Grammar: 🚀 Advanced Grammar Concepts (C1) - Lesson 2: Complex Cleft Sentences & Other Emphasis Structures (What...is/was..., The reason why...is...)

The Grammar Lab: Cleft Sentences

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Cleft Sentences

ប្រយោគ Cleft (សម្រាប់សង្កត់ន័យ)

A Cleft Sentence is a complex sentence where we split a simple sentence into two parts to put focus on a specific detail.

Cleft មានន័យថា "បំបែក"។ យើងបំបែកប្រយោគមួយជាពីរផ្នែក ដើម្បីសង្កត់ធ្ងន់ទៅលើចំណុចណាមួយដែលយើងចង់ឲ្យអ្នកស្តាប់ចាប់អារម្មណ៍ជាងគេ។

center_focus_strong

center_focus_strong "It" Clefts

ផ្តោតលើនរណាម្នាក់ ឬអ្វីមួយ

It is/was + Focus + who/that ...

Normal: John broke the window. It was John who broke the window. គឺ ចន ហ្នឹងហើយ ដែលបានបំបែកកញ្ចក់។ (សង្កត់លើចន)

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zoom_in "What" Clefts

ផ្តោតលើសកម្មភាព ឬអ្វីដែលចង់បាន

What + subject + verb + is/was + Focus

Normal: I want peace and quiet. What I want is peace and quiet. អ្វីដែលខ្ញុំចង់បាន គឺភាពស្ងប់ស្ងាត់។

help_center

help_center Reason & Place

ផ្តោតលើមូលហេតុ ឬទីកន្លែង

Normal: He resigned because of the stress. The reason why he resigned was the stress. មូលហេតុដែលគាត់លាឈប់ គឺដោយសារស្ត្រេស។

Normal: We met in Paris. The place where we met was Paris. កន្លែងដែលយើងបានជួបគ្នា គឺទីក្រុងប៉ារីស។

gpp_maybe The Preposition Trap!

Watch out for "It Clefts" with Time & Place!

(កំហុសទូទៅ C1: នៅពេលសង្កត់ធ្ងន់លើ ពេលវេលា ឬ ទីកន្លែង ក្នុង It-cleft យើងនៅតែប្រើ "that" ប៉ុន្តែត្រូវប្រាកដថាបានដាក់ធ្នាក់ (in/at/on) ឲ្យត្រឹមត្រូវ។)

It was 1999 when I was born. close

(Incorrect relative pronoun for a cleft sentence.)

It was in 1999 that I was born. check

(Correct! Keep the preposition 'in' and use 'that'.)

Emphasis Structures 🎬

Watch Teacher Sopheak break down how native speakers use Cleft Sentences to forcefully emphasize their points in debates and academic essays!

quiz

Knowledge Check ⚡

ការត្រួតពិនិត្យចំណេះដឹង

center_focus_strong "It" Cleft

Change this: "The manager made the decision."

(ប្តូរវាទៅជា It-cleft ដើម្បីសង្កត់លើ The manager)

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zoom_in "What" Cleft

Complete the sentence:
___ is more time to study.

(អ្វីដែលខ្ញុំត្រូវការ គឺពេលវេលារៀនបន្ថែមទៀត។)

gpp_maybe TRICKY QUESTION!

Which sentence is grammatically correct?

(តើប្រយោគមួយណាត្រឹមត្រូវ?)

psychology

psychology Tense Agreement

What he did ___ shock everyone.

(អ្វីដែលគាត់បានធ្វើ គឺធ្វើឲ្យអ្នកគ្រប់គ្នាភ្ញាក់ផ្អើល។)

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Mission 🎯

អនុវត្តជាក់ស្តែង!

Blame it on them! person_add (សរសេរ It-cleft មួយ ដើម្បីទម្លាក់កំហុសលើនរណាម្នាក់ (លេងសើច)។ ឧ. It was my brother who ate the cake.)

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Mission 🎯

អនុវត្តជាក់ស្តែង!

What I Need lightbulb (សរសេរ What-cleft មួយ ដើម្បីប្រាប់ពីអ្វីដែលអ្នកត្រូវការខ្លាំងបំផុតពេលនេះ។ ឧ. What I need is a long vacation.)

help_center

Mission 🎯

អនុវត្តជាក់ស្តែង!

The Reason Why help_center (សរសេរ Cleft មួយ ដើម្បីពន្យល់ពីមូលហេតុដែលអ្នករៀនភាសាអង់គ្លេស។ ឧ. The reason why I study English is...)

Ask a Question 🙋‍♂️

តើអ្នកមានចម្ងល់មែនទេ? សួរគ្រូនៅទីនេះ!

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Recent Questions

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Serey 2 hours ago

Teacher, why do we use these? Why not just say "I need a vacation"?

Reply thumb_up 18

SP

Sopheak Pich Teacher 1 hour ago

Great question! "I need a vacation" is perfectly fine. But saying "What I need is a vacation" adds STRONG emphasis. It tells the listener: "Out of everything in the world, this is the ONE thing I need right now." It's a fantastic tool for persuasive writing and debate! 🎓

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Makara 4 hours ago

Can I use "What I want are new shoes" because shoes are plural?

Reply thumb_up 10

SP

Sopheak Pich Teacher 3 hours ago

Ah, the Subject-Verb Agreement trap! Yes, formally, you should match the verb to the complement: "What I want ARE new shoes." However, in casual, spoken English, you will often hear native speakers just use "is" anyway ("What I want is new shoes"). For exams like IELTS, stick to "are" for plurals! 👞