The linguistic construction that focuses on a particular part of the sentence by introducing it with a relative clause is called what?

The linguistic construction that focuses on a particular part of the sentence by introducing it with a relative clause is called what?

• A. Cleft sentences
• B. Script
• C. Discourse marker
• D. Non-standard form

Answer: (A)

Cleft sentences are used to spotlight a specific part of a sentence by structuring it so that the element to be emphasized is linked to a relative clause. For example: It is the report that Mary submitted yesterday. The focus is on “the report,” and the relative clause “that Mary submitted yesterday” identifies precisely which report, making that part the emphasized element. This mechanism is distinct from a script (a plan of events), a discourse marker (a word used to manage conversation), or a non-standard form (unconventional grammar), none of which inherently create the focused, relative-clause construction.