Lesson 14
Теория (Cleft sentence)
Cleft sentence = «расщеплённое» предложение,
где одна часть специально выносится и подчёркивается,
а остальная информация уходит в придаточную часть.
👉 Цель:
- акцент
- контраст
- уточнение
- формальный / аргументированный стиль
Основные типы cleft sentences (C1 must-know)
1. IT-CLEFT
(It is / was … that / who …)
📌 Самый распространённый тип.
Структура
It + be + focused element + that / who + clause
Примеры
✔ It was the manager who approved the proposal.
✔ It is innovation that drives economic growth.
✔ It was last year that the policy was introduced.
👉 Можно подчёркивать:
- подлежащее
- дополнение
- время
- место
- причину
2. WHAT-CLEFT
(What … is / was …)
📌 Фокус на действии / результате / проблеме.
Структура
What + clause + be + focused information
Примеры
✔ What concerns me most is the lack of transparency.
✔ What he failed to realise was the seriousness of the situation.
3. ALL-CLEFT / THE THING-CLEFT
(более разговорный, но допустим на C1)
All / The thing + clause + be + focus
✔ All we need is more time.
✔ The thing that annoys me is his attitude.
WHY / WHERE / WHEN cleft sentences
Используются для подчёркивания причины, места, времени.
The reason why he resigned was the pressure.The place where we met was unforgettable.
The time when everything changed was last year.
📌 Очень типично для формального стиля.
Cleft sentences vs emphasis vs inversion
| Structure | Example | Purpose |
| Inversion | Never have I seen… | драматичность |
| Emphasis (what/it) | What matters is… | логический акцент |
| Cleft | It was X that… | точечный фокус |
⚠️ Cleft sentences — umbrella term, включающий what-cleft и it-cleft.
Agreement & tense (важно!)
What matters is the result.What matters is the results. ✔ (focus on idea)
It was last year that the law was passed.(время сохраняется!)
Advanced C1 uses
Passive cleft
It was the proposal that was rejected, not the budget.What was overlooked was the long-term impact.
Contrast / correction
He didn’t resign voluntarily.✔ It was due to pressure that he resigned.
Academic style
What can be concluded is that further research is required.It is the extent of the damage that remains unclear.
🔥 Очень C1-ish.
Типичные ошибки ❌
❌ What I want is that you help me.
✔ What I want is your help / for you to help me.
❌ It was because of lack of funds that caused the delay.
✔ It was the lack of funds that caused the delay.
❌ What matters are the results.
✔ What matters is the results.
❌ It is last year when the law was passed.
✔ It was last year that the law was passed.
Когда НЕ стоит использовать cleft
- в очень простых предложениях
- слишком часто (1–2 на абзац)
- если акцент очевиден и без них