Cleft sentences 'split' a simple sentence into two clauses to emphasize a particular element. They help focus attention on specific information by moving it to a prominent position in the sentence structure.
Quick tip: Choose It-clefts for nouns/time/place, Wh-clefts for actions/qualities, All-clefts for 'only/just', The-clefts for formal emphasis.
It-Clefts (It + be + focus + that/who)
Use 'It + is/was + [emphasized element] + that/who + [rest of sentence]' to focus on a specific noun, time, place, or reason. The emphasized part comes between 'It is/was' and 'that/who'.
It was John who broke the window. (emphasizing WHO: John, not someone else)
It was the window that John broke. (emphasizing WHAT: the window, not something else)
It was yesterday that I saw her. (emphasizing WHEN: yesterday, not another day)
It's in the kitchen that you'll find the keys. (emphasizing WHERE: in the kitchen)
Wh-Clefts (What + clause + be + focus)
Use 'What + subject + verb + is/was + [emphasized element]' to emphasize an action, object, or concept. This structure highlights what is most important or surprising about the statement.
What I need is a good night's sleep. (emphasizing: a good night's sleep)
What she said was completely untrue. (emphasizing: completely untrue)
What surprised me was his reaction. (emphasizing: his reaction)
What we're looking for is commitment. (emphasizing: commitment)
All-Clefts (All + clause + be + focus)
Use 'All + (that) + subject + verb + is/was + [emphasized element]' to emphasize that something is the only thing or the most important thing. This is even more restrictive than other clefts.
All I want is to go home. (I only want one thing: to go home)
All she did was smile. (She only did one thing: smile)
All that matters is passing the exam. (Only one thing matters: passing)
All we need is more time. (We only need one thing: more time)
Common mistakes
Not "It is yesterday that I have seen her." — say "It was yesterday that I saw her.". Use past tense 'was' in the cleft when referring to a past time, not present perfect..
Not "What I need it is a break." — say "What I need is a break.". Don't add an extra 'it' in wh-clefts. The structure is: What + clause + be + focus..
Not "It was John which broke the window." — say "It was John who broke the window.". Use 'who' for people, 'that' for things/times/places in it-clefts..
Practise it
Start with a simple sentence, then decide what to emphasize. Move that element between 'It is' and 'that', or after 'What...is'.