Cleft Sentences helps you communicate about contrastive focus, correction and emphasis. Start with the meaning, notice the pattern, and then use it in complete sentences.
By the end of this lesson, you can
- I can use cleft structures to focus attention on particular information.
- Recognise and build the form: It-cleft: It is/was X that/who...; wh-cleft: What...is....
- Use the pattern accurately in a meaningful sentence.
Meaning and use
Use Cleft Sentences for contrastive focus, correction and emphasis. Always read the whole situation before choosing the form: grammar expresses a meaning, not only a pattern.
It was Lena who solved the problem.
An it-cleft focusing on a person uses 'who' or 'that'.
It is the final chapter that needs revision.
An it-cleft focusing on a thing uses 'that'.
What I need is a quiet place to work.
A singular wh-cleft clause takes the singular complement verb 'is'.
It-cleft: It is/was X that/who...; wh-cleft: What...is...Keep this pattern visible while you study the examples. Then cover it and rebuild one example from memory.
Key rules to notice
These rules explain why the form is correct. Focus on the subject, auxiliary, verb form, word order and time or meaning clues.
- An it-cleft focusing on a person uses 'who' or 'that'.
- An it-cleft focusing on a thing uses 'that'.
- A singular wh-cleft clause takes the singular complement verb 'is'.
- The standard connector in an it-cleft focusing on time is 'that'.
- A past wh-cleft with a singular complement uses 'was'.
Common mistakes
Not:It was Lena which solved the problem.
Use:It was Lena who solved the problem.
An it-cleft focusing on a person uses 'who' or 'that'.
Not:It is the final chapter who needs revision.
Use:It is the final chapter that needs revision.
An it-cleft focusing on a thing uses 'that'.
Not:What I need are a quiet place to work.
Use:What I need is a quiet place to work.
A singular wh-cleft clause takes the singular complement verb 'is'.
Check before you practise
Complete each sentence mentally, then reveal the answer.
It was yesterday ____ the decision was announced.
that
The standard connector in an it-cleft focusing on time is 'that'.
What surprised me ____ his calm reaction.
was
A past wh-cleft with a singular complement uses 'was'.
The person ____ I wanted to speak to was the director.
who
A reversed cleft can focus a person using 'who'.