Selecting focus: cleft sentences

Selecting focus: cleft sentences

25 One way of focusing on a particular part of a sentence is to use a cleft structure. This involves using the verb 'be', either with 'it' as an impersonal subject or with a clause such as a relative clause or a 'to'-infinitive clause as the subject or complement. Sentences containing this structure are called cleft sentences.

'it' as the subject   26 If you want to emphasize one noun group and make the whole clause say something about it, you can make the noun group the complement of an impersonal 'it' structure, and follow it with a relative clause containing the rest of your message. The complement can refer to the subject or object of the relative clause.

For example, instead of saying 'George found the right answer', you may want to stress the fact that George did it by saying 'It was George who found the right answer'.

It was Ted who broke the news to me.

It is usually the other vehicle that suffers most.

Similarly, instead of saying 'Henry makes clocks', you can say 'It's clocks that Henry makes'.

It's money that they want.

It was the Dookie wanted.

other kinds of focus 27 In a cleft sentence, you usually focus on a noun group. However, you can focus on other clause elements or even on a whole clause. You then use a relative clause beginning with 'that'.

You can make an adjunct the focus of a cleft sentence. For example, you can focus on a prepositional phrase or an adverb of time or place in order to stress the circumstances of  an event.

It was from Francis that she first heard the news.

It was then that I recalled that I had left my wristwatch up in the saloon.

It was in Elliotdate that I first saw these films.

You can also focus on a non-finite clause, if you are stressing an action.

It was meeting Peter that really started the off on this new line of work.

You can focus on a clause beginning with 'because' to stress the reason for something.

Perhaps it's because he's a misfit that I get along with him.

28 If you want to focus on an action performed by someone, you can use a cleft sentence consisting of 'what' followed by the subject, the verb 'do', the verb 'be', and an infinitive clause with or without 'to'.

For example, instead of saying 'I wrote to George immediately', you can say 'What I did was to write to George immediately'.

What Stephen did was to interview a lot of old people.

What you have to do is to choose five companies to invest in.

What it does is draw out all the vitamins from the body.

What he did was gel Christopher followed by a private detective.

You can use 'all' instead of 'what' if you want to emphasize that just one thing is done and nothing else.

All he did was shake hands and wish the good luck.

All she ever does is make jam.

29 Clauses with 'what' as their subject can be used to focus on the thing you are talking about. They can be put after the verb 'be' as well as in front of it. For example, you can say 'Its originality was what appealed to me', as well as 'What appealed to the was its originality'.

What impressed the most was their sincerity.

These six factors are what constitutes intelligence.

30 If you want to focus on the thing that someone wants, needs, or likes, you can use a cleft sentence beginning with a clause consisting of 'what' followed by the subject and a verb such as 'want' or 'need'. After this clause, you use the verb 'be' and a noun group referring to the thing wanted, needed, or liked.

Here is a list of verbs which can be used with 'what' in this structure:

For example, instead of saying 'We need a bigger garden', you can say 'What we need is a bigger garden'.

What we as a nation want is not words but deeds.

What you need is a doctor.

What he needed was an excuse to talk.

You can use 'all' instead of 'what' with the verbs 'want' or 'need' if you want to emphasize that someone wants of needs a particular thing and nothing else.

All they want is a holiday.

All a prisoner needed was a pass.

If you do not want to mention the agent in the above structures, you can use a passive form of the verb, after 'what' or 'all that'.

What was needed was an organized struggle.

All that was needed was to place strips of the paper in a thin rubber tube.