Cleft Sentences

ENGLISH II
Cleft Sentences
CLEFT SENTENCES
Las llamadas “cleft sentences” se usan en inglés para dar más énfasis a una parte de
la frase.
Estudia estos ejemplos:
Leonard arrived first at the meeting 
It was Leonard who arrived first at the meeting
La primera frase simplemente enuncia un hecho; la segunda enfatiza que la persona
que llegó primero fue Leonard y no otra persona.
An occult quality distinguishes man from animals.

What distinguishes man from animals is an occult quality
En la segunda frase, se enfatiza cuál es el hecho que distingue al hombre del animal y
no otra cosa.
 
Paul studied Law at Bristol university 
It was Paul who studied Law at Bristol university 
What Paul studied at Bristol university was Law 
It was at Bristol university where/that Paul studied Law
En la primera frase enunciamos simplemente el hecho.  
En la segunda, enfatizamos el sujeto: Paul (y no otra persona fue quién estudió
Derecho en la universidad de Bristol) 
En la tercera, enfatizamos el objeto: Law (fue Derecho lo que Paul estudió y no otra
cosa) 
En la última frase, enfatizamos el lugar (dónde): Bristol university (fue allí y no en
otra universidad, dónde Paul estudió Derecho)
A esta estructura se le llama “cleft sentence” porque la frase original se ha dividido en

dos partes (cleft en inglés significa partido, dividido en dos partes, y viene del verbo
cleave)
Esta estructura es particularmente útil en lenguaje escrito, en donde no podemos usar
la entonación para enfatizar una parte de la frase, pero también se usa con frecuencia
en lenguaje hablado.
Las dos estructuras más comunes de estas frases son:

A.- Frases introducidas por: It is/It was ... that ...
Mike saw Helen in the park on

FRASE
Friday
ENGLISH II
Cleft Sentences
It was Mike who saw Helen in the park

ÉNFASIS EN EL SUJETO
on Friday
It was Helen that Mike saw in the park
ÉNFASIS EN EL OBJETO
on Friday
ÉNFASIS EN EL C.C. DE LUGAR It was in the park that Mike saw Helen
(DÓNDE) on Friday
ÉNFASIS EN EL C.C. DE TIEMPO It was on Friday that Mike saw Helen
(CUÁNDO) in the park
Esta estructura se puede usar para enfatizar cualquier parte de la frase, excepto el
verbo.
B.- Frases introducidas por: What ... is/was ...
Esta estructura se puede usar para enfatizar el sujeto o el objeto de la frase. En
estas frases WHAT significa THE THING(S) THAT ...
I can't stand the noise  
What I can't stand is the noise
I enjoyed the brilliant music most of all in the performance  
What I enjoyed most (of all) in the performance was the brilliant music
• Cleft structures con WHAT se usan también con does/do/did y con el verbo
happen (ocurrir) cuando queremos dar énfasis a toda la frase.
The manager interviewed all the applicants for the post first  
What the manager did first was (to) interview all the applicants for the post
ENGLISH II
Cleft Sentences
Rephrase these sentences:
1. His attitude towards other people really annoys me. 

It is his …
2. I suggested having a barbecue.

What I …
3. My uncle Tom came on Thursday. 

It was on …
4. I met my wife on a train.

It was on …
5. A man answered the phone.

It was a …
6. What I couldn’t remember was the number of my own car.

It was …
7. What upsets me is the rudeness of some shop assistants.

It is …
8. It’s the inefficiency of the services that depresses me.

What …
9. The thing that annoyed me most was the smile on his face.
It was …
10. Floods are not a major risk in spring. We have to be on the watch in autumn.
Floods are not a major risk in spring. It is in …
11. John wore his best suit to the dance.

What John …
12. The capital of the United States is Washington. But the real action takes place in
New York.
The capital of the United States is Washington. But it is …
ENGLISH II
Cleft Sentences
Check your answers:
1. It is his attitude towards other people that really annoys me.

2. What I suggested was having a barbecue
3. It was on Thursday that my uncle Tom came.
4. It was on a train that I met my wife
5. It was a man who answered the phone
6. It was the number of my own car that I couldn’t remember (cuidado no confundir:
what and that)
7. It is the rudeness of some shop assistants that upsets me
8. What depresses me is the inefficiency of the services
9. It was the smile on his face that annoyed me most
10. Floods are not a major risk in spring. It is in autumn that we have to be on the
watch
11. What John wore to the dance was his best suit
12. The capital of the United States is Washington. But it is in New York that the real
action takes place

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ENGLISH II

An occult quality distinguishes man from animals.

A esta estructura se le llama “cleft sentence” porque la frase original se ha dividido en

Las dos estructuras más comunes de estas frases son:

Mike saw Helen in the park on

It was Mike who saw Helen in the park

Rephrase these sentences:

1. His attitude towards other people really annoys me.

2. I suggested having a barbecue.

3. My uncle Tom came on Thursday.

4. I met my wife on a train.

5. A man answered the phone.

6. What I couldn’t remember was the number of my own car.

7. What upsets me is the rudeness of some shop assistants.

8. It’s the inefficiency of the services that depresses me.

11. John wore his best suit to the dance.

Check your answers:

1. It is his attitude towards other people that really annoys me.

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