बल की रचनाएँ

B2 — वाक्य रचना

ही, तो, बात यह है कि — किसी अंश को उभारना

I can foreground exactly the element I mean

Examples

— That's exactly what I was saying.
— The thing is, there's no time.
— We'll have to leave today of all days.

वाक्य रचनाB2

Focus Constructions

Singling out one element of a sentence

Learning Goal

I can foreground exactly the element I mean

Exam Skills:बोलनालिखना

Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?

That's exactly what I was saying.

The thing is, there's no time.

We'll have to leave today of all days.

Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?

Three tools

ही narrows: मैंने ही किया - I was the one who did it.

तो contrasts: मैंने तो किया - I did it (whatever others did).

बात यह है कि frames a whole clause: बात यह है कि पैसे नहीं हैं - the thing is, there's no money.

Position does the rest

Moving an element to the front topicalises it; leaving it immediately before the verb focuses it. Combined with ही this is precise: आज ही जाना है - it has to be today.

Cleft-like framing

Hindi has no cleft of the English 'it is X that' type. बात यह है कि and असल में are the nearest equivalents, and they frame rather than split.

Apply this grammar in B2 course exercises

Practice Exercises

Trying to build an English-style cleft.

Common Error Patterns

English-style cleft attempted

Hindi focuses with particles, as Russian does.

Focus particle placed away from its element

hi and to attach directly to the word being singled out.

That's exactly what I was saying.

yahi plus to, two focus markers stacked.

The thing is, there's no time.

A framing clause, the nearest thing to a cleft.

We'll have to leave today of all days.

hi narrowing a time expression.

Practice in course

Apply this grammar in B2 course exercises

B2 Course

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Frequently asked questions

When is बल की रचनाएँ used?: तो contrasts: मैंने तो किया - I did it (whatever others did).
How is बल की रचनाएँ formed?: बात यह है कि frames a whole clause: बात यह है कि पैसे नहीं हैं - the thing is, there's no money. Moving an element to the front topicalises it; leaving it immediately before the verb focuses it. Combined with ही this is precise: आज ही जाना है - it has to be today. Hindi has no cleft of the English 'it is X that' type. बात यह है कि and असल में are the nearest equivalents, and they frame rather than split.
What are common mistakes with बल की रचनाएँ?: Trying to build an English-style cleft. 🇷🇺 Russian speakers: the particle-based strategy is already Russian, so the mistake usually comes from English training rather than from the native language.

Sources

Hindi (London Oriental and African Language Library 12) — John Benjamins Publishing Company, 2006
Yamuna Kachru's reference grammar; the descriptive account relied on for aspect, valency and clause structure.
हिन्दी व्याकरण — काशी नागरी प्रचारिणी सभा, 1920
Kamta Prasad Guru's grammar, the standard prescriptive reference for Hindi morphology and syntax.

Three tools

ही narrows: मैंने ही किया - I was the one who did it.

तो contrasts: मैंने तो किया - I did it (whatever others did).

बात यह है कि frames a whole clause: बात यह है कि पैसे नहीं हैं - the thing is, there's no money.

Position does the rest

Moving an element to the front topicalises it; leaving it immediately before the verb focuses it. Combined with ही this is precise: आज ही जाना है - it has to be today.

Cleft-like framing

Hindi has no cleft of the English 'it is X that' type. बात यह है कि and असल में are the nearest equivalents, and they frame rather than split.

Frequently asked questions

When is बल की रचनाएँ used?

तो contrasts: मैंने तो किया - I did it (whatever others did).

How is बल की रचनाएँ formed?

बात यह है कि frames a whole clause: बात यह है कि पैसे नहीं हैं - the thing is, there's no money. Moving an element to the front topicalises it; leaving it immediately before the verb focuses it. Combined with ही this is precise: आज ही जाना है - it has to be today. Hindi has no cleft of the English 'it is X that' type. बात यह है कि and असल में are the nearest equivalents, and they frame rather than split.

What are common mistakes with बल की रचनाएँ?

Trying to build an English-style cleft. 🇷🇺 Russian speakers: the particle-based strategy is already Russian, so the mistake usually comes from English training rather than from the native language.

Sources

Hindi (London Oriental and African Language Library 12) — John Benjamins Publishing Company, 2006

Yamuna Kachru's reference grammar; the descriptive account relied on for aspect, valency and clause structure.

हिन्दी व्याकरण — काशी नागरी प्रचारिणी सभा, 1920

Kamta Prasad Guru's grammar, the standard prescriptive reference for Hindi morphology and syntax.