Cleft Sentences
Spanish: AQA A Level, topic 19.4.1
Oraciones hendidas - Cleft Sentences
This is when the word order in a sentence changes.
Cleft Sentences
- This type of sentences emphasizes a part of the sentence by changing its natural order.
- In Spanish, we usually use the verb 'to be' (ser) and place it at the beginning of the sentence.
- Fui yo quien te lo dijo.
- It was me that told him.
Other changes
- We can also change the order in Spanish by:
- placing the adverbial of place at the beginning of the sentence.
- using a conditional sentence with si.
- using the w- words at the beginning of the sentence.
- In Spanish, the word order in sentences is more flexible than in English.
Examples
- Es con él con quien tienes que hablar sobre este tema.
- It’s him you should be talking to on this issue.
- **Si alguien sabe de estas noticias, es la directora del colegio. **
- If anyone knows about this news, it is the Headmistress of the school.