Cleft Sentences

Summary

Formation

It-cleft: It + be + emphasized element + that/who + clause
What-cleft: What + S + V + be + emphasized element

Examples:
- It was John who broke the window.
- What I need is a vacation.

Usage

Emphasize subject: It was John who did it.
Emphasize object: It was the book that I bought.
Emphasize adverbial: It was yesterday that I met her.
What-cleft emphasizes object: What I want is peace.

Signal Words

It is/was...that/who What...is/was The thing that The person who The place where The reason why The time when All (that) What...do/does/did emphasis

Detailed Content

Cleft sentences are structures used to emphasize a particular element in a sentence by “splitting” it from the original sentence. There are two main types: It-cleft and What-cleft (Wh-cleft).

1. It-cleft

1.1. Structure

It + be + emphasized element + that/who + remaining clause

Element	Cleft Sentence
Subject	It is/was + S + who/that + V + O
Object	It is/was + O + that + S + V
Adverbial	It is/was + Adv + that + S + V + O

1.2. Emphasizing Subject (Person)

It + be + person + who/that + V

Original	Cleft Sentence
John broke the window.	It was John who/that broke the window.
Mary helped me.	It was Mary who helped me.
My mother taught me to cook.	It was my mother who taught me to cook.

1.3. Emphasizing Subject (Thing)

It + be + thing + that + V

Original	Cleft Sentence
The storm destroyed the house.	It was the storm that destroyed the house.
This book changed my life.	It was this book that changed my life.

1.4. Emphasizing Object

It + be + object + that + S + V

Original	Cleft Sentence
I bought the book.	It was the book that I bought.
She loves music.	It is music that she loves.
They built this bridge in 1990.	It was this bridge that they built in 1990.

1.5. Emphasizing Adverbial

Time adverbials:

Original	Cleft Sentence
I met her yesterday.	It was yesterday that I met her.
He left in 2010.	It was in 2010 that he left.

Place adverbials:

Original	Cleft Sentence
They met in Paris.	It was in Paris that they met.
I bought it at that shop.	It was at that shop that I bought it.

Reason adverbials:

Original	Cleft Sentence
He failed because he didn’t study.	It was because he didn’t study that he failed.

2. What-cleft (Wh-cleft)

2.1. Basic Structure

What + S + V + be + emphasized element

Original	What-cleft
I need a vacation.	What I need is a vacation.
She wants peace.	What she wants is peace.
He said something strange.	What he said was something strange.

2.2. Variations

Structure	Example
What + S + do/does/did + be + V	What I did was (to) call her.
The thing that	The thing that I love most is music.
The person who	The person who helped me was my teacher.
The place where	The place where we met was Paris.
The reason why	The reason why I left was personal.
The time when	The time when I was happiest was my childhood.

2.3. Detailed Examples

What:

I want to travel. → What I want is to travel.
He needs help. → What he needs is help.

The thing that:

I love music most. → The thing that I love most is music.

The person who:

My teacher inspired me. → The person who inspired me was my teacher.

The place where:

I was born in Hanoi. → The place where I was born is Hanoi.

3. All-cleft

3.1. Structure

All (that) + S + V + be + emphasized element

Original	All-cleft
I want rest.	All (that) I want is rest.
You need practice.	All (that) you need is practice.
She did was smile.	All (that) she did was smile.

3.2. Examples

All I want for Christmas is you.
All you have to do is ask.
All she ever does is complain.

4. Comparing It-cleft and What-cleft

It-cleft	What-cleft
Emphasizes any element	Usually emphasizes object/complement
It was John who helped me.	What I need is help.
More formal	Less formal
Uses that/who	Uses what/the thing that

5. Tenses in Cleft Sentences

5.1. Rule

The verb “be” in cleft sentences matches the time being emphasized.

Tense	Example
Present	It is John who helps me.
Past	It was John who helped me.
Present perfect	It has been John who has helped me.
Future	It will be John who will help you.

5.2. Examples

It is education that changes lives. (General truth)
It was yesterday that I met her. (Past)
It will be in July that we will move. (Future)

6. Common Mistakes

❌ Wrong → ✅ Correct

Mistake	Correction	Explanation
It was John which broke it.	It was John who/that broke it.	Use who/that for people
What was John that helped me.	It was John who helped me.	What-cleft not used for people
It was yesterday when I met her.	It was yesterday that I met her.	Use “that” in It-cleft
What I need are money.	What I need is money.	Verb agrees with “What” (singular)

7. IELTS Applications

IELTS Writing Task 2

Cleft sentences help emphasize main points.

It is education that plays the most important role in development.
What governments should do is invest more in healthcare.
It was only in the 20th century that women gained equal rights.
The thing that concerns me most is environmental pollution.

IELTS Speaking

Use cleft sentences to emphasize opinions.

It was my mother who taught me to be kind.
What I love most about my hometown is the friendly people.
It was in 2015 that I first visited Europe.
All I want is to have a peaceful life.

Note

Cleft sentences demonstrate:

Ability to use complex structures
Skill in emphasizing important information
Advanced grammar proficiency