Cleft Sentences
Learn how splitting one idea into two clauses can place emphasis on a specific piece of information within a sentence.
Splitting a sentence to add emphasis
A cleft sentence divides one idea into two parts.
A cleft sentence takes information that could be expressed in one plain sentence and splits it into two clauses instead, in order to place emphasis on one specific piece of that information. The word cleft means divided or split.
Compare Maria won the award. with It was Maria who won the award. Both sentences share the same basic information, but the second places extra emphasis on Maria, highlighting that she, rather than someone else, won.
English has two main patterns for cleft sentences: the it-cleft, built around it, and the wh-cleft, built around a word like what.
Before you begin
Cleft sentences are one structure within advanced grammar.
This lesson focuses on cleft sentences specifically. If you would like an overview of the other structures covered under advanced grammar, begin with the Advanced Grammar page.
The central idea
A cleft sentence highlights one part of the information.
Compare a plain sentence with a cleft version of the same information.
01
Plain Sentence
States the information without special emphasis.
Maria won the award.
02
Cleft Sentence
Splits the sentence to highlight one specific part.
It was Maria who won the award.
The useful question is: Which part of the information needs the spotlight?
It was Maria who won the award. → emphasises who won
It was the award that Maria won, not the scholarship. → emphasises what she won
A cleft sentence is built around whichever piece of information the speaker wants to bring into focus.
It-clefts
This pattern begins with “it” and a form of “be.”
The pattern
It + be + emphasised information + who or that + the rest of the sentence
It was Maria who won the award.
Emphasising different parts of the same sentence
It was Maria who won the award. → emphasises the person
It was the award that Maria won. → emphasises the thing
It was last year that Maria won the award. → emphasises the time
The same basic sentence can be reshaped to emphasise different pieces of information, depending on what follows it was.
The verb after “it” stays singular
It was the twins who arrived late.
Even though the twins is plural, the verb directly after it stays singular, since it agrees with it, not with the emphasised information.
What-clefts
This pattern begins with a clause built around “what.”
The pattern
What + subject + verb + be + emphasised information
What I need is a vacation.
The what clause introduces a general idea, and the information after is or was fills in the specific detail.
More examples
What surprised me was how quickly it happened.
What she wants is a bit of peace and quiet.
Other wh-cleft patterns
Similar patterns use a general noun instead of “what.”
The thing that / the reason
The thing that surprised me was the price.
The reason she left early was a family emergency.
Where and when
Where I want to go is somewhere quiet.
When I feel most relaxed is late in the evening.
These patterns follow the same basic shape as the what-cleft, using a general word first and the specific detail afterward.
Reversed wh-clefts
The emphasised information can also come first.
Comparing the two orders
What I need is a vacation.
A vacation is what I need.
Both sentences emphasise a vacation, but placing it first can feel slightly more direct or conversational.
A useful decision guide
Ask which piece of information needs emphasis.
01
Do you want to highlight a person, thing or time?
Consider an it-cleft: It was…who/that…
02
Do you want to highlight a need, want or reaction?
Consider a what-cleft: What I need is…
03
Would a specific noun fit more naturally than “what”?
Consider the reason, the thing that, where or when.
04
Would the emphasised information read more naturally first?
Consider reversing the wh-cleft, placing that information at the start instead.
Common mistakes
Do not let the verb after “it” match the emphasised noun.
Making the verb after “it” agree with the emphasised noun.
Not: It were the twins who arrived late.
Correct: It was the twins who arrived late.
The verb after it stays singular, regardless of what follows.
Using “what” for a person instead of “who.”
Not: It was Maria what won the award.
Correct: It was Maria who won the award.
Who is used for people in an it-cleft; what is not used this way.
Overusing cleft sentences where no emphasis is needed.
Overly emphatic: It was I who bought the milk today.
More natural: I bought the milk today.
Cleft sentences work best when a specific piece of information genuinely needs the extra emphasis, not for routine statements.
Check your understanding
What kind of cleft sentence is this?
Choose the correct answer for each sentence.
It was the manager who approved the request.
✅ Exactly! The sentence begins with it was.
❎ Not quite. Look at how the sentence begins.
Check the very first word of the sentence.
What worries me most is the deadline.
✅ Exactly! The sentence begins with the clause What worries me most.
❎ Not quite. Look at how the sentence begins.
It was last summer that they moved to the coast.
✅ Exactly! It was introduces the emphasised time, last summer.
❎ Not quite. Look at the pattern used to introduce the emphasised information.
The reason she called was to check on us.
✅ Exactly! The reason works the same way as a what-cleft.
❎ Not quite. Compare this pattern with the shape of a what-clause.
Choose the best explanation
Select the sentence that explains the cleft sentence correctly.
Why does “It was the twins who arrived late” use “was” rather than “were”?
✅ Exactly! The subject of the first clause is it, so the verb stays singular.
❎ Not quite. Think about which word the verb was actually agrees with.
Why is “It was Maria who won the award” preferred over “It was Maria what won the award”?
✅ Exactly! Who refers to the person being emphasised.
❎ Not quite. Think about which word correctly refers back to a person.
Which sentence correctly uses a what-cleft?
✅ Exactly! The what-clause comes first, followed by is and the emphasised information.
❎ Not quite. Check the order of the what-clause, the verb be, and the emphasised information.
Try it another way
Complete each cleft sentence.
Type the missing word to complete each sentence correctly.
✅ Exactly! Who refers to the person being emphasised.
❎ Not quite. This it-cleft is emphasising a person.
✅ Exactly! The verb after it stays singular, even though students is plural.
❎ Not quite. The verb agrees with it, not with the students.
✅ Exactly! What introduces the general need, followed by the specific detail.
❎ Not quite. Think of the word used to begin a wh-cleft describing a need.
Edit the sentence
Rewrite each plain sentence as a cleft sentence.
Use the note in brackets to decide which information to emphasise.
Sam fixed the printer. (rewrite as an it-cleft, emphasising Sam)
✅ Exactly! It was Sam who… places emphasis on Sam.
❎ Not quite. Begin with It was Sam who, followed by the rest of the sentence.
I really want some quiet time. (rewrite as a what-cleft)
✅ Exactly! What I really want is… emphasises the specific thing wanted.
❎ Not quite. Begin with What I really want is, followed by the specific detail.
The traffic made us late. (rewrite as an it-cleft, emphasising the traffic)
✅ Exactly! That, not who, is used since the traffic is a thing.
❎ Not quite. Begin with It was the traffic that, followed by the rest of the sentence.
Quick review
Splitting a sentence puts one piece of information in the spotlight.
A cleft sentence splits one idea into two clauses to emphasise a specific piece of information.
An it-cleft follows the pattern it + be + emphasised information + who/that.
The verb after it always stays singular, regardless of the emphasised noun.
A what-cleft follows the pattern what + subject + verb + be + emphasised information.
Related patterns use the reason, the thing that, where or when in place of what.
A wh-cleft can also be reversed, placing the emphasised information first.
Remember
Ask which single detail deserves the spotlight.
A cleft sentence is built entirely around the piece of information the speaker wants to highlight. Deciding that detail first makes it much easier to choose between an it-cleft and a wh-cleft.