英语分裂句（cleft sentences）是为了强调句子当中非谓语的成分，而把一个句子分成两部分的句型。它通常用于正式场合及书面语中，但有时也出现在日常用语中。为了强调一个重要的信息，分裂句通常以 “It is...” 开头。比如：It is the prince’s way of talking to everyday people that make him likeable. 正是王子和普通人交谈的方式让他备受人们的喜爱。这句话强调这位王子受欢迎的原因是 “他与普通人交谈的方式”。做下面的八道题，测一测你是否掌握了英语分裂句的用法。

1. Choose the response to speaker A that uses a cleft sentence for emphasis.
A: Why do you dislike her?

a) I cannot tolerate her silly laugh.

b) It is her silly laugh that I cannot tolerate.

c) I don’t like her silly laugh. I cannot tolerate it.

d) Her silly laugh is intolerable.

2. Choose the response to speaker A that uses a cleft sentence for emphasis.
A: I thought you liked jazz?

a) What I don’t like about it is when the singers’ produce those repetitive sounds that aren’t words.

b) I don’t like it when the singers’ produce those repetitive sounds that aren’t words.

c) I’m not a fan of the singers’ producing those repetitive sounds that aren’t words.

d) The singers’ produce those repetitive sounds that aren’t words, and I don’t like it.

3. Choose the response to speaker A that uses a cleft sentence for emphasis.
A: What’s so great about his acting abilities?

a) He’s a great actor because of that animalistic presence he has on camera.

b) I love his animalistic presence on camera, it makes him a great actor.

c) I love his acting because of his animalistic presence on camera.

d) It’s that animalistic presence he has on camera that makes him a great actor.

4. Choose the response to speaker A that uses a cleft sentence for emphasis.
A: How can I get that job?

a) Most people get that job by having a confident and friendly manner.

b) The thing that gets most people that job is having a confident and friendly manner.

c) Having a confident and friendly manner gets most people that job.

d) The people who mostly get that job have a confident and friendly manner.

5. Choose the response to speaker A that uses a cleft sentence for emphasis.
A: You look so happy!

a) I’m always happy when the sun is shining!

b) I’m so happy when the sun is shining!

c) It’s when the sun is shining that I’m happy!

d) I love it when the sun shines. It makes me so happy!

6. Choose the response to speaker A that uses a cleft sentence for emphasis.
A: Why are you so angry?

a) It’s the way my boss speaks down to me that makes me angry.

b) I feel so angry with the way my boss speaks down to me.

c) It makes me feel so angry the way my boss speaks down to me.

d) My boss speaks down to me, and it makes me feel so angry.

7. Which of the following is a cleft sentence used for emphasis?

a) I noticed that she is very assertive.

b) I think she is very assertive.

c) What I noticed about her is that she is very assertive.

d) She is very assertive. I noticed this.

8. Which of the following is a cleft sentence used for emphasis?

a) International Women’s Day is celebrated every year on March 8th.

b) On March 8th every year, International Women’s Day is celebrated.

c) Every year on March 8th, International Women’s Day is celebrated.

d) It is on March 8th every year that International Women’s Day is celebrated.

答案

1) b, 2) a, 3) d, 4) b, 5) c, 6) a, 7) c, 8) d.