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...)

Structure B2

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Cleft Sentences

ប្រយោគបំបែក (ដើម្បីបញ្ជាក់ន័យ)

We split (cleave) a simple sentence into two clauses to put a spotlight on one specific piece of information.

យើងបំបែកប្រយោគធម្មតាមួយជាពីរផ្នែក ដើម្បីសង្កត់ន័យទៅលើព័ត៌មានជាក់លាក់ណាមួយឱ្យកាន់តែលេចធ្លោ។

🎯

"It" Clefts

Focus on Subject or Object

Base: John broke the window.

It was John who broke the window.

គឺចនហ្នឹងឯងដែលបានបំបែកកញ្ចក់។ (សង្កត់ន័យលើ John)

Base: John broke the window.

It was the window that John broke.

គឺកញ្ចក់ហ្នឹងឯងដែលចនបានបំបែក។ (សង្កត់ន័យលើ window)

⏳

"It" Clefts

Focus on Time or Place

Base: They met in Paris in 2010.

It was in Paris that they met.

គឺនៅទីក្រុងប៉ារីសហ្នឹងឯងដែលពួកគេបានជួបគ្នា។ (ទីកន្លែង)

Base: I started working yesterday.

It was yesterday that I started working.

គឺកាលពីម្សិលមិញហ្នឹងឯងដែលខ្ញុំចាប់ផ្តើមធ្វើការ។ (ពេលវេលា)

🧩

"Wh-" Clefts

Focus on an Action or Object

Base: I need a coffee.

What I need is a coffee.

អ្វីដែលខ្ញុំត្រូវការ គឺកាហ្វេមួយកែវ។

Base: He broke his phone.

What he did was break his phone.

អ្វីដែលគាត់បានធ្វើ គឺបំបែកទូរស័ព្ទរបស់គាត់។

✨

Alternative Clefts

Using "All" or "The only thing"

Meaning: I just want some peace.

All I want is some peace.

អ្វីទាំងអស់ដែលខ្ញុំចង់បាន គឺភាពស្ងប់ស្ងាត់។

Meaning: I only ate a sandwich.

The only thing I ate was a sandwich.

របស់តែមួយគត់ដែលខ្ញុំបានញ៉ាំ គឺនំសាំងវិច។

The Relative Pronoun Trap!

Do not use "which" for things in standard "It" clefts. Stick to "that"!

(ប្រយ័ត្ន! នៅក្នុងប្រយោគ "It clefts" ជាទូទៅសម្រាប់វត្ថុ យើងប្រើ "that" មិនមែន "which" ទេ!)

It was the car which crashed. ❌
It was the car that crashed. ✅

Mastery Check ⚡

ការត្រួតពិនិត្យកម្រិតខ្ពស់

"It" Cleft Identification

___ was Sarah who called me last night.

(គឺសារ៉ាហ្នឹងឯងដែលបានខលមកខ្ញុំកាលពីយប់មិញ។)

"Wh-" Cleft Structure

___ I want for Christmas is you.

(អ្វីដែលខ្ញុំចង់បានសម្រាប់ថ្ងៃបុណ្យណូអែលគឺអ្នក។)

Transformation (Focus on the Cake)

Base: The dog ate the cake.

It was the cake ___ the dog ate.

(គឺនំខេកហ្នឹងឯងដែលសត្វឆ្កែបានស៊ី។)

GRAMMAR TRAP! ❌

It was in 1999 ___ they met.

(គឺនៅក្នុងឆ្នាំ ១៩៩៩ ហ្នឹងឯងដែលពួកគេបានជួបគ្នា។)

Meaning Check

"What we need is more time."

តើប្រយោគនេះមានន័យដូចម្តេច?

🕵️‍♂️

Mission 🎯

អនុវត្តផ្ទាល់!

The Detective 🕵️‍♂️ (សរសេរប្រយោគ "My sister stole my shirt" ឡើងវិញ ដើម្បីសង្កត់ន័យទៅលើ "My sister" ដោយប្រើ "It was..."។)

🎯

Mission 🎯

អនុវត្តផ្ទាល់!

The Demander 🎯 (ប្រើទម្រង់ "What I need is..." ដើម្បីសរសេរពីគោលដៅភាសាអង់គ្លេសរបស់អ្នក។ ឧ. What I need is to speak fluently.)

🗣️

Mission 🎯

អនុវត្តផ្ទាល់!

Intonation Practice 🗣️ (អានប្រយោគ Cleft របស់អ្នកឲ្យឮៗ ដោយលើកសំឡេងឲ្យខ្ពស់ (stress) នៅត្រង់ពាក្យដែលអ្នកចង់សង្កត់ន័យ។)

Pronunciation Guide

មេរៀនជាវីដេអូ

Intonation Tip: In cleft sentences, your voice pitch should go UP on the part of the sentence you are emphasizing. Watch how Teacher Sopheak does it!

Ask a Question 🙋‍♂️

តើអ្នកមានចម្ងល់មែនទេ? សួរគ្រូនៅទីនេះ!

U

Advanced Q&A

S

Sovan 2 hours ago

Teacher, can I use "when" or "where" instead of "that" in an IT cleft? Like "It was in Paris where we met."

Reply 👍 15

SP

Sopheak Pich Teacher 1 hour ago

Excellent question, Sovan! In modern, informal English, you will often hear native speakers say that. However, in formal English (and on Cambridge/IELTS exams), "that" is the strictly correct relative pronoun to use in "It" clefts, even for time and place! 🎯

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Vireak 5 hours ago

Why do we call them "cleft" sentences?

Reply 👍 8

SP

Sopheak Pich Teacher 4 hours ago

"Cleft" comes from the verb "to cleave," which means "to split or divide". We take one simple sentence and split it into two clauses (using 'it' or 'what') so we can focus heavily on one part of it! 🪓