Reversed Wh-Cleft Exercises

A reversed wh-cleft places the focus element first in the sentence, followed by the verb "be" and a wh-clause. While a standard wh-cleft says "What I need is a holiday," the reversed form says "A holiday is what I need." This reversal shifts the emphasis forward, giving the focus element immediate prominence. Reversed wh-clefts are common in spoken English for dramatic effect or to express strong feelings: "Patience is what you need" sounds more forceful and definitive than the standard wh-cleft version.

The structure works with various wh-words: "The park is where we first met" (place), "Tuesday is when the deadline falls" (time), and "You are who I was looking for" (person). In negative sentences, the negation typically appears in the wh-clause: "Money isn't what motivates her." Reversed wh-clefts create a sense of confirmation or emphasis — they feel like the speaker is naming something definitively. Cambridge B2 First and C1 Advanced sentence transformations sometimes require students to produce reversed forms, so practising both standard and reversed wh-clefts is important for exam flexibility.