What is a cleft sentence?

Definition
	A cleft sentence is a complex sentence in which a simple sentence is expressed using a main clause and a subordinate clause. In English the prototypical cleft sentence has the following form:
	it + be + X + subordinate clause
	X can be a constituent of one of many varieties.

Discussion
	X and the subordinate clause together carry the same meaning as their corresponding simple sentence. However, the primary focus of the cleft construction is on an element, often marked by intonation, that introduces new information. This element appears either as X or in the subordinate clause.

Example (English)

No, it is his callousness that I shall ignore.

Its corresponding simple sentence is No, I shall ignore his callousness. The primary focus of the cleft sentence may be marked by intonation, as in following sentences:

No, it is his callousness that I shall ignore.
No, it is his callousness that I shall ignore.

Source:

Quirk, Greenbaum, Leech, and Svartvik 1985 1384

Generic
	A cleft sentence is a kind of
	What is a complex sentence?

Kind
	Here is a kind of cleft sentence:
	What is a pseudo-cleft sentence?

Sources
	Crystal 1980 63
	Levinson 1983 182–183
	Quirk, Greenbaum, Leech, and Svartvik 1985 1383–1384
	Sornicola 1988 343–344
	Bromser 1984 327
	Jespersen 1949 147–148
	Delahunty 1984 74–88

Context for this page:

Concept module: cleft sentence
In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): C
In modular book: Glossary of linguistic terms, by Eugene E. Loos (general editor), Susan Anderson (editor), Dwight H., Day, Jr. (editor), Paul C. Jordan (editor), and J. Douglas Wingate (editor)
In bookshelf: Linguistics

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 5.0 published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 2003. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 5 January 2004