A cleft sentence takes a single idea and splits it into two clauses so that one element is thrown into sharp focus. (Cleft simply means “divided.”) Compare the flat statement The redesigned fuel system makes the route possible with the version a journalist might actually write: It is the redesigned fuel system that makes the route possible. The facts are identical; the second sentence just decides what you notice first.
Continue reading Structure: ‘Cleft sentences’
Look at the photograph above and describe what you can see. Try to speak for about a minute, moving from a general overview of the scene, to the details, and finally to speculation about what is happening and why. Use the words in the box to help you. If you are not sure how to structure your answer, read our guide on how to describe a picture.
dispersal · air stair · APU · ground crew · baggage · visibility
Qantas has edged closer to operating the longest commercial flights in the world. On 2 June 2026, the first Airbus A350-1000ULR built for the airline’s “Project Sunrise” took off from Toulouse on its maiden flight, an event that marks the beginning of the end of a programme the carrier has been pursuing for the better part of a decade.
Continue reading Qantas A350 Completes First Project Sunrise Test Flight
Listen to the audio recording and write down everything you hear. You can play the audio as many times as you like. When you are finished, check your work against the transcript and the answer key below.
Continue reading Listening: Tail-Skid Contact on Departure from BangkokYou’re going to hear about something that happened to an airliner during a night flight over Indonesia. Listen carefully for what the crew noticed first, what they decided the problem was, and how they dealt with it.
Continue reading Listening: Volcanic Ash Encounter near BaliEvery decision an airline makes has a goal behind it. When we want to explain the reason an action is meant to achieve — not what happened, but what it was for — we use a purpose clause. News reports are full of them: a carrier moves into a busy hub to attract business travellers, or trims its network so that it can keep costs down.
Continue reading Structure: ‘Purpose clauses’