indicate conditional or consequential relationships. These structures, involving the inversion of the subject and auxiliary verb, are intended to draw attention to the sequence and importance of events or conditions. For example, "Only then did she understand the truth" places emphasis on the understanding occurring only after a particular event or realization .

Inversion in conditional sentences provides emphasis and clarity by highlighting the condition and its consequences clearly. By placing the auxiliary verb before the subject, it emphasizes the supposition or condition. For example, "Should Jane come, let me know," immediately emphasizes the condition of Jane's arrival and the required action, enhancing both clarity and emphasis over the traditional "If Jane comes, let me know" structure .

Using inversion with negative expressions at the beginning of a sentence creates a strong emphasis on the negation and alters the structure to highlight exceptions or rare occurrences. These constructions are often more emphatic than standard word order, such as in "Never before have I seen such dedication," where the inversion emphasizes the uniqueness of the experience compared to "I have never seen such dedication before" .

The two forms of inversion are partial inversion and full inversion. Partial inversion involves the inversion of the subject and auxiliary verb and is commonly used in question formation and after certain introductory expressions (e.g., "Seldom does he miss a meeting"). Full inversion occurs when the subject follows the main verb, often used after adverbial expressions of place or in direct speech when the subject is a noun (e.g., "Here comes the bride").

Using 'all' instead of 'what' in cleft structures is effective when one wishes to focus on a single element exclusively, thereby refining the sentence's emphasis. For example, in a sentence like "All I want for Christmas is a new coat," the use of 'all' sharpens the focus solely on the new coat, emphasizing its significance over other potential desires or needs, thereby excluding other possibilities in the emphasis .

The preparatory 'it' in cleft sentences serves as an introductory tool that allows the writer to focus on a particular aspect by linking it with a relative clause. This structure can highlight different elements of the information within a sentence. For instance, in "It was my brother who bought his new car," the emphasis is placed on 'my brother' over other potential subjects, allowing for selective focus on important details .

Inversion structures are not applied when the subject of the expression is a pronoun, even if the expression typically requires inversion. For instance, "Here she comes" does not invert the pronoun 'she' unlike "Here comes the bride," which does invert the noun subject. This distinction maintains clarity and readability in sentences involving pronouns .

Cleft structures with 'what-clauses' are often used with verbs that express emotive responses, such as adore, dislike, enjoy, and love. For instance, to emphasize enjoyment in a statement, one might say "What I enjoyed most in the performance was the music" instead of simply stating "I enjoyed the music." These structures emphasize the emotional element by focusing on the specific response or aspect being highlighted .

You might also like