Clefting Research

Clefting
1.1 Introduction
Syntax is an important element in the human language. Language is described
as a systematic correlation between certain types of gestures and meanings. The
gestures are oral and they are manual for the signed language. The word 'syntax' is
derived from the Greek word 'Sýntaxis' which is a verbal term that literally means
'arrangement'. In the past, it’s been used to describe the branch of grammar
addressing the functions of words, whether or not the proper inflections are used to
demonstrate how the sentences meanings relate to one another.
The past generative work on the clefts in English language can be split into two
strands which they can be distinct according to how they are going to treat the
initial pronoun and the cleft clause.
Otto Jespersen, a Danish linguist, who specialized in the Grammar of the
English language stated in his book "A modern English Grammar–On Historical
Principles" that clefts are parallel in their meaning and function to the class of
copular sentences in which Higgins (1973) called it a specificational. For Example,
1. The one that Jane saw was tom.
2. What John baked was a cake.
3. The place where Mary played golf was on the moon.
In the specificational sentence, the pre-copular constituent which contains a

variable position (e.g. the direct object position of saw ) in (1) and the post-copular
constituent can provide a value for that variable. In this concept, We now learned
that specificational sentences are semantically a bit like question /answer duo’s.
(e.g. what did John bake?) (John baked) a cake.
Another property of specificational sentences is that they provide an elevation
to the interpretive effects that sometimes called 'presuppositions' in contrast to
their non-copular equivalents. For example, we see that example (1) presupposes
that Jane saw someone and that is out of a group of people with the appropriate
context.
The second significant type of approach to the clefts in syntax is closely
compared to Jespersen 1937 analysis. This kind of analysis sets no syntactic
commonalities between clefts and specificational sentences over and above the
copula’s existence. Specifically, it disputes that 'it cleft' is semantically linked with
the cleft clause. Rather than asserting that 'it' is a profanity only added to fulfill
the need of the structural subject in the SpecIP (Specifier).
1.2 Clefting : Definition

Clefts are structures that some elements within a sentence is converted from
their normal place into a split clause to give it a stronger emphasis. A cleft
sentence is a clause that is split to make the main focus on a single part of it.
English has a several set’s of a cleft constructions, but the two main factors in
clefts are (it-clefts and wh-clefts). the (wh) in wh-clefts is (what) which is more
used in the cleft construction. Other possible words are (why, where, how…etc).
For example, the sentence "A familiar face on the book’s cover attracted my
attention." can be made into 'it-cleft' :
4. It was a familiar face on the book’s cover that attracted my attention.
The emphasis, here, is placed on a familiar face. The same sentence can be
changed into 'wh-cleft' :
5. What attracted my attention was a familiar face on the book’s cover.
Here the emphasis is focused on the attraction. With these two cleft forms we can
change any simple sentence and move the important element (the emphasis) to the
first clause.
1.3 Types of Clefting
1.3.1 Pseudo-Cleft Sentences
The Pseudo-cleft sentence is another method which is similar to the cleft
sentence, the design can explicitly distinguish between the provided and a new
communication components. Basically, it's an SVC phrase with the use of a
nominal relative clause as a subject or a complement. Thus, it is totally
accountable, which sets it apart from the typical cleft sentence according to the
main clause and the supporting clause types. For Example,
6. It must have been the manager that spoke to you.
So here instead of the pseudo-cleft we have a noun phrase:
7. The person who spoke to you must have been the manager.
1.3.2 NP Clefts
NP Clefts are comparatively unaffected when it comes to the focus of the
internal structure and the semantic purpose. It could be a proper noun, a pronoun, a
relativized noun phrase, a nominalized sentence, or a determiner less noun phrase.
It can also serve as clausal verbs subject, direct object, or even the object of
preposition. Both predictive and non-predictive focal NPs both are possible. For
example,
8. It was him that I saw leave scene of the crime.
9. It was a koala bear that we photographed at the zoo.
10. It is getting up early that upsets him.
1.3.3 PP Clefts
PP clefts may include every role and function that can be assigned to that
category. They could be adjectival or sub-categorical. They may be beneficial
indirect objects or dative items. They can be locational, associational, agentive, or
instrumental adverbs. That each of these roles and functions can be categorized
under a separate heading. PP is evidence that any analysis that aims to take this
category out of the syntactic component will lose a lot of generality. For example,
11. It was with Fred that we went to the movies.
12. It was in the hallway that we waited.
13. It is for the dessert to appear that I am most eager.
1.3.4 Particle Clefts
Some sorts of particles can be cleft. Typically, those particles that can be clefted
are semantically distinct from the verb they co-occur. The particles that enter into
antonymy are often the cleft-able particles that have connections to other words
or particles. We cannot say the same for the particles, which join their verbs to
form a single semantic units. If we make assumptions, we can explain why the
latter particles are not cleft-able. For example,
14. It was up that we pushed the lever, not down.
15.It wasn’t on that he tried to turn the lights, it was off.
16.It isn’t under that stock turns, it’s over.
Sources :
An Introduction to Syntax by ROBERT D. VAN VALIN, JR. Department of

Linguistics, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
Matthew Reeve, Clefts and their Relatives. University College London Volume
185
Quirk, Greenbaum, Leech, and Svartvik 1985 A comprehensive grammar of the
English language. London: Longman.
Linguistic Analysis, Volume 13, Number 2, 1984 The Analysis of English Cleft
Sentences GERALD P. DELAHUNTY California State University, San Diego
David Crystal, Making Sense of Grammar. Longman, 2004
Douglas Biber et al., Longman Student Grammar. Pearson, 2002
Sidney Greenbaum, Oxford English Grammar. Oxford University Press, 1996

Clefting Research

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Clefting Research

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Clefting Research

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Clefting

In the specificational sentence, the pre-copular constituent which contains a

1.2 Clefting : Definition

An Introduction to Syntax by ROBERT D. VAN VALIN, JR. Department of

David Crystal, Making Sense of Grammar. Longman, 2004

Douglas Biber et al., Longman Student Grammar. Pearson, 2002

Sidney Greenbaum, Oxford English Grammar. Oxford University Press, 1996

You might also like