CLEFT SENTENCE

I. It-cleft sentences

It-clauses are the most common type of cleft clause. The information that comes after it is
emphasised for the listener. The clause which follows the it-clause is connected using that and it
contains information that is already understood. We often omit that in informal situations when it
is the object of the verb:

1. Câu chẻ nhấn mạnh chủ từ (Subject focus)

 It + is/was + Chủ ngữ (Subject) + who, that,.. + V + O … ( S là người)

It + is/was + Chủ ngữ (Subject) + that + V ......... ( S là vật)

Example:
+ My sister made me a cake.
→ It was my sister who made me a cake.
+ Her absence at the party made me sad.
→ It was her absence at the party that made me sad.
2. Câu chẻ nhấn mạnh tân ngữ (Object focus)

 It + is / was + Tân ngữ (Object) + Mệnh đề quan hệ (whom, that,..) + S + V...

Example:
+ I met Trang at the party.
→ It was Trang who I met at the party.
+ My brother bought an old car from our neighbor.
→ It was an old car (that) my brother bought from our neighbor.
3. Câu chẻ nhấn mạnh trạng từ (Adverbial focus)
 
 It + is / was + Adverbial phrase + that + S + V …
Example:
+ I met him in this restaurant.
→ It was in this restaurant that I met him.
+ My father bought a new car last Sunday.
→ It was last Sunday that my father bought a new.
 
4. Câu chẻ nhấn mạnh trong câu bị động (Passive voice)

It + is / was + Noun / Pronoun + Mệnh đề quan hệ (who, that,...) + be + V3/V-ed

Example:
+ People talk about this story.
→  It is this story that is talked about.
+ Fans gave that actor a lot of gifts.
→ It was that actor who was given a lot of gifts.

II. Wh-cleft sentences (What I need is a holiday)

Wh-cleft sentences are most often introduced by what, but we can also use why, where, how,
etc. The information in the wh-clause is typically old or understood information, while the
information in the following clause is new and in focus:

A: I don’t know what to cook for them? I don’t know what they like.
B: What they like is smoked salmon.

 What + subject + do/does/did/V + is/was + (to) infinitive

 What happens is (that) … / What happened was (that)
 The reason why, the thing that, the person/people who, the place where, the day
when…
For example:

 I just want to go home right now.

=> What I just want is to go home right now

 He was born in this small village.

=> Where he was born was in this small village.

 What Tom did was to hide the book under the mattress.

 What happened was that the dog ate my homework.

 Why Fred and I fell out was his rudeness.

 The summer is when Kylie and I met.

 The church in the village was where my Grandad got married.

 The thing/s that = What/All + S + V + be

 This kind of cleft sentence centres around the object. (after Verb)

• Tom’s book is under the mattres.

=> What’s under the mattress is Tom’s book.

 I want my lost keys back.

=> All I want is my lost keys back.

 Linda treasured her old house only.

=> All Linda treasured was her old house only.

 There
There + be + đối tượng + who/that + S + V … (Đối tượng là người)
There + be + đối tượng + that + S + V … (Đối tượng là vật)
  She really wants to meet a person. => There is a person that she really wants to meet.
 I would love to buy a new car.=> There is a new car that I would love to buy.

 Câu chẻ đảo (Inverted cleft sentences)

 S + be + all/wh-question + S + V…

Example:

 I want a new dress for this summer.

=> A new dress was what I want for this summer.

 David will make the decision tomorrow.

=> Tomorrow will be when David makes the decision.

PRACTICE

Dạng 1. Điền who, that, whom vào chỗ trống

1 .It is my brother__________ plays the guitar very well.
2. It is by using this software __________ you can kill computer viruses.
3. It is my sister__________ John falls in love with.
4. It was in this house __________ I was born.
5. It was Sue______________ he gave the whole confidential document.
 
Dạng 2. Viết lại câu mang ý nghĩa nhấn mạnh
1. I was most unhappy with the service.
=> What ______________________________________________(to be unhappy with)
2. I can’t stand the noise.
=> It’s _________________________________________________________(the noise)
3. David didn’t pay for the wedding ring, Anna did.
=> It______________________________________________________________(David)
=> It ________________________________________________________________(Anna)
4. Did you choose the furniture?
=> Was_____________________________________________________________ (you)
5. The waiter’a attitude made things worse.
=> It______________________________________________________(waiter’s attitude)
 

ĐÁP ÁN
Dạng 1.
1. that
2. that
3. that/whom
4. that
5. that
 
Dạng 2.
1. What I was most unhappy with was the service.
2. It’s the noise that I can’t stand.
3. It was David who didn’t pay for the wedding ring.
It was Sara who did pay for te wedding ring.
4. Was it you who chose the furniture.
5. It was the waiter’s attitude that made/ did make things worse.