CLEFT SENTENCES

Cleft sentences are used to help us focus on a particular part of the sentence a
nd to emphasise what we want to say by introducing it or building up to it with
a kind of relative clause.
They are particularly useful in writing where we cannot use intonation for purpo
ses of focus or emphasis, but they are also frequently used in speech.
There are 2 main structures:
Wh + be AND it + be
Cleft structures include “the reason why, the thing that, the person/people who, t
he place where, the day when and what clauses which are usually linked to the cl
ause that we want to focus on with is or was.
Examples:
(non-cleft) : I’ve come to discuss my future with you.
(cleft) : The reason why I’ve come is to discuss my future with you.
(non-cleft) : Your generosity impress me more than anything else.
(cleft) : The thing that impress me more than anything else is your gener
osity.
(non-cleft) : The jewels are hidden under the floor at 23 Robin Hood Road, Eppin
g.
(cleft) : The place where the jewels are hidden is under the floor at 23
Robin Hood Road, Epping.
(non-cleft) : Mary works harder than anyone else in this organisation.
(cleft) : Mari is the person in this organisation who works harder than a
nyone else.
(non-cleft) : We need actions rather than words.
(cleft) : What we now need are actions rather than words.
Action rather than words are what we now need.
(non-cleft) : I enjoyed the brilliant music most of all in the Ballet Frankfurt
performance.
(cleft) : I enjoyed most in the Ballet Frankfurt performance was the bril
liant music.
Cleft structures with what clauses are also often used with do/does/did and with
the verb when we want to give emphasis to the whole sentence, rather than a par
ticular clause.

(non-cleft) : The police interviewed all the witnesses to the accident first.
(cleft) : What the police did first was to interview all the witnesses t
o the accident.
(non-cleft) : Their car broke down on the motorway so they didn’t get to Jo’s weddin
g on time.
(cleft) : What happened was that their car broke down on the motorway so
they didn’t get to Jo’s wedding on time.
It + be
This type of cleft structure can be used to emphasise almost any part of a sente
nce other than the verb by making it a complement of it + be. Like the “wh” type, th
is structure implies a contrast with a previous statement. In the example that f
ollows, note how this construction enables us to focus on different aspects of t
he information, which may be important at the time.
(non-cleft) : My brother bought his new car from our next door neighbour last
Saturday.
(cleft) : It was my brother who bought his new car from our neighbour las
t Saturday.
It was last Saturday when my brother bought his new car from our
next door neighbour.
It was a new car that my brother bought from our next door neigh
bour last Saturday.
It was our next door neighbour that my brother bought his car fr
om last Saturday.
Look our for cleft structures in your reading. They are a very common feature of
written English.

Taha Cetinkaya
HOLD EXPRESSIONS
Take hold of :
She grabbed one end of the carpet and tugged.= She took hold of one end of the c
arpet and tugged.
Hold out : (Am Engl.)
We can’t continue to fight without reinforcement. = We can’t hold out fighting witho
ut reinforcement.
Hold with :
We can’t approve of giving teenagers too much money.= We can’t hold with giving teen
agers too much money.
Hold down a job :
I doubt he is ever likely to manage to keep a job for a period of time. = I doub
t he is ever likely to hold down a job for a period of time.
Withhold :
The witness was fined for keeping back information from the police.= The witness
was fined for withholding information from the police.
Hold off :
I hope the storm will not start until we are back home. = I hope the storm will
not hold off until we are back home.
Uphold :
I have read an article supporting this theory. = I have read an article upholdin
g this theory.
Get hold of :
It is quite difficult to find this book now. = It is quite difficult to get hold
of this book now.
Hold up :
Unfortunately, I am delayed in a traffic jam, so I will be a half an hour late.
= Unfortunately, I am held up in a traffic jam, so I will be a half an hour late
.
To hold sb up to ridicule :
I am sure you wouldn’t like to be made fun of. = I am sure you wouldn’t like to be h
eld up to ridicule.
Hold on to :
It was Barack Obama who said that poor people cling to religion. = it was Barack
Obama who said that poor people hold on to religion.
Hold sb up to ransom :
The terrorists are proposing to release the hostage in return in money. = The te
rrorists re holding the hostage up to ransom.