CLEFT SENTENCES

Another way to emphasize something is to change the word order of the sentence and begin with It or What.
1. I first visited a game park in 2015. → It was in 2015 that I first visited a game park.
2. Rain doesn't damage the trees. The winds do. → It isn't the rain that damages the trees. It's the winds.
3. Sudden noise disturbs the animals. → What sudden noise does is disturb the animals.
4. You should visit an animal shelter. → What you should do is visit an animal shelter.

I. Read the text. Then rewrite the underlined portion of the sentences. Use cleft sentences.
VISITING ICELAND
I love taking holidays with my friends Emma and Lucy. (1) Emma suggested visiting Iceland last year, so we
booked a trip. When we got there, we toured the island. (2) I was really impressed with the scenery. It's
spectacular! Apparently, (3) volcanoes weren't the only thing that shaped the landscape. Ice did too. There's
hardly any pollution there. (4) It's amazing how clean Iceland is. We visited thermal springs, or geysers, where
boiling water rockets into the air! (5) I'd never seen a geyser erupt so that was quite something!
1. It was _____________________________________________________________________________
2. What really ____________________________________________________________________________
3. It wasn't just _______________________________________________________________________________
4. What amazed _______________________________________________________________________________
5. It was __________________________________________________________________

II. Choose the best option in italics to complete sentences a–j.

a. All / It / What is the writer's style that critics have always admired.
b. It / That / What I have always admired is composers who can perform their own work well.
c. All / All what / What I bought at the museum was a book of postcards; I couldn't afford anything else.
d. He has an unusual job. What he does is arrange / arranges / arranging fight scenes in films and plays.
e. I don't like ballet; neither my friends / do my friends / my friends do.
f. Seldom I have seen / have I seen / have seen I such a great performance by a film actor.
g. Never once my literary agent managed / did my literary agent manage / my literary agent did manage to
negotiate a reasonable contract for me.
h. In Italy only / In only Italy / Only in Italy can you see the greatest opera performances.
i. I don't like romantic comedies. However, I like / I do like / what I do like is a good police drama.
j. It's not the hard work I do mind / what I mind / I mind – it's the constant pressure of worrying whether the novel
will sell.

III. Rewrite sentences a–h to emphasize the information in italics. There may be more than one correct
answer for each sentence.
a. His style of acting really irritates me.
→ __________________________________________________________________________________
b. My friends said that I needed a better TV.
→ __________________________________________________________________________________
c. The bad reviews put us off seeing the play.
→ __________________________________________________________________________________
d. He hardly ever reads a book because he works all the time.
→ __________________________________________________________________________________
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e. He knew he'd never be able to afford a ticket to the concert, so he watched it on TV.
→ __________________________________________________________________________________
f. She doesn't like novels but she likes autobiographies.
→ __________________________________________________________________________________
g. She says that the programme she saw on TV last night upset her.
→ __________________________________________________________________________________
h. We were late for the play, but not because the train drivers were on strike.
→ __________________________________________________________________________________

IV. In each sentence one of the underlined words or phrases does not fit. Write the number beside it in the
space and the correct word or phrase.
Example: All you (1) have to do is tell me (2) everything what (3) happened once you (4) left the hotel.
_________ (3) -> that _________
a. What you did (1) wrong was that (2) you started on the top coat before (3) the undercoat that was (4) dry.
_________________________
b. All that (1) happened that I (2) told him what I thought of (3) him in no uncertain (4) terms.
_________________________
c. It was (1) while trying (2) to mend the window when (3) I fell off the ladder.
_________________________
d. He claimed to like (1) music but it was (2) literature what (3) he loved more than anything else (4).
_________________________
e. All (1) I love most about the weather (2) in this country is that (3) it is totally unreliable.
_________________________
f. He left the country at the age of (1) twenty and it was (2) only after several years when (3) he returned.
_________________________
g. I mislaid my wedding ring once and it (1) wasn’t before (2) we eventually moved house that it (3) came to light
(4) again.
_________________________
h. It’s (1) not learning (2) new words that I find (3) difficult, and (4) remembering them.
_________________________

V. Rewrite each of the sentences in such a way that it is as similar as possible in meaning to the sentence
before it. The first word and one other is given as guidance.
Example: I know what you did to her. You broke her heart. (What / break)
→ What you did to her is break her heart.
a. I know what happened. You lost your nerve, didn’t you?
→ What / chickened ___________________________________________________________________
b. I know what she did. She upset all her colleagues by being so arrogant.
→ What / arrogance ___________________________________________________________________
c. I know how you feel after getting your results. Many others are feeling the same way.
→ How / how ___________________________________________________________________
d. I know where you made your mistake; you underestimated the competition.
→ Where / appreciate ___________________________________________________________________
e. I know why he was attracted to this job; he wanted to give people orders.
→ What / authority ___________________________________________________________________
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VI. Finish each of the following sentences in such a way that it is as similar as possible in meaning to the
sentence printed before it.
Example: We only noticed the stain on the carpet when all the guests had gone.
→ It wasn’t until all the guests had gone that we noticed the stain on the carpet.
a. In some organisations what you know is not important; who you know is.
→ In some organisations it’s not _________________________________________________________________
b. He took his hat off and then I recognised him.
→ It wasn’t _________________________________________________________________________________
c. I only realised she was a foreigner when she opened her mouth.
→ It was ___________________________________________________________________________________
d. Your place of birth doesn’t determine your accent; the place you spend your childhood in does.
→ It’s not where _____________________________________________________________________________
e. His actions didn’t bring about his downfall; lying about them did.
→ It wasn’t what _____________________________________________________________________________
f. You don’t know who your real friends are until a time like that.
→ It’s only __________________________________________________________________________________
g. His jokes in themselves are not funny; his manner of telling them is.
→ It’s how __________________________________________________________________________________
h. The salary increase wasn’t why I stayed on; you were the reason.
→ It wasn’t __________________________________________________________________________________

INTRODUCTORY “IT” AND “THERE”

I. Write there's or it's in each of the gaps to complete the following sentences.
Example: ___It's___ a good job you told me when you did.
___There's___ little point in going back over the same old ground.
a. __________________ just as well we brought our umbrellas.
b. __________________ a strong possibility of the Chairman not making the meeting.
c. I gather __________________ also doubtful whether his deputy will be there.
d. __________________ not thought to be any serious risk involved in the operation.
e. __________________ no use pleading with me; I have no say in the matter whatsoever.
f. __________________ no shame attached to being beaten by a player of his calibre.
g. Don't you think __________________ any chance at all that he was unfairly dismissed?
h. __________________ no good feeling sorry for yourself; what's done is done.
i. __________________ a lot to be said for vegetarianism, in my opinion.
j. __________________ a shame you won't be able to see your own son receive his degree.
k. __________________ generally believed to be a good thing to get eight hours' sleep a night.
l. Wouldn't you say __________________ all a question of habit how long you need to sleep?

II. For each of the sentences below, write a new sentence as similar as possible in meaning to the original
sentence, but using the word given.
Example: It's no good sitting feeling sorry for yourself. point
→ There's no point in sitting feeling sorry for yourself.
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a. I've only just realised what our director meant by that comment. dawned
→ __________________________________________________________________________________
b. You should have been at the party; you would have enjoyed it. pity
→ __________________________________________________________________________________
c. People are optimistic that this new drug will be a success. hoped
→ __________________________________________________________________________________
d. I realised all of a sudden that we had been stitched up. occurred
→ __________________________________________________________________________________
e. We discovered eventually that all the goods had been stolen. transpired
→ __________________________________________________________________________________
f. The polls point towards a landslide victory for the presidential party. indication
→ __________________________________________________________________________________

III. Finish each of the following sentences in such a way that it is as similar as possible in meaning to the
sentence before it.
Example: Showers are known to be better for you than baths.
→ It is common knowledge that showers are better for you than baths.
a. It looks as if there's been an accident over there.
→ There ___________________________________________________________________________
b. I'm glad we decided to come by train.
→ It's ___________________________________________________________________________
c. The speed at which young children acquire language is quite incredible.
→ It's ___________________________________________________________________________
d. No doubt there was a terrible row when the mistake was discovered.
→ There is sure ___________________________________________________________________________
e. Such behaviour is totally inexcusable.
→ There ___________________________________________________________________________
f. The choice of restaurant is entirely yours.
→ It's entirely up ___________________________________________________________________________

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