Cleft Sentences

Article excerpt · target grammar marked

It was rejection, repeated and absorbed, that eventually produced a book good enough to sell. What she has argued is that creativity should not be treated as a reward owed to effort.

Grammar Reference · Cleft Sentences

It-cleft

It was rejection that shaped the book. — fronts the cause/agent for emphasis, 18 words

Wh-cleft

What she argued was that effort owes nothing. — highlights the claim or idea itself clearly

Inverted conditional

Had publication been the measure, millions would fail. — formal register, omits 'if' entirely

Common error

It were talent that ✗ → It was talent that ✓ — verb always agrees with 'it'

01Exercise 1 — Form · Write the Correct Form

Cleft Sentences

1. was rejection that shaped her manuscript, not talent alone.

2.What she has argued that effort deserves no guarantee.

3. Gilbert faced rejection before, she still became a bestseller.

4.It is enjoyment, not achievement, keeps most people writing.

5. more teachers willing to say this, fewer students would be confused.

6.It was self-publishing platforms multiplied the number of writers.

02Exercise 2 — Transform

rewrite with the new structure

1.Rejection, not a lack of talent, shaped Strayed's manuscript.

2.She believes creativity shouldn't be treated as a reward for effort.

3.If publication had always been the measure, millions would have failed.

4.Enjoyment, not achievement, keeps most people writing.

5.If more teachers were willing to say this, fewer students would be confused.

6.Self-publishing platforms caused the number of writers to multiply.

7.She argued that a writer's worth isn't only measured by sales.

8.If writing had always stayed private, fewer people would feel like failures.

03Exercise 3 — About You

in your notebook

Personalise: complete five sentences about yourself using the target grammar.

Cleft Sentences01classplan.ai