What Are Cleft Sentences?

Cleft sentences are special structures that "split" (or "cleave") a simple sentence into two parts in order to give extra focus to one particular piece of information. The word "cleft" itself comes from the verb "cleave," which means to divide. Instead of saying "John broke the window," you can say "It was John who broke the window" or "What John broke was the window." Both sentences carry the same basic meaning, but each one shines a spotlight on a different element — who did it, or what was broken.

Cleft sentences are a powerful tool for emphasis and contrast. They allow you to tell your listener exactly which part of the sentence is the most important. In spoken English, we often use stress and intonation to highlight information, but in writing, cleft sentences give us a structural way to achieve the same effect. They are particularly common in formal writing, academic texts, and exam questions.

There are two main types of cleft sentences: It-clefts (beginning with "It is/was...") and What-clefts (beginning with "What..."). Each type has its own structure, rules, and uses. Mastering both will significantly improve your ability to express ideas with precision and style.

💡 Why Use Cleft Sentences?

1. Emphasis: To highlight one specific element of a sentence
2. Contrast: To correct wrong information or clarify a misunderstanding
3. Focus: To guide the reader’s attention to the most important detail
4. Style: To add variety and sophistication to your writing
Without clefts: "Maria won the prize." With a cleft: "It was Maria who won the prize." The spotlight is now clearly on Maria.

When Do We Use Cleft Sentences?

Cleft sentences are used in specific situations where the speaker or writer wants to draw attention to a particular element. Here are the most common scenarios:

Purpose Normal Sentence Cleft Sentence
Emphasize WHO Sarah organized the entire event. It was Sarah who organized the entire event.
Emphasize WHAT I need a good night’s sleep. What I need is a good night’s sleep.
Emphasize WHEN The accident happened on Tuesday. It was on Tuesday that the accident happened.
Emphasize WHERE We met at a cafe in Vienna. It was at a cafe in Vienna that we first met.
Correct information I did not break the vase — Tom did. It was Tom who broke the vase, not me.
Emphasize WHY She left because of the noise. It was because of the noise that she left.

It-Cleft Sentences

The most common type of cleft sentence begins with It is or It was, followed by the focused element, and then a that/who/which clause. This structure allows you to emphasize almost any part of the original sentence:

📐 Formula

It + is/was + focused element + that/who/which + rest of sentence

Use who for people, that for things/times/reasons, and which as an alternative for things.

Focus On Original Sentence It-Cleft
Subject (person) Emma suggested the idea. It was Emma who suggested the idea.
Object (thing) She bought a red dress. It was a red dress that she bought.
Time They arrived on Friday. It was on Friday that they arrived.
Place I lost my keys in the park. It was in the park that I lost my keys.
Reason He resigned because of the low salary. It was because of the low salary that he resigned.
Method She solved the problem by asking for help. It was by asking for help that she solved the problem.
⚠️ Tense Agreement

The tense of It is/was should match the tense of the original sentence:
Original (present): She teaches English. → It is English that she teaches.
Original (past): She taught English. → It was English that she taught.
However, in everyday English, It is is sometimes used even for past events when the focus is on current relevance.

What-Cleft Sentences

What-cleft sentences (also called pseudo-clefts) begin with a what-clause and use the verb be to connect it to the focused element. They are especially useful for emphasizing actions, things, and ideas:

📐 Formula

What + subject + verb + is/was + focused element

The what-clause acts as the subject of the sentence. The focused element comes at the end, in the position of emphasis.

Original Sentence What-Cleft
I need a holiday. What I need is a holiday.
She enjoys reading novels. What she enjoys is reading novels.
They want better communication. What they want is better communication.
The noise bothers me most. What bothers me most is the noise.
He said something surprising. What he said was something surprising.
We should do more research. What we should do is more research.
💡 Reverse What-Clefts

You can also reverse the what-cleft structure by putting the focused element first:
A holiday is what I need.
Better communication is what they want.
This reversed form sounds slightly more conversational and puts immediate emphasis on the focused element at the beginning of the sentence.

Other Cleft Patterns

Beyond "what," several other words and phrases can introduce cleft structures. These variations give you even more flexibility in focusing different parts of a sentence:

Cleft Starter Example Emphasis On
All (that)... All I want is a cup of coffee and some peace and quiet. Minimizing / simplifying
The thing that... The thing that surprised me was her calm reaction to the crisis. A specific element
The reason (why)... The reason I left early was that I had a terrible headache. Cause or reason
The place where... The place where we met was a small bookshop in Prague. Location
The time when... The time when I felt happiest was during my year in New Zealand. Time
The person who... The person who helped me most was my grandmother. Person
The way (that)... The way she handled the situation was truly impressive. Method or manner
📐 “All” Clefts: Expressing Limitation

All (that) + subject + verb + is/was + focused element

"All" clefts suggest that what follows is the only thing or the minimum needed:
All you need to do is sign this form. (That is the only requirement.)
All she wanted was an apology. (Nothing more — just an apology.)

Special Rules and Notes

Here are key rules and observations that will help you use cleft sentences correctly and naturally:

Rule Explanation Example
Who vs That for people Both "who" and "that" are acceptable for people in it-clefts It was John who/that called.
Negative it-clefts Negative clefts deny the focused element It was not the rain that cancelled the game.
What-clefts + do/did "What...did was" can emphasize an action What she did was resign immediately.
Verb form after “All...is” The verb after "is" can be a bare infinitive or to-infinitive All you need to do is (to) sign here.
Emphasis in contrast Clefts are excellent for correcting wrong assumptions It was not Tom but James who won.
Formal vs informal It-clefts are more formal; what-clefts are common in both spoken and written English —
⚠️ Cannot Emphasize the Verb with It-Clefts

It-clefts can emphasize the subject, object, time, place, or reason — but not the main verb itself. To emphasize a verb, use a what-cleft with "do/did":
✘ It was broke that he the window. (impossible)
✔ What he did was break the window. (what-cleft emphasizes the action)
For actions, "what...did was" is the correct structure.

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A cleft sentence takes a simple idea and holds it up to the light, turning it slowly so the reader can see exactly which facet the writer wants them to notice.

— The Grammar Gazette
❖

Example Sentences

✔ It-Cleft Sentences
It was the manager who made the final decision about the budget cuts, not the board members.
It was in 1969 that human beings first set foot on the surface of the Moon.
It was her kindness that impressed me the most when I first met her in Barcelona.
It was not the food but the company that made the dinner so enjoyable and memorable.
It was because of the heavy snowfall that all flights from the airport were cancelled that evening.
It is this book that I would recommend to anyone who wants to improve their writing skills.
✔ What-Cleft Sentences
What surprised everyone was that the youngest candidate won the competition by a wide margin.
What we need right now is a clear plan with specific goals and realistic deadlines.
What makes this restaurant special is the way they use fresh, locally sourced ingredients.
What she did after graduating was travel the world for an entire year before settling down.
What bothered him most about the situation was the lack of transparency from the management.
What I remember about that day is the sound of the rain on the old tin roof of the farmhouse.
✔ Other Cleft Patterns
All I ask is that you listen carefully before making your decision.
The reason we chose this location was that it offered the best combination of price and convenience.
The person who deserves the most credit is the project coordinator, not the director.
The place where I feel most at peace is the small garden behind my grandmother’s house.
The thing that concerns me is whether we have enough time to complete all the necessary preparations.
All you have to do is fill in the form and submit it online before the deadline.

Cleft Sentences in Exam Transformations

Cleft sentences are a favourite topic in grammar exams, especially in key word transformation exercises. Here is a step-by-step approach for converting normal sentences into cleft structures:

Step Action Example
1. Identify the focus Decide which element to emphasize Tom won the prize. (focus = Tom)
2. Choose the cleft type It-cleft for subject/object/time/place; What-cleft for actions/things Person → It-cleft
3. Build the frame Write "It was/is... who/that..." It was... who...
4. Insert the focus Place the focused element after "It was" It was Tom who...
5. Complete the clause Add the remaining information It was Tom who won the prize.
💡 Exam Tip: Key Word Transformations

In Cambridge exams, you may see instructions like: "Rewrite the sentence using the word IT."
Original: The weather ruined our holiday.
Answer: It was the weather that ruined our holiday.
Or with WHAT:
Original: I really need more time.
Answer: What I really need is more time.
Always check which element the question wants you to emphasize.

Common Mistakes

Cleft sentences look deceptively simple, but learners often make these errors:

⚠️ Mistake 1: Wrong Connector (Who vs That)

✘ It was on Monday who we had the meeting.
✔ It was on Monday that we had the meeting.
Use who for people. Use that for things, times, places, and reasons.

⚠️ Mistake 2: Incorrect Tense in “It is/was”

✘ It is John who broke the window yesterday. (tense mismatch)
✔ It was John who broke the window yesterday.
If the event is in the past, use It was. If it is present or general, use It is.

⚠️ Mistake 3: Using It-Cleft to Emphasize the Verb

✘ It was broke that he the window. (impossible — cannot cleft a verb this way)
✔ What he did was break the window.
To emphasize a verb or action, always use a what-cleft with "do/did."

⚠️ Mistake 4: Forgetting the Verb “Be” in What-Clefts

✘ What I need more sleep.
✔ What I need is more sleep.
The verb be (is/was) is the essential link between the what-clause and the focused element. Never omit it.

⚠️ Mistake 5: Subject-Verb Agreement with What-Clefts

✘ What we need are a new approach.
✔ What we need is a new approach.
The what-clause is treated as a singular subject, so the verb "be" is usually singular (is/was), unless the focused element is clearly plural:
✔ What we need are more volunteers. (plural focused element)

✔ Corrected Sentences
✘ It was in Paris who I met her. → ✔ It was in Paris that I met her.
✘ What I want a new car. → ✔ What I want is a new car.
✘ It was broke that he the cup. → ✔ What he did was break the cup.
✘ It is the director who decided this last week. → ✔ It was the director who decided this last week.
✘ All I want are a little respect. → ✔ All I want is a little respect.
✘ The reason why I left is because I was tired. → ✔ The reason I left was that I was tired.
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It-Cleft vs What-Cleft: Comparison

Understanding when to use each type of cleft is essential. Here is a comprehensive comparison:

Feature It-Cleft What-Cleft
Structure It is/was + X + that/who... What + clause + is/was + X
Focus position After "It is/was" (middle) At the end (final position)
Can emphasize people ✔ Yes ✔ Yes (less common)
Can emphasize actions ✘ No ✔ Yes (What...did was)
Can emphasize time/place ✔ Yes ✔ Yes (less common)
Formality More formal Common in both formal and informal
Good for contrast Excellent (not X but Y) Good

Here is a direct comparison showing the same sentence expressed as both types:

Normal Sentence It-Cleft What-Cleft
Sarah solved the problem. It was Sarah who solved the problem. What Sarah did was solve the problem.
I need more time. It is more time that I need. What I need is more time.
The noise keeps me awake. It is the noise that keeps me awake. What keeps me awake is the noise.
💡 Choosing the Right Cleft

Use an It-cleft when:
• You want to emphasize a person, time, place, or reason
• You want to correct someone ("It was not X but Y who...")
Use a What-cleft when:
• You want to emphasize an action ("What she did was...")
• You want to emphasize a thing or idea ("What we need is...")
• You want a structure that sounds natural in both speech and writing

⚠️ Do Not Overuse Clefts

Like inversion, cleft sentences are a powerful tool — but they lose their impact if overused. In a well-written paragraph, one or two cleft sentences can create excellent emphasis. Using them in every sentence would make the text heavy and unnatural. Save them for moments when you truly want to direct the reader’s attention to a specific detail.

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