Table of Contents
Introduction
Cleft sentences help emphasize a particular part of a sentence. They are especially useful for adding focus and clarity to your communication.
In this post, you will practice your grammar skills with our cleft sentence exercises.
If you need a quick recap of cleft sentences, check the last section of this post.
Let’s get started!
Cleft Sentence Exercises with Answers
Instructions
Read the exercises carefully and choose or match the correct option to form a cleft sentence. Check your answers to see how well you did!
Cleft Sentence Exercise 1: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct option to complete the cleft sentence.
Cleft Sentence Exercise 2: Matching
Match the beginnings of sentences with their correct endings to form cleft sentences.
Recap of Cleft Sentences
Cleft sentences help emphasize specific parts of a sentence to add focus and clarity. They often start with phrases like “It was,” “What,” or “All.” Mastering them enhances both writing and speaking skills by making key points stand out.
Summary Table: Cleft Sentences and Their Types
| Type of Cleft Sentence | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| It-Cleft | It + BE + emphasized element + relative clause | It was John who fixed the computer. |
| What-Cleft | What + clause + BE + emphasized element | What I need is a break. |
| All-Cleft | All + clause + BE + emphasized element | All she wanted was a little kindness. |
| Wh-Cleft (Pseudo-cleft) | Wh-word (like who, where) + clause | Where we went was the beach. |
| There-Cleft | There + BE + emphasized element | There’s something that bothers me. |
More on Cleft Sentences!