TOEIC Part 5: Cleft Sentences — Rule, Examples, and 20 Practice Questions

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Understanding Cleft Sentences in TOEIC Part 5

Cleft sentences are complex structures that emphasize specific information. In TOEIC Part 5, they typically appear in multiple-choice grammar questions. Mastering cleft sentences can significantly improve your score, as they account for 10-15% of Part 5 questions.

Rule of Cleft Sentences

Cleft sentences follow these patterns:

1. It-cleft: It is/was [subject] that/who [verb]...

Example: It was the student who completed the assignment.

1. Wh-cleft: [Subject] is/are [complement] that/which [verb]...

Example: The student is the one who completed the assignment.

1. Pseudo-cleft: What/Who [verb] is/are [subject]...

Example: What the student did was complete the assignment.

Model Answers at Different Score Levels

Score Level 6.0 (Basic Competence)

Question: It was the manager ______ the meeting. Options: (A) who called (B) called (C) that called (D) calling

Answer: (A) who called

Scoring Breakdown:

• Grammar/Usage: Correct use of relative pronoun 'who' (1/1)
• Vocabulary: Basic vocabulary (1/1)
• Topic Development: Simple sentence structure (1/1)
• Coherence/Cohesion: Clear but basic (1/1)

Total: 4/4

Score Level 7.0 (Intermediate)

Question: The employee is the one ______ the report. Options: (A) wrote (B) who wrote (C) writing (D) that wrote

Answer: (B) who wrote

Scoring Breakdown:

• Grammar/Usage: Correct use of relative pronoun 'who' (1/1)
• Vocabulary: Appropriate vocabulary (1/1)
• Topic Development: Clear sentence structure (1/1)
• Coherence/Cohesion: Logical flow (1/1)

Total: 4/4

Score Level 8.0 (Good User)

Question: What the team did was ______ the project. Options: (A) complete (B) completing (C) completed (D) completes

Answer: (A) complete

Scoring Breakdown:

• Grammar/Usage: Correct use of past participle (1/1)
• Vocabulary: Precise vocabulary (1/1)
• Topic Development: Complex sentence structure (1/1)
• Coherence/Cohesion: Effective flow (1/1)

Total: 4/4

Score Level 9.0 (Advanced User)

Question: It is the CEO ______ the decision. Options: (A) who made (B) made (C) making (D) that made

Answer: (A) who made

Scoring Breakdown:

• Grammar/Usage: Correct use of relative pronoun 'who' (1/1)
• Vocabulary: Advanced vocabulary (1/1)
• Topic Development: Complex sentence structure (1/1)
• Coherence/Cohesion: Effective flow (1/1)

Total: 4/4

20 Practice Questions on Cleft Sentences

1. It was the intern ______ the data.

(A) who analyzed (B) analyzed (C) analyzing (D) that analyzed

1. The manager is the one ______ the meeting.

(A) called (B) who called (C) calling (D) that called

1. What the team did was ______ the project.

(A) complete (B) completing (C) completed (D) completes

1. It is the CEO ______ the decision.

(A) who made (B) made (C) making (D) that made

1. The employee is the one ______ the report.

(A) wrote (B) who wrote (C) writing (D) that wrote

1. It was the assistant ______ the presentation.

(A) who prepared (B) prepared (C) preparing (D) that prepared

1. The director is the one ______ the strategy.

(A) developed (B) who developed (C) developing (D) that developed

1. What the department did was ______ the budget.

(A) approve (B) approving (C) approved (D) approves

1. It is the supervisor ______ the training.

(A) who organized (B) organized (C) organizing (D) that organized

1. The staff is the one ______ the event.

(A) planned (B) who planned (C) planning (D) that planned

1. It was the analyst ______ the data.

(A) who interpreted (B) interpreted (C) interpreting (D) that interpreted

1. The executive is the one ______ the decision.

(A) made (B) who made (C) making (D) that made

1. What the team did was ______ the project.

(A) complete (B) completing (C) completed (D) completes

1. It is the manager ______ the meeting.

(A) who called (B) called (C) calling (D) that called

1. The employee is the one ______ the report.

(A) wrote (B) who wrote (C) writing (D) that wrote

1. It was the intern ______ the data.

(A) who analyzed (B) analyzed (C) analyzing (D) that analyzed

1. The director is the one ______ the strategy.

(A) developed (B) who developed (C) developing (D) that developed

1. What the department did was ______ the budget.

(A) approve (B) approving (C) approved (D) approves

1. It is the supervisor ______ the training.

(A) who organized (B) organized (C) organizing (D) that organized

1. The staff is the one ______ the event.

(A) planned (B) who planned (C) planning (D) that planned

Vocabulary Highlights

1. Analyzed: Examined in detail.

Example: The data was analyzed carefully.

1. Approved: Gave official permission.

Example: The budget was approved by the manager.

1. Called: Invited or summoned.

Example: The meeting was called by the CEO.

1. Completed: Finished or accomplished.

Example: The project was completed on time.

1. Developed: Created or evolved.

Example: The strategy was developed by the team.

1. Interpreted: Explained or translated.

Example: The data was interpreted accurately.

1. Organized: Arranged or coordinated.

Example: The training was organized efficiently.

1. Planned: Designed or arranged in advance.

Example: The event was planned meticulously.

1. Prepared: Made ready or arranged.

Example: The presentation was prepared thoroughly.

1. Wrote: Composed or authored.

Example: The report was written by the employee.

Common Mistakes Students Make

1. Incorrect Relative Pronoun: Using 'that' instead of 'who' for people.

Example: Incorrect: It was the manager that called the meeting. Correct: It was the manager who called the meeting.

1. Verb Tense Errors: Using the wrong tense in the relative clause.

Example: Incorrect: It was the employee who writes the report. Correct: It was the employee who wrote the report.

1. Subject-Verb Agreement: Incorrect agreement between subject and verb.

Example: Incorrect: It is the team who are completing the project. Correct: It is the team that is completing the project.

1. Word Order: Incorrect word order in the cleft sentence.

Example: Incorrect: The manager is the one the meeting called. Correct: The manager is the one who called the meeting.

1. Preposition Errors: Using the wrong preposition in the cleft sentence.

Example: Incorrect: It was the data that the analyst analyzed. Correct: It was the data that was analyzed by the analyst.

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