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fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M14.234 10.162L22.977 0h-2.072l-7.591 8.824L7.251 0H.258l9.168 13.343L.258 24H2.33l8.016-9.318L16.749 24h6.993zm-2.837 3.299l-.929-1.329L3.076 1.56h3.182l5.965 8.532l.929 1.329l7.754 11.09h-3.182z\"\u002F>",{"id":47,"title":48,"author":49,"body":50,"cefrLevel":746,"date":49,"description":747,"exercises":748,"extension":821,"faqs":822,"gcseTier":49,"intro":49,"language":835,"lastUpdated":49,"meta":836,"navigation":837,"path":838,"seo":839,"stem":840,"verbSlugs":49,"__hash__":841},"pages\u002Fenglish\u002Fgrammar\u002Fcleft-sentences.md","Cleft sentences in English: it was X who, what I need is, and how to move the emphasis",null,{"type":51,"value":52,"toc":735},"minimark",[53,63,75,83,90,95,98,166,177,181,184,189,203,206,239,267,301,304,312,315,319,325,330,341,352,363,395,405,409,412,429,451,477,500,504,507,555,561,565,568,686,690,693,710],[54,55,56,57,62],"p",{},"English cannot move words around freely. The\n",[58,59,61],"a",{"href":60},"\u002Fenglish\u002Fgrammar\u002Finversion-and-word-order","word order page"," explains why: with\nalmost no endings left, order is the only thing telling you who did what, so\nthe subject stays in front of the verb and the object stays behind it. That\nsolves one problem and creates another. If you cannot move a word, how do you\nshow which word you mean?",[54,64,65,66,74],{},"Speech has an answer: say it louder. ",[67,68,69,73],"em",{},[70,71,72],"strong",{},"John"," broke the window."," Writing does\nnot, and nor does a language learner who has not yet grown a native speaker's\ninstinct for stress. So English built a structure that does the job with words\ninstead of volume. You split the sentence in two and put the important part in\nits own clause, where it cannot be missed.",[54,76,77],{},[67,78,79,80,82],{},"It was ",[70,81,72],{}," who broke the window.",[54,84,85,86,89],{},"That is a cleft sentence. ",[67,87,88],{},"Cleft"," means split. There is no new information in\nit, no extra fact, no change of tense. It is pure emphasis, made out of\ngrammar. And unlike the fronted inversions on the word-order page, this one is\nnot literary at all: clefts are what people reach for in an argument, at work\nand on the phone, every day.",[91,92,94],"h2",{"id":93},"what-the-split-buys-you","What the split buys you",[54,96,97],{},"Compare the flat version with the two main clefts.",[99,100,101,114],"table",{},[102,103,104],"thead",{},[105,106,107,111],"tr",{},[108,109,110],"th",{},"Sentence",[108,112,113],{},"What it emphasises",[115,116,117,128,140,153],"tbody",{},[105,118,119,125],{},[120,121,122],"td",{},[67,123,124],{},"John broke the window.",[120,126,127],{},"nothing in particular",[105,129,130,135],{},[120,131,132],{},[67,133,134],{},"It was John who broke the window.",[120,136,137,139],{},[70,138,72],{},", and not anyone else",[105,141,142,147],{},[120,143,144],{},[67,145,146],{},"What John broke was the window.",[120,148,149,152],{},[70,150,151],{},"the window",", and not the door",[105,154,155,160],{},[120,156,157],{},[67,158,159],{},"What John did was break the window.",[120,161,162,165],{},[70,163,164],{},"the action"," itself",[54,167,168,169,172,173,176],{},"Same event, four framings. Notice that the emphasised part always lands in the\nsame place: right after ",[67,170,171],{},"it was"," or right after ",[67,174,175],{},"is",". English builds a slot and\ndrops the important word into it. Once you can see the slot, the rest of the\ntopic is mechanical.",[91,178,180],{"id":179},"it-clefts-it-was-x-who","It-clefts: it was X who...",[54,182,183],{},"The shape is fixed:",[54,185,186],{},[70,187,188],{},"it + be + the highlighted part + who \u002F that + the rest",[54,190,191,194,197,200],{},[67,192,193],{},"It was my sister who called.",[67,195,196],{},"It was the noise that woke me.",[67,198,199],{},"It was in the summer that we moved house.",[67,201,202],{},"It is the cost that worries me.",[54,204,205],{},"Three things to get right.",[54,207,208,211,212,215,216,219,220,222,223,225,226,230,231,234,235,238],{},[70,209,210],{},"The linking word."," People take ",[67,213,214],{},"who"," (or ",[67,217,218],{},"that","); things take ",[67,221,218],{},"; times\nand places take ",[67,224,218],{}," in this pattern. The rules are the ones on the\n",[58,227,229],{"href":228},"\u002Fenglish\u002Fgrammar\u002Frelative-clauses","relative clauses"," page, with one extra\nwarning: never use ",[67,232,233],{},"what"," here. ",[67,236,237],{},"It was the noise what woke me"," is a real thing\npeople say in some dialects, and it will be marked wrong in every exam.",[54,240,241,248,249,251,252,259,260,251,262,247],{},[70,242,243,244,247],{},"The tense of ",[67,245,246],{},"be","."," It follows the event, not the moment of speaking. Past\nevent, past ",[67,250,246],{},": ",[67,253,254,255,258],{},"it ",[70,256,257],{},"was"," my sister who called",". Present situation, present\n",[67,261,246],{},[67,263,254,264,266],{},[70,265,175],{}," the cost that worries me",[54,268,269,272,273,276,277,279,280,285,286,289,290,247],{},[70,270,271],{},"Agreement."," ",[67,274,275],{},"It"," is the grammatical subject, so ",[67,278,246],{}," stays singular even\nwhen the highlighted part is plural: ",[67,281,254,282,284],{},[70,283,257],{}," my parents who paid",", not ",[67,287,288],{},"it\nwere my parents",". The verb inside the second clause, though, agrees with the\nhighlighted part: ",[67,291,292,293,296,297,300],{},"it is ",[70,294,295],{},"you"," who ",[70,298,299],{},"are"," wrong",[54,302,303],{},"The it-cleft is also how English says \"and nobody else\". Put the negative in\nthe highlighted slot and you get a correction:",[54,305,306,309],{},[67,307,308],{},"It was not the money that mattered.",[67,310,311],{},"It wasn't me who told her.",[54,313,314],{},"That is the natural home of this structure: denying one part of a claim while\naccepting the rest.",[91,316,318],{"id":317},"wh-clefts-what-i-need-is","Wh-clefts: what I need is...",[54,320,321,322,324],{},"The other main type flips the order. The background comes first, in a clause\nstarting with ",[67,323,233],{},", and the important part arrives at the end.",[54,326,327],{},[70,328,329],{},"what + clause + be + the highlighted part",[54,331,332,335,338],{},[67,333,334],{},"What I need is a holiday.",[67,336,337],{},"What worries me is the cost.",[67,339,340],{},"What she said was completely true.",[54,342,343,344,347,348,351],{},"This is a different tool, not a synonym. An it-cleft points at something; a\nwh-cleft ",[70,345,346],{},"builds up to"," something. It buys a beat of delay, which is why it\nis so common in speech and in argument. ",[67,349,350],{},"What I want is an apology"," makes the\nlistener wait for the last three words.",[54,353,354,355,358,359,362],{},"To highlight an ",[70,356,357],{},"action"," rather than a thing, use ",[67,360,361],{},"what + subject + do"," and\nfinish with a bare infinitive:",[54,364,365,376,387],{},[67,366,367,368,371,372,375],{},"What he ",[70,369,370],{},"did"," was ",[70,373,374],{},"tell"," everyone.",[67,377,378,379,382,383,386],{},"What you should ",[70,380,381],{},"do"," is ",[70,384,385],{},"call"," her.",[67,388,389,390,371,392,247],{},"What they ",[70,391,370],{},[70,393,394],{},"wait",[54,396,397,398,401,402,404],{},"Not ",[67,399,400],{},"what he did was told everyone",". The ",[67,403,381],{}," carries the tense; the second\nverb stays plain.",[91,406,408],{"id":407},"reverse-wh-clefts-and-the-thing-that","Reverse wh-clefts and the thing that...",[54,410,411],{},"The wh-clause can also go at the end, which is the most conversational version\nof the lot:",[54,413,414,417,423],{},[67,415,416],{},"A holiday is what I need.",[67,418,419,422],{},[70,420,421],{},"That"," is what I meant.",[67,424,425,428],{},[70,426,427],{},"This"," is what worries me.",[54,430,431,432,434,435,438,439,438,442,438,445,438,448,247],{},"And when ",[67,433,233],{}," feels too abstract, English swaps in a noun: ",[67,436,437],{},"the thing",", ",[67,440,441],{},"the\nreason",[67,443,444],{},"the place",[67,446,447],{},"the person",[67,449,450],{},"the problem",[54,452,453,459,465,471],{},[67,454,455,458],{},[70,456,457],{},"The thing that"," worries me is the cost.",[67,460,461,464],{},[70,462,463],{},"The reason why"," I called was to say thank you.",[67,466,467,470],{},[70,468,469],{},"The person who"," helped me was a stranger.",[67,472,473,476],{},[70,474,475],{},"All"," I did was ask a question.",[54,478,479,480,483,484,487,490,491,285,497,247],{},"That last pattern, ",[67,481,482],{},"all I did was",", is worth learning on its own. It is a cleft\nwith a built-in argument: it says \"this and nothing more\", which is why it\nappears in every defensive sentence in the language. ",[67,485,486],{},"All I said was hello.",[67,488,489],{},"All she wants is an answer."," Same bare-infinitive rule as above: ",[67,492,493,494],{},"all I did\nwas ",[70,495,496],{},"ask",[67,498,499],{},"all I did was asked",[91,501,503],{"id":502},"which-one-to-reach-for","Which one to reach for",[54,505,506],{},"A short decision list, in the order you will actually need it.",[508,509,510,525,535,543,549],"ul",{},[511,512,513,514,517,518,521,522],"li",{},"Correcting someone about ",[70,515,516],{},"who or what"," did something: ",[70,519,520],{},"it-cleft",". ",[67,523,524],{},"It was\nthe wind, not me.",[511,526,527,528,531,532],{},"Delivering a demand or a conclusion, with a pause before it: ",[70,529,530],{},"wh-cleft",".\n",[67,533,534],{},"What I need is more time.",[511,536,537,538,251,540],{},"Emphasising an ",[70,539,357],{},[67,541,542],{},"what he did was...",[511,544,545,546],{},"Minimising: ",[67,547,548],{},"all I did was...",[511,550,551,552],{},"Pointing back at something already said: ",[67,553,554],{},"that is what I meant.",[54,556,557,558,560],{},"If you want the same emphasis in formal written English without a cleft, the\nfronting and inversion patterns on the\n",[58,559,61],{"href":60}," do a similar job in\na much higher register. Clefts are the everyday version. That is their whole\nadvantage.",[91,562,564],{"id":563},"common-mistakes","Common mistakes",[54,566,567],{},"Ranked by how often learners actually make them.",[569,570,571,591,615,638,657,663],"ol",{},[511,572,573,272,581,583,584,521,587,590],{},[70,574,575,577,578,580],{},[67,576,233],{}," instead of ",[67,579,218],{}," in an it-cleft.",[67,582,237],{},"\nshould be ",[67,585,586],{},"that woke me",[67,588,589],{},"What"," belongs at the front of a wh-cleft, never\nafter the highlighted item.",[511,592,593,272,599,602,603,607,608,611,612,614],{},[70,594,595,596,598],{},"Making ",[67,597,246],{}," plural in an it-cleft.",[67,600,601],{},"It were my parents who paid"," should\nbe ",[67,604,254,605,284],{},[70,606,257],{},". The subject is ",[67,609,610],{},"it",", and ",[67,613,610],{}," is always\nsingular.",[511,616,617,272,623,583,626,632,633,247],{},[70,618,619,620,247],{},"A full verb after ",[67,621,622],{},"what he did was",[67,624,625],{},"What he did was told everyone",[67,627,628,629,631],{},"was ",[70,630,374],{}," everyone",". Same for ",[67,634,635,636],{},"all I did was ",[70,637,496],{},[511,639,640,272,643,646,647,650,651,654,655,247],{},[70,641,642],{},"Repeating the subject.",[67,644,645],{},"It was my sister who she called"," has one subject\ntoo many. ",[67,648,649],{},"Who"," is already doing the work: ",[67,652,653],{},"it was my sister who called",".\nThis is the same slip as the double subject in\n",[58,656,229],{"href":228},[511,658,659,662],{},[70,660,661],{},"Clefting everything."," A cleft emphasises by contrast with plain\nsentences. Three in a row and the effect dies, and the writing starts to\nsound like it is arguing with someone who is not there.",[511,664,665,272,668,671,672,679,680,247],{},[70,666,667],{},"Wrong tense in the background clause.",[67,669,670],{},"What I needed is a holiday"," mixes\ntimes. Keep the two halves consistent: ",[67,673,674,675,678],{},"what I ",[70,676,677],{},"need"," is a holiday"," or\n",[67,681,674,682,685],{},[70,683,684],{},"needed"," was a holiday",[91,687,689],{"id":688},"practice","Practice",[54,691,692],{},"Rewrite each sentence to emphasise the part in brackets. Answers are below.",[569,694,695,698,701,704,707],{},[511,696,697],{},"My brother paid for dinner. (my brother)",[511,699,700],{},"I want an answer. (an answer)",[511,702,703],{},"The rain stopped the game. (the rain)",[511,705,706],{},"He told everyone. (the action)",[511,708,709],{},"I only asked a question. (only)",[54,711,712,715,716,719,720,723,724,727,728,731,732],{},[70,713,714],{},"Answers:"," 1. ",[67,717,718],{},"It was my brother who paid for dinner."," 2. ",[67,721,722],{},"What I want is an\nanswer."," 3. ",[67,725,726],{},"It was the rain that stopped the game."," 4. ",[67,729,730],{},"What he did was tell\neveryone."," 5. ",[67,733,734],{},"All I did was ask a question.",{"title":736,"searchDepth":737,"depth":737,"links":738},"",2,[739,740,741,742,743,744,745],{"id":93,"depth":737,"text":94},{"id":179,"depth":737,"text":180},{"id":317,"depth":737,"text":318},{"id":407,"depth":737,"text":408},{"id":502,"depth":737,"text":503},{"id":563,"depth":737,"text":564},{"id":688,"depth":737,"text":689},"B2","How cleft sentences work in English: it-clefts (it was John who called), wh-clefts (what I need is time), the thing that, all I did was, and when to use each one.",[749,780,801],{"type":750,"instructions":751,"items":752},"which-one","Choose the correct word to complete each cleft sentence.",[753,757,760,764,767,770,773,776],{"prompt":754,"answer":214,"options":755},"It was my sister ___ took the key.",[214,233,756],"where",{"prompt":758,"answer":218,"options":759},"It was the wind ___ opened the door.",[218,214,233],{"prompt":761,"answer":589,"options":762},"___ I want is a quiet evening.",[589,421,763],"Which",{"prompt":765,"answer":589,"options":766},"___ he did was tell everyone.",[589,421,649],{"prompt":768,"answer":218,"options":769},"It was in the summer ___ we moved house.",[218,214,233],{"prompt":771,"answer":218,"options":772},"The thing ___ worries me is the cost.",[218,233,214],{"prompt":774,"answer":589,"options":775},"___ needs to change is the plan.",[589,649,421],{"prompt":777,"answer":214,"options":778},"It was you ___ said it first.",[214,233,779],"which",{"type":781,"instructions":782,"items":783},"fill-blank","Write the missing word in each cleft sentence.",[784,786,788,790,792,794,797,799],{"prompt":785,"answer":257},"It ___ my father who taught me to drive.",{"prompt":787,"answer":175},"What I need ___ a long sleep.",{"prompt":789,"answer":257},"All I did ___ ask a question.",{"prompt":791,"answer":218},"It was the dog ___ ate the bread.",{"prompt":793,"answer":421},"___ is what I meant.",{"prompt":795,"answer":796},"The reason ___ I called was to say thank you.","why",{"prompt":798,"answer":175},"What she wants ___ more time.",{"prompt":800,"answer":218},"It was not the money ___ mattered.",{"type":802,"instructions":803,"pairs":804},"match","Match each plain sentence to its cleft version.",[805,808,810,813,816,818],{"left":806,"right":807},"Anna broke the glass.","It was Anna who broke the glass.",{"left":809,"right":334},"I need a holiday.",{"left":811,"right":812},"We met in Rome.","It was in Rome that we met.",{"left":814,"right":815},"He only said hello.","All he said was hello.",{"left":817,"right":196},"The noise woke me.",{"left":819,"right":820},"The cost worries me.","The thing that worries me is the cost.","md",[823,826,829,832],{"q":824,"a":825},"What is a cleft sentence?","A cleft sentence is one idea split into two clauses so that one part gets all the attention. John broke the window is a single flat statement. It was John who broke the window splits it, puts John in a spotlight and pushes the rest into the background. Cleft means split. Nothing new is being said; the same facts are simply arranged so the listener cannot miss which part matters.",{"q":827,"a":828},"What is the difference between an it-cleft and a what-cleft?","An it-cleft highlights one item, usually a person, a thing or a time: it was my sister who called, it was on Monday that we met. A what-cleft, also called a wh-cleft, highlights an action or a whole idea and builds up to it: what I need is a holiday, what he did was tell everyone. Rough guide: use it was X who for pointing at one thing, and what I ... is for delivering a point at the end of the sentence.",{"q":830,"a":831},"Should I use who or that in it was X who called?","For people, both work. It was my sister who called and it was my sister that called are equally correct, with who slightly more common in careful writing. For things, use that: it was the noise that woke me. For times and places, that is the safe choice in the cleft pattern: it was in the summer that we moved, it was at the station that we said goodbye. Never use what in an it-cleft; it was the noise what woke me is a well-known non-standard form.",{"q":833,"a":834},"Are cleft sentences formal?","No, and this is the useful part. Unlike fronted inversion, clefts are completely ordinary spoken English. It was you who said it first, what I want is an apology, all I did was ask - people say these constantly, often in an argument, because the whole point of a cleft is to insist on one part of the sentence. Learn them and your spoken English immediately sounds less flat.","english",{},true,"\u002Fenglish\u002Fgrammar\u002Fcleft-sentences",{"title":48,"description":747},"english\u002Fgrammar\u002Fcleft-sentences","JmZjua_E1eOAYEwhzVUuUj_EWljVsB7CJigrfIx48Zg",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":843},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M13 21h8M15 5l4 4m2.174-2.188a1 1 0 0 0-3.986-3.987L3.842 16.174a2 2 0 0 0-.5.83l-1.321 4.352a.5.5 0 0 0 .623.622l4.353-1.32a2 2 0 0 0 .83-.497z\"\u002F>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":845},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M11 4.702a.705.705 0 0 0-1.203-.498L6.413 7.587A1.4 1.4 0 0 1 5.416 8H3a1 1 0 0 0-1 1v6a1 1 0 0 0 1 1h2.416a1.4 1.4 0 0 1 .997.413l3.383 3.384A.705.705 0 0 0 11 19.298zM16 9a5 5 0 0 1 0 6m3.364 3.364a9 9 0 0 0 0-12.728\"\u002F>"]