Cleft sentences en inglés y otros recursos lingüísticos para enfatizar

Echa un vistazo a esta publicación y aprende todo lo que hay que saber sobre las Cleft Sentences y otras formas de enfatizar ciertos elementos en inglés.

Me encanta la gramática inglesa, especialmente cuando hablamos de gramática inglesa avanzada. Me encanta entenderla, y lo que mejor me ayuda a entenderla es tener que explicársela a mis alumnos. Así que en este post os traigo uno de los puntos gramaticales más avanzados que explico a mis alumnos de C1/C2: las cleft sentences. Lo sé, sé lo que estás pensando… «What is a cleft sentence, Luis?«. Bueno, después de leer este post sabrás exactamente what a cleft sentence is y how to use it.

What is a cleft sentence?

A cleft sentence is a complex sentence (main clause + dependent clause) that has a meaning that could be expressed by a simple sentence. We use them to create emphasis by drawing attention to a particular aspect of the sentence. The term «cleft» means «divided» or «split», and, in a cleft sentence, some parts are moved from their normal position to a different one to give it more emphasis. Most cleft sentences are constructed by using a relative pronoun.

Types of cleft sentences

Lo que sigue es una lista de los tipos más comunes de cleft sentences:

All/The only (thing)-cleft

Your happiness interests me. → The only thing that interests me is your happiness.
I think about you. → All (that) I think about is you.

Wh-cleft

He saw your dad. → (The person) whom he saw was your dad.
He wanted to buy a Fiat. → What he wanted to buy was a Fiat. / What he wanted was to buy a Fiat.

Reversed Wh-cleft

I used to live in that house. → That house is where I used to live. / That house is the one in which I used to live.
I read the Da Vinci Code last summer. → The Da Vinci Code is what I read last summer.
On hot days we turn the AC. → Turning on the AC is what we do on hot days.

It+to be-cleft

You broke the window. → It was you who broke the window.
A gun shot has ended John’s life. → It has been a gunshot that has ended John’s life.

Note: with most cleft sentences, you can choose to emphasise the subject or the object of the original sentence.
Example: I used to live in a house

Subject: It was me who used to live in a house. (not someone else)
Object: It was a house where I used to live. (not a flat)

Other ways of emphasising

Dado que las cleft sentences se utilizan principalmente para enfatizar un aspecto o elemento particular de una oración, pensé que sería una gran idea enseñaros cómo usar otros recursos lingüísticos para dar énfasis a alguna palabra o elemento.

Stressing the verb or auxiliary verbs

Enfatizar el verbo auxiliar en una oración puede ayudar a mostrar determinación, a convencer o a contradecir a alguien.

You will be back before twelve, or else.

– I don’t think you’re capable of cheating.
– I am capable, you’ll see.

En el presente simple o pasado simple usamos do o did, excepto con el verbo “to be”:

– You didn’t do the washing up, did you?.
– I did wash up, I swear.

So / such

I’m so hungry (that) I could eat a whole cow by myself.
She’s such a beautiful woman!

Aprende a usar so and such correctamente.

Exaggerated vocabulary

I’m starved to death!

He’s completely hammered! ( = extremely drunk)

Intensifying adverbs

The film was extremely amusing.

That’s utterly ridiculous!

Simile

It’s as cold as ice.

It’s hot as hell!

Questions or negatives with “on earth”, “in the world”, “in creation”

Who on earth would go out in this cold?

There’s nothing in the world as pleasant as a warm bath.

Intonation

Puedes decidir enfatizar un elemento particular en una oración para transmitir un significado específico.

Sean loves to drink coffee in the mornings. (not someone else)

Sean loves to drink coffee in the mornings. (not like or hate)

Sean loves to drink coffee in the mornings. (not to prepare it)

Sean loves to drink coffee in the mornings. (not milk or tea)

Sean loves to drink coffee in the mornings. (not in the afternoons)

Espero que hayáis disfrutado de esta explicación de las cleft sentences y otros recursos lingüísticos para dar énfasis. Si tenéis alguna pregunta, dejadla en los comentarios. Y hasta la próxima, ¡no olvidéis keep smiling!