English Grammar in Use – Cleft sentences prepared by Tran Xuan Thoai Kien Luong High School. CLEFT SENTENCES ( Câu chẻ - câu nhấn mạnh ) A. Cleft sentences in the active : 1. Subject focus : We use cleft sentence to emphasize the subject of the action. It is / was + S + clause ( S + V + … ) Ex 1 : My brother bought a new car from our next- door neighbour last Saturday.  It was my brother who bought his new car from our next- door neighbour last Saturday. Ex 2 : The man gave her the book. => It was the man who gave her the book. 2. Object focus : We use cleft sentences to emphasize the object of the action. It is / was + O + clause ( S + V + … ) Ex 1 : My brother bought a new car from our next- door neighbour last Saturday.  It was a new car that my brother bought from our next- door neighbour last Saturday. Ex 2 : The boy hit the dog in the garden. => It was the dog that the boy hit in the garden. 3. Adverbial focus : We use cleft sentences to emphasize the adverb ( time / place / …… ) It is / was + adverbial phrase + clause ( S + V + … ) Ex 1 : - My brother bought a new car from our next- door neighbour last Saturday.  It was last Saturday when my brother bought a new car from our next- door neighbour. Ex 2 : - She bought him a present at the shop. => It was at the shop that she bought him a present. B. Cleft sentences in the passive : Cleft sentences can also be used in the passive voice. Ex 1 : The boy hit the dog in the garden. => It was the dog that was hit in the garden. Ex 2 : A. I heard that a dog bit you yesterday. B. No. It was the postman that was bitten by the dog. EXERCISES Exercise 1 : Rewrite the following sentences; using Cleft sentences 1.The boy visited his uncle last month. => . 2. My mother bought me a present on my birthday. => . 3. Huong and Sandra sang together at the party. => . 4. Nam’s father got angry with him. => . 5. The boys played football all day long. => . 6. The girl received a letter from her friend yesterday. => . 7. His presence at the meeting frightened the children. => . 8. The man is learning English. => . 9. The woman gave him the book => . Page1 Live and Learn English Grammar in Use – Cleft sentences prepared by Tran Xuan Thoai Kien Luong High School. 10. She sent her friend the postcard. => . 11. Hoa borrowed the book from Long. => . 12. The little boy greeted his grandfather in a strnge language. => . 13. The pedestrian asked the policeman a lot of questions. => . 14. The dog barked at the stranger. => . 15. She made some cakes for tea. => . 16. His father repaired the bicycle for him. => . 17. She presented him a book on his birthday. => . 18. He met his wife in Britain. => 19. She bought that present from the shop. => . 20. The meeting started at 8.00 a.m. => . Exercise 2: Change the sentences into cleft sentences in the passive. 1.Fans gave Christina lots of flowers. => . 2. The pedestrian asked the policeman for direction to the post office. => . 3. People talked a lot about his house. => . 4. His father bought him a bicycle for his birthday. => . 5. He described his hometown in his novel. => 6. She frightened the children. => . 7. Her younger sister broke her glasses. => . 8. The prince kissed my younger sister at the party. => 9. My father gave me this story book as a birthday present. => . 10. Vietnamese people celebrate Tet as the greatest occasion in a year. => . Page2 Live and Learn . Grammar in Use – Cleft sentences prepared by Tran Xuan Thoai Kien Luong High School. CLEFT SENTENCES ( Câu chẻ - câu nhấn mạnh ) A. Cleft sentences in the. => It was at the shop that she bought him a present. B. Cleft sentences in the passive : Cleft sentences can also be used in the passive voice. Ex 1 :