With these cleft sentence exercises, you’ll learn how to use emphasis in English. Check your answers after each activity and download a PDF worksheet for free.
Exercise 1: forming cleft sentences
Rewrite each sentence so that emphasis is put on the word in parentheses.
1. John saw Tania yesterday. (Tania)
It was Tania whom John saw yesterday.
2. I had not realised his true character until we got married. (the marriage)
It was not until we got married that I realised his true character.
3. She loves money. (money)
It is money that she loves.
4. You lied to me. (you)
It was you who lied to me.
5. Sarah baked the delicious cake that we ate yesterday. (Sarah)
It was Sarah who baked the delicious cake that we ate yesterday.
6. Your car was stolen. (the car)
It was your car that was stolen.
7. Your dog killed my cat. (the dog)
It was your dog that killed my cat.
8. Jack stole my computer. (Jack)
It was Jack who stole my computer.
9. John did not steal my computer. (John)
It was not John who stole my computer.
10. I did not realise I had forgotten my passport until we got to the airport. (the arrival at the airport)
It was not until we got to the airport that I realised I had forgotten my passport.
Exercise 2: wh-cleft sentences
Turn the following sentences into wh-cleft sentences.
1. She needed love.
What she needed was love.
2. They like candy.
What they like is candy.
3. We want to go to Paris.
Where we want to go is Paris.
4. We need to buy a new tyre.
What we need to buy is a new tyre.
5. You have to talk to her.
What you have to do is talk to her.
6. I am not questioning his decision.
What I am questioning is not his decision.
7. I am not asking for your money.
What I am asking for is not your money.
8. She is after your money.
What she is after is your money.
9. You need to talk to your boss right now.
Who you need to talk to right now is your boss.
10. You have to finish your homework now.
What you have to do now is finish your homework (What you have to finish now is your homework).
Exercise 3: all-cleft sentences
Turn the following sentences into all-cleft sentences.
1. We need love.
All we need is love.
2. I want a bicycle for Christmas.
All I want for Christmas is a bicycle.
3. You have to call the police.
All you have to do is call the police.
4. We need to buy a new tyre.
What we need to buy is a new tyre.
5. He asked for a second chance.
All he asked was a second chance.
6. They only gave us a small pay rise.
All they gave us was only a small pay rise.
7. They inherited debts.
All they inherited were debts.
8. He wants your money.
All he wants is your money.
9. They just care about money.
All they care about is money.
10. They only see what they want to see.
All they see is what they want to see.
Cleft-sentence worksheet
In this worksheet, you will rewrite 17 sentences using emphatic structures. Click the toggle arrow below to check your answers.
- 1. It was Jane who called me last night.
- 2. It was John who broke the vase.
- 3. It was Sarah who won the award last year.
- 4. It was the boss who gave me the instruction.
- 5. It was Jimmy who told me the whole story.
- 6. All I need is a break.
- 7. All I wanted was to help you.
- 8. All they needed was our support.
- 9. All they gave me was paracetamol.
- 10. All he did was what he was told to do.
- 11. All we have to tell him is the truth (All we have to do is tell him the truth).
- 12. What I need is your support.
- 13. What she told me was a lie.
- 14. What I want to buy is an iPhone.
- 15. Where she wants to live is in the US.
- 16. What he gave me was what I needed.
- 17. Who I want you to become is someone important.
