Cleft Sentences — How English Splits a Sentence for Emphasis
Quick Answer
A cleft sentence splits a normal sentence into two parts so you can put a spotlight on one piece. The word “cleft” means “split”.
Normal: John broke the vase.
It-cleft: It was John who broke the vase. (spotlight on John)
Wh-cleft: What John broke was the vase. (spotlight on the vase)
See the Pattern — One Sentence, Two Halves, One Spotlight
A cleft sentence has two halves. The first half puts a spotlight on something. The second half says everything else. Look at four examples:
- It was Maria who sent the email. (spotlight: Maria — not anyone else)
- It was on Tuesday that we met. (spotlight: Tuesday — not another day)
- What I need is a quiet weekend. (spotlight: a quiet weekend)
- All she wanted was a thank you. (spotlight: a thank you — and nothing more)
Did you spot the pattern? Each sentence has a front half (“It was…”, “What I…”, “All she…”) and a back half with the rest. The two halves work like a frame around one important word. That word gets the spotlight.
| Type | Pattern | Example | Spotlight on |
|---|---|---|---|
| It-cleft | It + be + X + who/that… | It was Sam who called. | Sam (a person) |
| It-cleft | It + be + X + that… | It was in 2020 that we moved. | The year (a thing/time) |
| Wh-cleft | What + clause + be + X | What I want is peace. | The thing wanted |
| All-cleft | All + clause + be + X | All he did was apologise. | The only action (and nothing more) |
When and Why You Use Cleft Sentences
You use cleft sentences for three jobs: to emphasise, to contrast, and to correct something. They are very common in news, speeches, debates, and storytelling — anywhere the speaker wants the listener to focus on one specific piece of information.
- Emphasise: “It was YOU who saved the day.” (lifts “you” above everything else)
- Contrast: “It wasn’t the food that was bad — it was the service.” (food vs service)
- Correct: “What I said was ‘maybe’, not ‘yes’.” (correcting a misunderstanding)
Important rule: in it-cleft sentences, use who when the spotlight is on a person, and that for almost everything else (things, times, places). Both are correct for people, but “who” is more natural.
- Person → who: “It was the chef who burned the dish.”
- Thing/time/place → that: “It was the rain that ruined the picnic.”
The Rule in One Line: Cleft = split. Split a sentence in two halves to put a spotlight on one piece.
Real-Life Cleft Sentences You Will Hear and Read
Cleft sentences appear everywhere once you know to look — in famous movie lines, news headlines, political speeches, and everyday emphasis. Here are six real-world examples:
- It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. (Charles Dickens — opening of A Tale of Two Cities)
- What we need is a clear strategy, not more meetings. (boardroom — emphasis + contrast)
- It was on this day in 1969 that humans first walked on the moon. (news intro — emphasising the date)
- All I’m asking for is a chance to explain. (everyday speech — “just one thing”)
- It was the Beatles who changed pop music forever. (essay — spotlight on the band)
- What surprised me most was how kind the strangers were. (storytelling — building suspense before the reveal)
Notice how each one delays the key information. You wait — and that wait is what creates the emphasis. That is the whole secret of the cleft.
Three Mistakes to Avoid With Cleft Sentences
Cleft sentences look simple once you know the pattern, but the moving parts trip up even strong C2 writers. So if you slip up at first, you are not alone.
Mistake 1: Verb agreement with the spotlight word
✗ It is the children who is playing in the garden.
✓ It is the children who are playing in the garden.
The verb in the second half (are) agrees with the spotlight word (children), not with “It”.
Mistake 2: Using “who” for things or “which” for people
✗ It was the storm who ruined the wedding.
✓ It was the storm that ruined the wedding.
“Who” is for people. For things, times, or places — use “that”.
Mistake 3: Forgetting “is/was” in a wh-cleft
✗ What I really need a long holiday.
✓ What I really need is a long holiday.
The little verb “is” or “was” connects the two halves. Without it, the sentence falls apart.
How to remember: Read your cleft sentence out loud. Ask: (1) Does the verb match the spotlight word? (2) Did I use “who” for a person and “that” for a thing? (3) Is there a small “is” or “was” in the middle? If all three are yes, you have a clean cleft.
Test Yourself: Spot the Correct Cleft Sentence
Choose the correct sentence for each question. Click Check to see if you are right.
1. Which sentence is correct?
2. Choose the correct cleft for “I want a fresh start.”
3. Which sentence is correct?
4. Pick the correct emphasis sentence:
5. Choose the correct cleft for “She apologised — that’s all she did.”
Keep Going — You Are Building Something
You just learned one of the most powerful structures in advanced English. Cleft sentences are the secret behind half the great opening lines in fiction and the punchiest moments in political speeches.
But the C2 level has its own vocabulary traps too. There is a word pair that sounds like it should be interchangeable — both verbs, both about the same idea of “putting parts together” — but they are not interchangeable. Editors at major newspapers debate it weekly. Do you know whether a committee comprises twelve members, or composes twelve members?
Next lesson: Compose vs Comprise — The C2 Vocabulary Pair Editors Argue About
Source
Cambridge Dictionary — Cleft sentences (British Grammar)
My name is Khamis Maiouf. I am the creator of the English Teacher Site, dedicated to providing valuable resources and insights for students around the world. With a passion for education and a commitment to helping students enhance their skills, I aim to make English teaching more effective and enjoyable for both educators and students.