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Angliholic Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

That's when I knew our relationship was over.

She wouldn't answer any of my calls. That's when I knew our relationship was over.

Hi,

What kind of sentence construction is "That's when ..." in the above? Could it be "cleft sentence" by any chance?
And what part of speech does "when" fall into? Thanks.
  

Top answer

A Cleft sentence puts another sentence into focus, so, yes, it sounds like a cleft sentence. That / is when . .

— Susankay

  • A Cleft sentence puts another sentence into focus, so, yes, it sounds like a cleft sentence.
  • That / is when .
  • .
  • i /knew/ (that) relationship /was over (adverbial linking clause used as direct object) ????
  • - not sure, but maybe there will be someone else who knows.
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4 Answers
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A Cleft sentence puts another sentence into focus, so, yes, it sounds like a cleft sentence.

That / is

when . . .

i /knew/

(that)

relationship /was over

(adverbial linking clause used as direct object)

???? - not sur
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AngliholicCould it be "cleft sentence" by any chance?
No. The cleft sentence form of this statement is
It was then that I knew our relationship was over.
The structure is Subject | Linking Verb | Subject Complement (in the form of a noun phrase)
That | is | when I knew (that) our relationship was over.
Compare: That is why I kn
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Thanks, Susan and Jim.

By the way, what part of speech does "when" fall into?
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In this context I'd call it a fused relative. the time when (or the occasion when) all fused into when. It has an adverbial function within its own subordinate clause.

CJ
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