Grammar
Cleft sentences: add focus to an idea
Someone says the whole team changed the plan, but one person suggested it. You can say, "It was Rina who suggested the change." The cleft sentence puts Rina in focus.
Use it-clefts and what-clefts to focus one part of an idea while keeping the rest of the message clear.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
It was Rina who suggested the change. /ɪt wəz ˈriːnə huː səˈdʒestɪd ðə tʃeɪndʒ/
The short answer
Use an it-cleft to focus a person, thing, time, place, or reason. Use a what-cleft to introduce the information you want to name as the result or main point.
It was the final question that caused the disagreement.
Why it works: The it-cleft makes the final question the information the listener should notice first.
4 more examples
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It was Rina who suggested the change.
The speaker focuses on the person who made the suggestion.
Not this:
Rinasuggested the change. What changes: The plain sentence gives the same basic fact without strongly correcting or identifying the person. -
It was after lunch that we heard the news.
The cleft answers the question of when the news reached us.
Not this:We heard the news
after lunch. What changes: The plain sentence reports the time, while the cleft makes the time the point of contrast. -
What we need is a clearer timetable.
The what-clause creates an open slot, and the final noun phrase supplies the important answer.
Not this:We need
a clearer timetable. What changes: The plain sentence is direct, but it does not build toward the needed result in the same way. -
What surprised the team was the cost of the repair.
The what-cleft holds back the surprising information until the end.
Not this:
The cost of the repairsurprised the team. What changes: The plain sentence names the cost first, so it gives that information a different rhythm.
Read the full guide
Start with the plain idea and decide what needs attention. If you need to correct who, when, where, or what caused something, an it-cleft is often useful. If you want to build toward the important result, begin with a what-clause. In both patterns, the focused part should match the question in the conversation.
Put one answer in focus
An it-cleft can answer a question more precisely than a plain sentence. Compare Who suggested the change? with It was Rina who suggested the change. The second sentence makes Rina the answer the listener should notice.
It was Rina who suggested the change.
Use this shape when the identity of the person matters, perhaps because someone has named the wrong person or assumed that several people were involved.
A manager says Omar suggested the change, but Rina suggested it. How can you correct the manager?
Say It was Rina who suggested the change. The cleft corrects the person in focus.
Choose it is or it was
The verb in the cleft normally follows the time of the surrounding situation. Use it is for a present fact and it was for a past event. The rest of the clause keeps the information that supports the focus.
It is the noise that distracts me. It was the noise that distracted me yesterday.
The focused noun can stay the same while the time changes. Is fits the present situation; was fits the earlier one.
Choose the past form: ___ the late train that made us miss the meeting.
Use It was: It was the late train that made us miss the meeting. The missed meeting is in the past.
Focus a time or place
An it-cleft can focus more than a person or thing. It can highlight a time, place, or reason when those details answer the real question. That is a useful connector after many focused phrases.
It was after lunch that we heard the news. It was at the station that they met.
Ask what the listener needs to identify. If the important contrast is when, focus the time. If it is where, focus the place.
Your friend thinks you met at the café, but you met at the station. Which cleft gives the correction?
Say It was at the station that we met. The place is the information being corrected.
Build toward a result
A what-cleft begins with a what-clause that creates a gap in the idea. The final part fills that gap. This pattern works well when you want to delay the key information until the end.
What we need is a clearer timetable.
The what-clause names the need without supplying it. A clearer timetable completes the thought and receives the main focus.
Complete the idea: What the visitors wanted ___ more time to ask questions.
Use was: What the visitors wanted was more time to ask questions. The final phrase supplies the wanted thing.
Use focus when it helps
A cleft gives one part of an idea extra weight. It is useful in a correction, an explanation of cause, or a contrast between options. When the information is simply new and neutral, a plain sentence is often shorter and more natural.
It was the final question that caused the disagreement.
This cleft suits a discussion of several possible causes. In a simple report, The final question caused the disagreement may be enough.
Which sentence best answers, Was the timetable or the final question the problem?
Say It was the final question that caused the disagreement. The cleft clearly selects one cause.
Before you go
Remember this
Use an it-cleft to put a person, thing, time, place, or reason in focus: It was Rina who suggested the change. Use a what-cleft to lead to a result: What we need is a clearer timetable. Choose either pattern when the context calls for contrast, correction, or clear emphasis.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Cleft sentences: add focus to an idea"
What is a cleft sentence?
A cleft sentence divides one idea so that one part receives extra focus. An it-cleft often begins with it is or it was, while a what-cleft begins with a what-clause. Use one when the context makes a person, time, cause, or result especially important.
It was Rina who suggested the change.
When should I use an it-cleft?
Use an it-cleft when you need to identify or correct a person, thing, time, place, or cause. It was Rina who suggested the change is useful if someone has identified the wrong person. In a neutral statement with no contrast, a plain sentence may be more natural.
Rina suggested the change.
Why do it-clefts use who or that?
Use who when the focused information is a person, as in It was Rina who suggested the change. That is common after a focused thing, time, place, or reason, as in It was after lunch that we heard the news. The connector links the focused part to the remaining clause.
It was after lunch that we heard the news.
What is a what-cleft sentence?
A what-cleft begins with a what-clause and then gives the important result or missing information. In What we need is a clearer timetable, the first part names a need and the final phrase supplies the answer. This arrangement can make the final information stand out.
We heard the news after lunch.
Can I use cleft sentences in every situation?
No. Cleft sentences are useful when you are correcting an assumption, contrasting choices, or pointing to a main cause or result. They can sound unnecessarily heavy in a simple neutral report. Use a plain sentence when no part of the message needs special focus.
It was the final question that caused the disagreement.