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SÂU BÀI GIẢNG CHUYÊN SÂU BỒI DƯỠNG HỌC SINH GIỎI – MÔN TIẾNG ANH
CHUYÊN ĐỀ 14: BỒI DƯỠNG KIẾN THỨC NÂNG CAO VỀ MỆNH ĐỀ CHẺ
Cleft Sentences

- Cleft means divided. In a cleft sentence, information which could be given in one clause is divided into two parts,
each with its own verb. This way you give extra emphasis to part of the sentence
It was Tom who didn’t want to come.
SENTENCE Mike took Sally to the party on Saturday.
EMPHASIS ON THE SUBJECT It was Mike who took Sally to the party on Saturday.
EMPHASIS ON THE OBJECT It was Sally that Mike took to the party on Saturday.
EMPHASIS ON THE ADVERBIAL It was on Saturday that Mike took Sally to the party.
EMPHASIS ON THE PREP. PHRASE It was to the party that Mike took Sally on Saturday.
EMPHASIS ON THE ACTION What Mike did was (to) take Sally to the party
- In these sentences WHAT means THE THING(S) THAT. The WH-clause must contain a verb. To highlight the action
we uses a form of DO in the WH-clause. The highlighted phrase usually contains a bare infinitive or TO + INF.
If the highlighted verb is in the continuous or perfect, the form of DO matches it.
The boys are taking Sandy to the match What the boys are doing is taking Sandy to the
match. The thing that I most disliked was the colour of her dress.
The only thing I won’t do is phone her again.
All you need is love.
- WH- cleft sentences:
WH- Clause + BE + EMPHASISED WORD / PHRASE

It Cleft sentences:
IT + BE (+ NOT AND/OR ADVERB) + EMPHASISED WORD/PHRASE + THAT (WHO) CLAUSE

EXERCISE 1:
READ THE INFORMATION IN italICIZed THEN COMPLETE THE REPLIES. EACH REPLY MUST CONTAIN A CLEFT
SENTENCE.
Nick TUrned UP late for work on Monday becaUse he got sTUck in a traffic jam on the ring road.
LUCKily Nick has a mobile phone so he was able to phone his boss and warn her that he woULD
be late. She was FURIOUs bUT managed to reschedULe an important meeting for the afternoon.
1. Nick was late because he overslept, wasn’t he?
No, it that he was late.
2. How on earth did Nick let the boss know he’d be late?
Well, what call her from his mobile phone.
3. Wasn’t Nick late on Wednesday?
No, that he was late.
4. Nick’s boss had to start the meeting without him, didn’t she?
No, what she _ the afternoon.
5. Didn’t Nick get stuck in a traffic jam in the town centre?
No, not in the town centre; it got stuck.
6. I heard the boss was a little annoyed with Nick for being late.
No, she wasn’t “a little annoyed”. What !
EXERCISE 2:
FOR EACH OF THE SENTENCES BELOW, WRITE A NEW SENTENCE AS SIMILAR AS POSSIBLE IN MEANING
TO THE ORIGINAL SENTENCE, BUT USING THE WORDS GIVEN IN BOLD.
1. We just need 5 minutes to fix it. ALL

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2. I’m not questioning his dedication. ISN’T

3. These men a re totally ruthless. WHAT

4. We inherited everything except the house. ONLY THING

5. You know the sales assistant told me exactly the same thing. THAT’S

6. We’re taking the au-pair with us. DOING

EXERCISE 3:

1. The Democratic Republic of VN came into existence in 1945. => It was …

2. I want to see the manager. => It is …
3. I suppose the hope of easy money tempts them. => I suppose it …
4. We only learnt the truth yesterday. => It …
5. I’d like to visit India more than any other country in the world. => It’s India …
6. I’m more interested in the people than the job.
=> It’s not the …
7. He didn’t understand exactly what was wrong until he read Julie’s letter. (only)
=> It................................................he read Julie’s letter that he understood exactly what was wrong.
8. Most of the problems arose because there was no leadership on the committee. (caused)
=> It was the........................................................most of the problems on the committee.
9. The house collapsed because of faulty building work.
=> It was …
10. Many people died because of the lack of medical facilities. => It …
11. Nobody except the English tourists goes out in the midday sun. (it is …)
=> …
12. I didn’t realize how short the singer was until I saw him onstage. (made)
=> It was only.................................................................me realize how short the singer was.

EXERCISE 4: Other cleft sentences

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EXERCISE 1:
1. Nick was late because he overslept, wasn’t he?
No, it WAS BECAUSE OF THE TRAFFIC JAM that he was late.
2. How on earth did Nick let the boss know he’d be late?
Well, what HE DID WAS (TO) call her from his mobile phone.
3. Wasn’t Nick late on Wednesday?
No, IT WAS ON MONDAY that he was late.
4. Nick’s boss had to start the meeting without him, didn’t she?
No, what she DID WAS (TO) RESCHEDULE THE MEETING FOR the afternoon.
5. Didn’t Nick get stuck in a traffic jam in the town centre?
No, not in the town centre; it WAS ON THE RING ROAD THAT NICK got stuck.
6. I heard the boss was a little annoyed with Nick for being late.
No, she wasn’t “a little annoyed”. What SHE WAS WAS FURIOUS!
EXERCISE 2:
FOR EACH OF THE SENTENCES BELOW, WRITE A NEW SENTENCE AS SIMILAR AS POSSIBLE IN MEANING
TO THE ORIGINAL SENTENCE, BUT USING THE WORDS GIVEN IN BOLD.
1. We just need 5 minutes to fix it. ALL
ALL WE NEED IS 5 MINUTES (TO FIX IT)
2. I’m not questioning his dedication. ISN’T
IT ISN’T HIS DEDICATION THAT I’M QUESTIONING.
3. These men a re totally ruthless. WHAT
WHAT THESE MEN ARE IS TOTALLY RUTHLESS.
4. We inherited everything except the house. ONLY THING
THE ONLY THING WE DIDN’T INHERIT WAS THE HOUSE.
5. You know the sales assistant told me exactly the same thing.
THAT’S THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT THE SALES ASSISTANT TOLD
ME.
6. We’re taking the au-pair with us. DOING
WHAT WE ARE DOING IS TAKING THE AU-PAIR WITH US.

EXERCISE 3:

1. The Democratic Republic of VN came into existence in 1945. => It was …

(It was in 1945 that the Democratic Republic of VN came into existence. - BTTN Viet Cau TA – P.40)
2. I want to see the manager. => It is …
(It is the manager that I want to see. - BTTN Viet Cau TA – P.40)
3. I suppose the hope of easy money tempts them. => I suppose it …
(is the hope of easy money that tempts them.) (BTTA 11 – P.172)
4. We only learnt the truth yesterday. => It …
(was only yesterday that we learnt the truth.)
5. I’d like to visit India more than any other country in the world. => It’s India …
(that I’d like to visit more than any other in the world.) (BTTA 11 – P.184)
6. I’m more interested in the people than the job.
=> It’s not the …
(job I’m interested, it’s the people.) (BD HSG TA 11 – P.118)
7. He didn’t understand exactly what was wrong until he read Julie’s letter. (only)
=> It................................................he read Julie’s letter that he understood exactly what was wrong.
(It was only when/after he read Julie’s letter that he understood exactly what was wrong.)

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S + didn’t + V … until + Clause/ Time
It was only when/after + clause/Time + that + S + V.ed <=> It was not until + clause/ Time + that + S + V.ed
Note: She failed to recognize him until she sat next to him.
=> It was not until she sat next to him that she recognized him.
8. Most of the problems arose because there was no leadership on the committee. (caused)
=> It was the........................................................most of the problems on the committee.
(It was the lack of leadership that caused most of the problems on the committee.)
It + be + n + that + V: chinh … => dung de nhan manh lack of st: thieu …
9. The house collapsed because of faulty building work.
=> It was …
(faulty building work that caused the house to collapse/ the collapse of the house. ) (BD HSG TA 12 – P.84)
- cause Sb (to do) St: gây ra cho ai điều gì …
10. Many people died because of the lack of medical facilities. => It …
(was the lack of medical facilities that caused many people to die/the death of many people.) (BD HSG TA 12 –
P.84)
11. Nobody except the English tourists goes out in the midday sun. (it is …)
=> …
(It is the English tourists who go out in the midday sun. (CDSPHN – 2001-2002, P.250))
12. I didn’t realize how short the singer was until I saw him onstage. (made)
=> It was only.................................................................me realize how short the singer was.
(It was only seeing him onstage that made me realize how short the singer was. (CAE - 2))

EXERCISE 4: Other cleft sentences

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