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SENTENCE
TRANSFORMATIONS!
By Camille, Sou, and Pranjali
What is a sentence
transformation?

It’s when you change aspects of your sentence in order to change
the focus.

Usually, the focus of a sentence is in the subject and the predicate.
Ex: Jackie drives to school in her Lamborghini.
Passive Versus Active Voice

In active voice, the focus of the sentence is
on the subject, the person or thing
performing the action. The passive voice
is used when focusing on the person or
thing affected by an action.

When we use a passive sentence, we
emphasize by showing what happens to
something rather than who or what does
something.
Active Voice: Emile ate the piece of cheese.
Passive Voice: The piece of cheese was
eaten by Emile

Active: Monica and Aimee threw Martin into the
dumpster.

How would you transform this sentence into a passive

voice?

Passive: The award for best dressed ITEPer was
given to Abby.

How would you make this active?
Cleft Sentences: The it-cleft

Sentences introduced by “It is” or “It
was” are often used to emphasize a
specific subject, object or adverbial.

It was Gollum who destroyed the evil
Ring in the last part of The Lord of the
Rings Trilogy.

It was the evil Ring that was
destroyed by Gollum in the last part of
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy.

It was the last part of The Lord of the
Rings Trilogy in which the evil Ring
was destroyed by Gollum.

Obi-Wan chopped off Anakins legs and left him for dead on the
igneous planet of Mustafar.

Using an it-cleft, how can we say this if we want to emphasize
that Obi-Wan did it?


How can we say it if we want to emphasize that it happened to
Anakin?

How can we say it if we want to emphasize that it happened on
“the igneous planet of Mustafar?”

As you can see, its not good to overuse it-clefts, because
sometimes the sentence is a little confusing. BUT, it does show us
how we can manipulate the different parts to change the focus.
More Cleft Sentences: The what-cleft

Sentences introduced by a clause beginning with
“What” are also used to emphasize a specific
subject or object.

What really sucks is that our final draft is due next
week!

What caused the 20 car pile-up on the freeway was
a group of evil squirrels.
Tuco didn’t know that Blondie didn’t give him the real
name of the grave where the treasure was buried.
How can you transform this sentence using a what-
cleft?
What Tuco didn’t know is that Blondie didn’t give him
the real name of the grave where the treasure was
buried.
The there transformation

The there transformation allows the

writer to focus on the subject by
shifting it to the slot following the
various forms of be.

Original: A cat was in the blender.

there transformation: There was a
cat in the blender.

There were hundreds of students
in line at the bookstore.

Indiana Jones walked through a chamber that had hundreds of deadly
booby traps.

How would you say this sentence using a there transformation?

There were hundreds of booby traps in the chamber Indiana Jones
walked through.
Other forms of transformations
Switching positions of Subject, Predicate, and
Object

ex. I was sick so I went to the doctor.

I went to the doctor because I was sick.

Tammy humiliated the chief-of-medicine in front of everyone so all the
interns are no longer afraid of him. (focus on “the interns”)


The interns are no longer afraid of the chief-of-medicine because
Tammy humiliated her in front of everyone.

Monica and Audrey worked together to help Abby cope with her pet
rock’s death. (use it-cleft, focus on “Abby.”)

It was Abby who Monica and Audrey helped to cope with her pet rock’s
death.

Jackie one day pretended to have a twin brother, but Martin and Colette
did not believe her for one second. (focus on “Martin and Colette”)

Martin and Colette did not believe Jackie for one second when she
pretended to have a twin brother.

Alissa married Alyssa even if she will always be more emotionally
connected to her best friend Victoria. (use it-cleft, focus on “Victoria”)

It is Victoria who Alissa will always be emotionally connected to even if
she is married to Alyssa.
College level Practice Worksheet

Ashley likes to buy appletinis at the bar. (use what-cleft)

What Ashley likes to buy at the bar are appletinis.

A lightbulb was stuck in the large intestine of a certain patient; the entire
hospital was bedazzled. (use there-cleft)

There was a light-bulb stuck in the large intestine of a certain patient;

the entire hospital was bedazzled.
Adapting these concepts for
Adapting these concepts for
Children
Children
■
Start by teaching them the
Start by teaching them the
different components of a
different components of a
sentence.
sentence.
■
The tree was playing a violin.
The tree was playing a violin.
■
Subject: The tree
Subject: The tree
■
Predicate: was playing
Predicate: was playing
■
Object: a violin.
Object: a violin.
You can get more detailed
You can get more detailed
depending on the grade.
depending on the grade.
Active versus Passive
Active versus Passive

■
Give them visuals to help them understand
Give them visuals to help them understand
the idea being conveyed.
the idea being conveyed.
■
Ask them to create a sentence describing
Ask them to create a sentence describing
the action, subject, and object, and how
the action, subject, and object, and how
they are interacting. You can tell them to
they are interacting. You can tell them to
start the sentence with the subject, but
start the sentence with the subject, but
they will usually do that on their own.
they will usually do that on their own.
■
Then, Ask them to start sentences with
Then, Ask them to start sentences with
the object instead of the subject.
the object instead of the subject.
■
This shows them that the focus has
This shows them that the focus has
changed.
changed.
Cleft Sentences
Cleft Sentences
■
Sentence transformations using cleft sentences (it-

Sentence transformations using cleft sentences (it-
cleft, what-cleft) are a bit complicated for young
cleft, what-cleft) are a bit complicated for young
children.
children.
■
You should teach these after the children have
You should teach these after the children have
already learned and feel comfortable with the
already learned and feel comfortable with the
interchangeable parts of a sentence.
interchangeable parts of a sentence.
■
When you make a sentence transformation, you not
When you make a sentence transformation, you not
only switch around parts and add a cleft, but you
only switch around parts and add a cleft, but you
also have to add other words to make the sentence
also have to add other words to make the sentence
flow. Make sure that children are at a level where
flow. Make sure that children are at a level where
they can do this.
they can do this.
Beware…
Beware…
■
There’s always more than one way to
There’s always more than one way to
transform a sentence.
transform a sentence.

■
To avoid confusion tell them what part of
To avoid confusion tell them what part of
the sentence you want them to focus on,
the sentence you want them to focus on,
and what kind of transformation you want
and what kind of transformation you want
them to do.
them to do.
■
Give them enough time to master one kind
Give them enough time to master one kind
of transformation before moving on to
of transformation before moving on to
another, or they can get confused.
another, or they can get confused.
Please look at the
Please look at the
elementary worksheet.
elementary worksheet.