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Cho7712 Posted 14 years ago
Grammar
cleft structure
As always feeling so, not all the descriptions are listed in any grammar text as far as the books I have are concerned.
Here,It is of the below sentences that I don't know the grammaticality.
a. It was to him which she gave the book.
b. It was when he did it which she didn't know.
c. It was to our room which a boy took us.
What is your answer?
Here,It is of the below sentences that I don't know the grammaticality.
a. It was to him which she gave the book.
b. It was when he did it which she didn't know.
c. It was to our room which a boy took us.
What is your answer?
Top answer
All are unacceptable structures. These are better but still awkward. Cleft sentences are studied much more often than they are used.
- All are unacceptable structures.
- These are better but still awkward.
- Cleft sentences are studied much more often than they are used.
- I don't know why they are so popular with learners.
- a.
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4 Answers
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All are unacceptable structures. These are better but still awkward. Cleft sentences are studied much more often than they are used. I don't know why they are so popular with learners.
a. It was to him that she gave the book
b. It was when he did it that she didn't know.
c. It was to our room that the boy took us
a. It was to him that she gave the book
b. It was when he did it that she didn't know.
c. It was to our room that the boy took us
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Thank you for the answer.
And it seems that the native speakers usually don't use this kind of structure in both real situations and the formal writing. That is what you mean by the expression 'awkward', I think. Is it right?
Or else the grammaticality iteslf of these three sentences is somewhat wrong. Is it so?
And it seems that the native speakers usually don't use this kind of structure in both real situations and the formal writing. That is what you mean by the expression 'awkward', I think. Is it right?
Or else the grammaticality iteslf of these three sentences is somewhat wrong. Is it so?
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It is just an awkward way of saying what we normally say simply and straightforwardly:
a. She gave the book to HIM.
b. She didn't know WHEN HE DID IT.
c. The boy took us to OUR room.
a. She gave the book to HIM.
b. She didn't know WHEN HE DID IT.
c. The boy took us to OUR room.
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