Grammar: ✨ Grammar Essentials: 🧩 Parts of Speech & 🏗️ Sentence Structure (Advanced) (B2) - Lesson 10: Cleft Sentences for emphasis (It is/was... that/who...; What I need is...)

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call_split

Cleft Sentences

ប្រយោគសង្កត់ន័យ (ការបំបែកប្រយោគ)

A Cleft Sentence is a sentence split into two parts to put a spotlight (emphasis) on one specific thing.

ប្រយោគ Cleft គឺជាការបំបែកប្រយោគមួយជាពីរ ដើម្បីសង្កត់ន័យ ឬផ្តោតការយកចិត្តទុកដាក់ទៅលើចំណុចណាមួយជាក់លាក់។

build

build "It" Clefts

រូបមន្តប្រើ "It" ដើម្បីសង្កត់ន័យ

It is/was + FOCUS + that/who + Rest of sentence

Normal: John broke the window. ចន បានវាយបំបែកកញ្ចក់។

Cleft: It was John who broke the window. គឺ ចន នេះហើយដែលបានវាយបំបែកកញ្ចក់។ (សង្កត់ន័យលើចន)

center_focus_strong

center_focus_strong Shifting Focus

ការប្តូរចំណុចសង្កត់ន័យ

You can use an "It" cleft to emphasize the subject, object, or even the time!

It was the window that John broke. គឺ កញ្ចក់ នេះហើយដែលចនបានវាយបំបែក។ (សង្កត់ន័យលើកម្មបទ)

It was yesterday that John broke it. គឺ កាលពីម្សិលមិញ នេះហើយដែលចនវាយបំបែកវា។ (សង្កត់ន័យលើពេលវេលា)

psychology

psychology "What" Clefts

ការសង្កត់ន័យដោយប្រើ "What"

What + Subj + Verb + is/was + FOCUS

Normal: I need a cup of coffee. ខ្ញុំត្រូវការកាហ្វេមួយកែវ។

Cleft: What I need is a cup of coffee. អ្វីដែលខ្ញុំត្រូវការ គឺកាហ្វេមួយកែវនេះហើយ។

warning The Agreement Trap!

Watch the verb after "who" or "that".

(កិរិយាសព្ទនៅខាងក្រោយ who/that ត្រូវតែប្រែប្រួលទៅតាមពាក្យដែលយើងសង្កត់ន័យ (Focus)។ បើ Focus ជាពហុវចនៈ ត្រូវប្រើ Are/Were!)

It is my friends who is coming. close

Incorrect. "Friends" is plural.

It is my friends who are coming. check

Correct. "Are" agrees with "friends".

Cleft Sentences 🎬

Watch Teacher Sopheak explain how splitting a sentence creates a spotlight effect. Pay close attention to how native speakers use the "What..." structure!

quiz

Quick Check ⚡

ការត្រួតពិនិត្យចំណេះដឹង

call_split Emphasize the Object

Change this: "I lost my wallet."
Focus on "my wallet".

(ប្តូរប្រយោគខាងលើ ដោយសង្កត់ន័យលើ "my wallet"។)

psychology

psychology Wh- Clefts

What she wants ___ a vacation.

(អ្វីដែលនាងចង់បាន គឺការឈប់សម្រាកលំហែកាយ។)

gpp_maybe TRICKY QUESTION!

It is my teachers who ___ calling.

(ជ្រើសរើសកិរិយាសព្ទឲ្យត្រូវនឹងប្រធាន)

center_focus_strong

center_focus_strong Meaning Check

Why do we use cleft sentences in English?

(ហេតុអ្វីបានជាយើងប្រើប្រយោគ cleft?)

edit_document

Mission 🎯

អនុវត្តជាក់ស្តែង!

Rewrite It edit_document (សរសេរប្រយោគ "I love pizza." ឡើងវិញ ដោយប្រើទម្រង់ "What I love is..."។)

person_search

Mission 🎯

អនុវត្តជាក់ស្តែង!

The Culprit person_search (សរសេរប្រយោគបញ្ជាក់ថា អ្នកណាជាអ្នកញ៉ាំនំ Cookie ចុងក្រោយគេ ដោយប្រើទម្រង់ "It was [ឈ្មោះ] who..."។)

mic

Mission 🎯

អនុវត្តជាក់ស្តែង!

Voice Note mic (ថតសំឡេងប្រាប់ពីអ្វីដែលអ្នកចង់ធ្វើនៅចុងសប្តាហ៍នេះ ដោយប្រើ "What I really want to do this weekend is...")

Ask a Question 🙋‍♂️

តើអ្នកមានចម្ងល់មែនទេ? សួរគ្រូនៅទីនេះ!

U

Recent Questions

S

Sovan 2 hours ago

Teacher, can I use "which" instead of "that" in an It-cleft? Like, "It was the window which John broke"?

Reply thumb_up 18

SP

Sopheak Pich Teacher 1 hour ago

Hi Sovan! Good question. While you *might* occasionally hear "which", it is generally considered less natural in It-cleft sentences. It is much safer and more natural to stick with "that" (for things) or "who" (for people). 💡

M

Minea 4 hours ago

Can I emphasize an action using cleft sentences?

Reply thumb_up 10

SP

Sopheak Pich Teacher 3 hours ago

Yes, you can! But you have to use a "Wh- Cleft" with the verb 'do'. For example: "What I did was sleep all day." (This puts the emphasis completely on the action of sleeping!) 😴