Short sentences with the word what

With regard to cleft sentences, how many times have you heard natives starting a sentence with the words what or it or all? In short, when a sentence begins with “what”, “it” or “all” and the sentence has a corresponding clause, we call said sentence a “Cleft Sentence”.

For example:

What really annoyed me about him is…
It was the expensive bill that got me upset.
All I need is a good supper to fill me up.

Above all, these sentences are using the words what, it, and all to put emphasis on the other parts of the sentence — this is clefting.

That is to say, using cleft sentences makes the following clauses from above more emphatic and stick out; “what really annoys me about him is…”, “it was the expensive bill that got me upset.”, and “all I need is a good supper”.

What are cleft sentences?

Cleft sentences are complex sentences that are ‘divided’. The main words used in cleft sentences are; what, it, and all, and you can use these words to emphasise different parts of the clause.

When using cleft sentences, you can change the order of words of a sentence to make them stand out. So, this is how cleft sentences work.

Moreover, it’s definitely an odd grammatical concept that leaves most non-natives flabbergasted and unable to grasp. That’s why we are going to fully elaborate and understand cleft sentences with examples below the video.

Examples with ‘what’

James is a colleague here. (No emphasis).
What James is, is a colleague here. (James is as a person, absolutely a colleague).
A colleague is what James is here. (Emphasising that James is definitely a colleague).

Amanda has a job. (No emphasis).
A job is what Amanda has. (Amanda definitely has a job).
What Amanda has is a job. (Amanda has a job).

Jack has a secret to tell Ann. (No emphasis).
A secret is what Jack has to tell Ann. (There is definitely a secret to tell).
What Jack has to tell Ann is a secret. (jack is in possession of a secret).

Examples with ‘it’

My boss sent the signed contract to his colleague on Tuesday. (No emphasis)
It was my boss that sent the signed contract to his colleague on Tuesday. (No one else, only the boss who sent it).
It was the signed contract that my boss sent to his colleague on Tuesday. (Nothing else, only the contract that was sent).
It was his colleagues that my boss sent the signed contract to on Tuesday. (NOT to anybody else).
It was Tuesday that my boss sent the signed contract to his colleagues. (ONLY on Tuesday, NO other day).

To clarify, in the four above examples, the clauses are being emphasised differently depending on the cleft structure.

Cleft sentences with ‘all’

All I’ve done today is being annoying to my sister.
All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth.
What will you be having for dinner tonight? All I’ll be having for dinner is a pork chop.
All you need is love.

Above sentences in non-cleft form

I haven’t done much today, except being annoying to my sister.
I want my two front teeth for Christmas.
What will you be having for dinner tonight? I’ll only be having a pork chop for dinner.
You need love.

The sentences used in cleft form put more emphasis on the various clauses, and depending on the context are necessary.

Remember, Cleft Sentences can emphasise different parts of a sentence

Firstly, a normal sentence, that is, a non-cleft, for instance:

“I Like reading books”.

On the other hand, let’s use cleft sentences to emphasise different elements of the sentence:

It is I who likes reading books.
What I like reading are books.
Books are what I like reading.
All I like reading are books.

Locate the emphasis in the above phrases

Now, let’s take a closer look at the above cleft sentences to see where the emphasis is:

“It is me who likes reading books”: The subject pronoun “it” is being used to emphasise the object of the sentence “me”. Therefore, emphasis is put on “me”, the person who likes reading books.
“What I like reading are books”. The pronoun “what” is being used to emphasise “what the person likes to read” — that is, “books”. So, the emphasis is put on “books” and not “I”.
“Books are what I like reading”. The sentence in the first clause begins with “books” and in the second clause with “what I like reading”. So, in this sentence, emphasis is put more directly on “books”.
“All I like reading are books”. To emphasise that “all” the person likes to do is read books, the sentence begins with “all” to emphasise that element.

Let’s take another example:

Similarly, we’ll look at another simple sentence in English and try to emphasise different elements of the sentence, using different words to emphasise various elements, for instance:

Edward loves playing basketball. = normal, non-cleft sentence.

Cleft sentences	Emphasis location
(It)
It is basketball that Edward loves playing.	“Basketball”.
It is Edward that loves playing basketball.	“Edward”.
It is playing basketball what Edward loves.	“Playing basketball”.
(what)
What Edward loves is playing basketball.	“The thing that Edward loves”.
Playing basketball is what Edward loves.	“Playing basketball”.
(all)
All Edward loves is playing basketball.	“All Edward loves”.
Playing basketball is all Edward loves.	“Playing basketball”.

Test your knowledge of clefts with context

What would you say is your favourite thing to do, Tyson?¹
Well, what I love is reading and streaming series.²
So, would you say you’re the indoors type?
Absolutely! It is being in the comfort of my own home that I enjoy.³
Fair enough.
What about you? What did you get up to last weekend?⁴
All I got up to was overseeing the renovations of my apartment.⁵ There’s not much else for me to do because there’s a tonne⁶ of work to do, you know.
How are you finding it?
Well, what bothers me at the moment is that the works⁷ are prolonging a little too long, and I’m eager to have my home back.
All I can say is I hope you get back and settled in soon!⁸
I hope so too, thanks.

Analysis of context

“What would you say is your favourite thing to do, Tyson?” “What” is being used as an interrogative and not as part of a cleft sentence.
“What I really love is reading and streaming series”. A cleft sentence with “what” is used to illustrate “what I really love”.
“It is being in the comfort of my own home that I enjoy”. Emphasis is on “being in the comfort of my own home”. If this sentence were not being emphasised it would be “I really enjoy being in the comfort of my own home”.
“What did you get up to last weekend?” Don’t confuse questions with cleft sentences.
“All I got up to was overseeing the renovations of my apartment”. A cleft sentence with “all” is being used to emphasise “all I got up to was…”. Therefore, without emphasis, this sentence would read: “I got up to overseeing the renovations of my apartment”.
“Tonne” = UK. “Ton” = US.
“What bothers me at the moment is that the works…” A cleft sentence with “what” is used to put emphasis on the fact that the person is “bothered”.
“All I can say is I hope you get back and settled in soon!” Without emphasis, this sentence would read: “I hope you get back and settled in soon”. Consequently, emphasis is being put on “all I can say”. Therefore, the speaker wants to emphasise the fact that he/she has nothing else to say, except for this one (important) thing.

I.

Officially, “I” is the shortest complete sentence. You can use it as a subjective response when someone asks a question like, “who did it?” Replying with “I” is a short form of saying “it was I.”

Who is there?
I.

Who did it?
I.

No.

If you want to reject the previous statement or question, “No” is a great two-word sentence. It’s simple and efficient.

Do you want to go with me?
No.

Will you be there?
No.

Go!

“Go” is the first verb form you can use to create a simple sentence. The subject is implied when “go” is used like this (i.e. it implies “you go”). However, “go” is one of the only two-letter verbs that this works for.

What should I do now?
Go! Don’t wait around.

Are you ready to race?
Go!

Oh.

“Oh” is an exclamation. Most people use it when they don’t know what else to say. It’s a simple two-letter phrase that shows you are surprised.

I’m not going to be there with you.
Oh.

I’m sorry.
Oh.

Hm.

“Hm” is a thoughtful sentence. You should use these two letters when you are thinking about an answer that might be suitable to the question.

You’re going to think about this, right?
Hm.

I don’t know what to do. Do you have any ideas?
Hm.

Hi.

“Hi” is a very common two-letter sentence. It is a greeting, and native speakers use it to informally say “hello” to their peers.

Hi!
Hi! How are you?

Hello, there!
Hi.

Me.

“Me” is similar to using “I.” Technically, it’s not correct to use because it is the object form, but the idea is to replace “I” with “me” when answering a question. For example, “who did it?” can be answered with “me” (implying “it was me”).

Who’s there?
Me.

Who else can be on this team?
Me.

You.

“You” moves up to three letters. We’ve run out of two-letter sentences, but there are so many three-letter ones. “You” is another subjective pronoun that can work to answer specific questions like “who did it?”

Who is going to get this done?
You.

Who will be there for you?
You.

Yes.

“Yes” is the opposite of “no.” It’s an affirmative response that agrees with a statement or shows that you are willing to do something.

Will you be there?
Yes.

Can you come with me?
Yes.

Why?

“Why?” is a good example of a complete sentence that becomes a question. You should use this when you want to know what made someone do something.

I did that.
Why?

I thought you’d like it.
Why?

Him.

“Him” allows you to use an objective pronoun to highlight who might have done something. “Him” refers to a man, allowing you to point him out if he relates to the question.

Do you know who did it?
Him.

Which one of these people was there?
Him.

Her.

“Her” is another objective pronoun that works. Like “me,” it’s probably better to use “she” as the subject, but informal English allows you to use object pronouns as long as they’re in one-word sentences.

Which one of them was it?
Her.

Who did it?
Her.

Hey.

“Hey” is another example of an informal greeting that replaces “hello.” It allows you to greet your friends and peers. It’s three letters long, which is still a remarkably short sentence.

Hi!
Hey.

Hello, friend.
Hey.

I Am.

“I am” is the first example of two words making up a short sentence. While two words are used, only three letters are present. Here, you can include the subject (only “I” will work to keep it three letters) and the verb (as long as it’s two letters long).

Are you going to be there later today?
I am.

Are you the one in charge of these findings?
I am.

I Do.

“I do” is another great example of two words making up a short completed sentence. You can use “do” to show that you are going to do something. Again, “I” has to be used as it’s only one letter. The verb can only be two letters to keep the sentence short.

Do you take this man to be your husband?
I do.

Do you have what it takes?
I do.

Sit.

“Sit” is a three-letter verb form that works as a sentence. Just like “go,” the subject is implied through the context. It can mean something like “you sit” or “he should sit,” depending on the context.

What should I do now?
Sit.

Do you want me to hang around?
Sit.

Run.

“Run” is another good verb choice made of only three letters. There are plenty of others out there, but we won’t overwhelm you. All verbs work in the same way here, where the subject is always implied. They work as imperative forms (orders or commands).

What do you want me to do now?
Run!

What is that noise?
Run!

One.

Numbers are also suitable as short sentences when they are spelled out. One of the shortest numbers is “one,” which is only made up of three letters.

How many of you are going?
One.

How many years have you done this?
One.

Two.

“Two” is twice as much as one, but it is made up of the same number of letters. You can use it to answer questions that ask for a quantity.

How many of them are left?
Two.

How many people can this accommodate?
Two.

Ten.

“Ten” is the largest number you can include in a three-letter sentence. It’s possible to use this in the same way as the other numbers, where “ten” is the quantity.

How many can come today?
Ten.

How many are in stock?
Ten.

Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here.

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На основании Вашего запроса эти примеры могут содержать грубую лексику.

На основании Вашего запроса эти примеры могут содержать разговорную лексику.

предложение словом

предложение со слов

фразу словом

предложение со слова «

I’m sure you know somebody who can’t say anything about any idea, plan, or activity without crutching the sentence with the word but.

Уверен, вы знаете людей, которые не могут говорить об идее, плане или деятельности, не испортив предложение словом «но».

He started a sentence with the word «atomic» or «nuclear» and then randomly chose words from the auto-complete suggestions.

«Я начинал предложение со слов «ядерный» или «атомный» и потом выбирал одно из автоматически предложенных вариантов.

Do not start a sentence with the word «but».

He just started every sentence with the word atomic or nuclear and gave the phone to fill in the rest.

Он просто начинал каждое предложение со слова «атомный» или «ядерный» и давал телефону заполнить остальное.

I made up a sentence with the word that I had just learned.

Starting a sentence with the word «you» almost guarantees a non-productive conversation.

Начинать фразу со слова «ты» — верный путь к непродуктивному разговору.

You don’t need to finish every sentence with the word «sir.»

You should avoid beginning a sentence with the word «also.»

It is grammatically incorrect to end a sentence with the word «and,» but I get so upset when I think about Ike.

Грамматически неправильно заканчивать фразу словом «и», но я так расстраиваюсь при мысли об Айке.

Insert a period after C, delete whereas and begin new sentence with the word Domestic.

Mr. de GOUTTES wondered whether it was necessary to introduce the second sentence with the word «Nevertheless».

Mr. Lallah suggested replacing the words «as to» in the third sentence with the word «affirming» rather than «stressing» or «suggesting».

Г-н Лаллах предлагает заменить в третьем предложении выражение «что касается» словом «подтверждая» вместо слов «подчеркивая» или «предполагая».

The United Nations Appeals Tribunal, by its decision of 10 October 2011, decided to adopt an amendment to article 5, paragraph 1, by replacing the word «two» in the second sentence with the word «three».

В своем решении от 10 октября 2011 года Апелляционный трибунал Организации Объединенных Наций постановил принять поправку к пункту 1 статьи 5, заменив во втором предложении слово «две» словом «три».

There are two reasons why a writer would end a sentence with the word «stop» written entirely in

СУЩЕСТВУЕТ две причины, почему писателю может захотеться закончить фразу словом «точка», написанным целиком заглавными буквами (ТОЧКА).

And it’s incredibly more for the control group that did the sentences without money and way less not only for the people who unscrambled the sentence with the word salary but also way less if they saw Monopoly money in the corner.

Большинство из контрольной группы, получившие предложения без упоминания денег, гораздо реже из людей, получивших предложение с упоминанием зарплаты, и даже люди, с деньгами из монополии, реже обращались за помощью.

Ok, Ferrari CEO Louis Camilleri implicitly stated that he does not intend to listen to «that word» in the very same sentence with the word Ferrari.

Во время презентации в прошлом году, генеральный директор Ferrari Луи Кэри Камиллери заявил, что не хочет слышать это слово «в той же фразе, в которой есть Ferrari».

Ничего не найдено для этого значения.

Результатов: 17. Точных совпадений: 17. Затраченное время: 74 мс

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Индекс слова: 1-300, 301-600, 601-900

Индекс выражения: 1-400, 401-800, 801-1200

Индекс фразы: 1-400, 401-800, 801-1200

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44 месяца назад

it is, but it is not mine 2)We can’t say … they decided to stay in London. 3)I’m not sure … is going to help us with the dinner 4)Tell me … city you like best, Moscow or St Petersburg. 5)Say … Is situated in the centre of Trafalgar Square. 6)Ask … they are going to come to Moscow. 7)Jane doesn’t know … her friend is not here either. 8)I’m not sure … they are going to travel , by car or by train.

Ответы1

Use the words from the box to complete the sentences:;;where;what;;;;.

1)I don’t know whose book it is, but it is not mine

2)We can’t say why they decided to stay in London.

3)I’m not sure who is going to help us with the dinner

4)Tell me which city you like best, Moscow or St Petersburg.

5)Say where Is situated in the centre of Trafalgar Square.

6)Ask when they are going to come to Moscow.

7)Jane doesn’t know what her friend is not here either.

8)I’m not sure how they are going to travel , by car or by train.

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What are cleft sentences?

Examples with ‘what’

Examples with ‘it’

Cleft sentences with ‘all’

Above sentences in non-cleft form

Remember, Cleft Sentences can emphasise different parts of a sentence

Locate the emphasis in the above phrases

Let’s take another example:

Test your knowledge of clefts with context

Analysis of context

See also:

Advanced grammar:

I.

No.

Go!

Oh.

Hm.

Hi.

Me.

You.

Yes.

Why?

Him.

Her.

Hey.

I Am.

I Do.

Sit.

Run.

One.

Two.

Ten.

Help us improve

Given Text

Paraphrased Text

How would you rate this
paraphrased text?

Tell us more

Ответы1

What are cleft sentences?

Examples with ‘what’

Examples with ‘it’

Cleft sentences with ‘all’

Above sentences in non-cleft form

Remember, Cleft Sentences can emphasise different parts of a sentence

Locate the emphasis in the above phrases

Let’s take another example:

Test your knowledge of clefts with context

Analysis of context

See also:

Advanced grammar:

I.

No.

Go!

Oh.

Hm.

Hi.

Me.

You.

Yes.

Why?

Him.

Her.

Hey.

I Am.

I Do.

Sit.

Run.

One.

Two.

Ten.

Help us improve

Given Text

Paraphrased Text

How would you rate this paraphrased text?

Tell us more

Ответы1

How would you rate this
paraphrased text?