What’s a cleft sentence?

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A split sentence divides a simple sentence into a main and subordinate clause to emphasize a specific part. It can start with “it” or a question word, and can be formed in various ways to shift emphasis.

A lick sentence is a particular sentence structure in the English language that divides a simple sentence into one with a main and a subordinate clause. Using this technique, a writer can emphasize a part of a sentence just like a speaker does by intoning certain words. In a split sentence, the word “it” is often used as a starting point, followed by a form of the word “to be” and the main focus of the sentence that the writer wishes to emphasize. Another way to form this sentence is to start with a relative sentence initiated by a question word to set the main emphasis of the sentence.

When someone is giving a speech to a crowd, they can control points of emphasis with the tone of their voice. By adding a certain amount of authority to certain words, a speaker can let the listener know what he wants them to remember. Writers usually don’t have this luxury, but they can show emphasis with the use of a split sentence.

As an example of such a sentence, first consider the simple sentence “I want to study history in school.” Taken as it is, that sentence can be emphasized in many different ways by a speaker. By making it a split sentence, the writer can spot the emphasis. For example, he might say, “It’s history I want to study in school.” This leaves no doubt where the emphasis should be placed.

Another way a cleft sentence can be formed is through the use of a relative clause. These clauses generally begin with an interrogative word such as “who” or “what.” An example would be a transformation of the simple sentence “I want to travel to Italy in spring”. It can be changed to “Where I really want to travel is Italy in spring”. This sentence puts the emphasis on Italy.

By moving words and clauses, the author of a split sentence can shift the emphasis anywhere they like. For example, the sentence from the previous paragraph can be rephrased to say: “When I want to travel to Italy it is spring”. It can also be changed to the phrase “What I want to do is travel to Italy in the spring”. Just as a speaker changes his intonation, these subtle changes in wording can mean a change of emphasis in a sentence.




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