Mixed Cleft Exercises (Intermediate)
B2-C1 Level
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Do-clefts work best when the emphasis should fall on a specific action: "What the committee did was reject the proposal." Event clefts frame entire situations: "What happened was that the funding was cut at the last minute." Reversed forms add variety and impact: "Honesty is what this debate needs most." At B2-C1 level, you are expected to switch fluently between cleft types depending on context. Cambridge C1 Advanced frequently tests this flexibility in key word transformations, where the prompt word determines which cleft structure you must produce accurately.
Quick Rule
Various cleft patterns: it-cleft | wh-cleft | reversed wh-cleft | all-cleft | thing-cleft | do-cleft | event cleft
- 1.What the investigation revealed was a pattern of serious negligence. (wh-cleft — finding focus)
- 2.It was her quick thinking that prevented a much worse outcome. (it-cleft — person quality focus)
- 3.All he could do was wait and hope for better news. (all-cleft — limitation of options)
- 4.Transparency is what voters expect from their representatives. (reversed wh-cleft — value focus)
- 5.What happened was that the safety equipment hadn't been checked beforehand. (event cleft — negative verb form)
All 20 questions
Transform each sentence using the cleft structure indicated by the prompt. This exercise includes all cleft types with more complex sentences.
I CALLED THE MANAGER. (Do-cleft)
What I did was
THE POWER WENT OUT during the meeting. (Event cleft)
What happened was
THE HEAD OF DEPARTMENT approved the budget. (It-cleft)
It was
I appreciate YOUR DEDICATION TO THE PROJECT. (Wh-cleft)
What I appreciate is
I only need A FEW MORE DAYS to finish. (All-cleft)
All I need is
HIS ATTENTION TO DETAIL is what impresses me. (Reversed wh-cleft)
His attention to detail is
She resigned BECAUSE SHE WASN'T BEING VALUED. (Thing-cleft)
The reason she resigned was
She REWROTE THE ENTIRE PROPOSAL. (Do-cleft)
What she did was
THE WHOLE TEAM CELEBRATED the success. (Event cleft)
What happened was
The interview took place AT THE HEAD OFFICE. (It-cleft)
It was
I struggle with THE CONSTANT CHANGES IN POLICY. (Wh-cleft)
What I struggle with is
They only did one thing: THEY WAITED for instructions. (All-cleft)
All they did was
PATIENCE is what this job requires. (Reversed wh-cleft)
Patience is
He keeps his documents AT A SECURE LOCATION. (Thing-cleft)
The place where he keeps his documents is
He COMPLETELY REDESIGNED the website. (Do-cleft)
What he did was
THE PROJECT FELL BEHIND SCHEDULE. (Event cleft)
What happened was
The decision was announced ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON. (It-cleft)
It was
THE MANAGER WHO HIRED ME believed in my potential. (Thing-cleft)
The person who believed in my potential was
I only remember HER SMILE from that day. (All-cleft)
All I remember from that day is
THE OFFICE is where I'm most productive. (Reversed wh-cleft)
The office is
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