We can emphasize words or parts of sentences in a variety of ways. One of the ways we can do this is through the use of Cleft Sentences.
What differences of emphasis are there in each of the following pairs of examples? Reading them out loud might make it more clear.
- Bradbury has captured the imagination of nearly all sci-fi fans.
- It is Bradbury who has captured the imagination of nearly all sci-fi fans.
- He devoted so much time to writing because his personal life was unhappy.
- It was because his personal life was unhappy that he devoted so much time to writing.
As you can see, the second sentences of each pair give more emphasis to particular pieces of information: Bradbury in the first example and because he was so unhappy in the second. These are cleft sentences, and they help us strongly emphasize particular pieces of information in a sentence while writing.
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