In the sentence ‘What made Vicki angry was the mistake in the bill’, the word ‘was’ plays a crucial grammatical role. This sentence is an example of a cleft sentence, a construction used to emphasize a specific part of the sentence. To understand why ‘was’ is necessary, it’s important to break down the structure and function of cleft sentences.
What is a cleft sentence?
A cleft sentence divides a simple sentence into two parts, usually to highlight a particular element. In the case of ‘What made Vicki angry was the mistake in the bill’, the cleft structure is used to emphasize the reason for Vicki’s anger, which is ‘the mistake in the bill’. The word ‘what’ introduces the subject of the sentence, and the phrase ‘was the mistake in the bill’ follows, providing more information about what caused her anger.
Why is ‘was’ necessary?
In cleft sentences, the verb ‘be’ (in this case, ‘was’) links the subject (‘what made Vicki angry’) with the complement (‘the mistake in the bill’). The use of ‘was’ is essential because it functions as the linking verb, establishing the connection between the two parts of the sentence. Without ‘was’, the sentence would lack the necessary structure to convey the intended meaning.
Understanding the structure
The sentence structure ‘What made Vicki angry was [subject]’ follows a pattern: ‘What + subject + verb + [emphasized information]’. The verb ‘was’ is used to link the subject (‘what made Vicki angry’) to the complement (‘the mistake in the bill’). This structure is often used to shift the focus of the sentence to a specific part, often for emphasis or clarification.
Summary
The ‘was’ in the sentence ‘What made Vicki angry was the mistake in the bill’ is necessary because it serves as the linking verb in a cleft sentence. It connects the subject with the complement and helps emphasize the specific cause of Vicki’s anger. Cleft sentences are a useful tool in English for emphasizing particular elements of a sentence.
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