Cleft sentences

Cleft sentences are used to give extra emphasis to a particular part of a sentence by dividing (or cleaving) it into two separate clauses. This allows you to bring specific attention to the most important or surprising information. The most commonly used cleft structures begin with it, what, or all, but there are also other variations involving wh-clauses and reversed word orders. While only it-cleft sentences are technically considered “true clefts,” the others, including what-clefts, all-clefts, and related wh-cleft forms, are known as pseudo-clefts. We can use cleft sentences to correct a misunderstanding, to highlight or contrast, or simply to make your meaning more forceful or focused.

This guide and a number of cleft sentences activities are available to download as PDF documents.

It-cleft sentences

It-cleft sentences use the following sentence structure:

it + be + noun + that/who-clause

In this kind of sentence, the noun, noun phrase or noun clause is being emphasised, and the relative clause contains information that the reader or listener would already know or understand. The emphasised noun can be cleaved from either the subject or object of a verb, or the object of a preposition. The following examples show how we can change simple sentences to create cleft sentences to focus attention on the noun highlighted in bold:

• Simple sentence: The government needs to make this decision.
  • Cleft sentence: It is the government that needs to make this decision. (subject cleave)
• Simple sentence: President Bush sent troops into Iraq.
  • Cleft sentence: It was President Bush who sent troops into Iraq. (subject cleave)
• Simple sentence: Helen bought a Dell laptop.
  • Cleft sentence: It was a Dell laptop that Helen bought. (object cleave)
• Simple sentence: James gave the money to David.
  • Cleft sentence: It was David whom James gave the money to. (object of preposition cleave)
• Simple sentence: How you spoke to me made me angry.
  • Cleft sentence: It was how you spoke to me that made me angry. (noun clause as the subject cleave)
• Simple sentence: You should be afraid of what I know.
  • Cleft sentence: It is what I know that you should be afraid of. (noun clause as the object of a preposition cleave)

Adverb cleaves with it-cleft sentences

We can use the same structure as above to focus attention on an adverb or adverb clause to emphasise how, why, when, or where something happens. This time, we simply use the adverb in the same position we used the emphasised nouns above:

it + be + adverb + that-clause

You can see how to use this structure with the following examples. However, while all of them are grammatically correct, cleaving single-word adverbs (as in the first two examples) is relatively uncommon and can sound overly formal or awkward in everyday English. In contrast, cleaving adverb clauses (as in the final two examples) is both more common and sounds more natural:

• Simple sentence: She solved the problem quickly.
  • Cleft sentence: It was quickly that she solved the problem. (sounds a little unnatural)
• Simple sentence: You should read the instructions carefully.
  • Cleft sentence: It is carefully that you should read the instructions. (sounds a little unnatural)
• Simple sentence: He missed the train because he overslept.
  • Cleft sentence: It was because he overslept that he missed the train. (adverb clause cleave)
• Simple sentence: When the sun sets, the sky turns pink.
  • Cleft sentence: It is when the sun sets that the sky turns pink. (adverb clause cleave)

What-cleft sentences

What-cleft sentences are a type of pseudo-cleft sentence and use the following sentence structure:

what-clause + be + noun/phrase

The what-clause typically refers to something already known or assumed, while the information after be introduces the new or emphasised element. Like it-cleft sentences, the subject or object of a verb, or the object of a preposition can be cleaved. The following examples show how to use what-cleft sentences with the emphasised part of the sentence highlighted in bold:

• Simple sentence: The referee made me angry.
  • Cleft sentence: What made me angry was the referee. (subject cleave)
• Simple sentence: The lack of regulations caused the financial crash.
  • Cleft sentence: What caused the financial crash was the lack of regulations. (subject cleave)
• Simple sentence: Children need discipline.
  • Cleft sentence: What children need is discipline. (object cleave)
• Simple sentence: He enjoys reading.
  • Cleft sentence: What he enjoys is reading. (object cleave)
• Simple sentence: He wants to become a doctor.
  • Cleft sentence: What he wants is to become a doctor. (focus is on becoming a doctor) / What he wants to become is a doctor. (focus is on ‘a doctor’) (object cleave)
• Simple sentence: She was talking about the project.
  • Cleft sentence: What she was talking about was the project. (object of preposition cleave)

Verb cleaves with what-cleft sentences

We can also use what-cleft sentences to focus on the verb in a simple sentence. In these cases, the original verb is removed from the what-clause and replaced with the appropriate form of the auxiliary verb do (do, does, or did). The emphasised verb then appears after be in its bare infinitive form:

what + subject + do/does/did + be + bare infinitive

For example:

• Simple sentence: She sings beautifully.
  • Cleft sentence: What she does is sing beautifully.
• Simple sentence: She baked a cake.
  • Cleft sentence: What she did was bake a cake.
• Simple sentence: I phoned their helpline.
  • Cleft sentence: What I did was phone their helpline.
• Simple sentence: They met at the café.
  • Cleft sentence: What they did was meet at the café.
• Simple sentence: The government should increase taxes on unhealthy food.
  • Cleft sentence: What the government should do is increase taxes on unhealthy food.

Object + to-infinitive cleaves with what-cleft sentences

With certain verbs that express desire, hope, or necessity etc and are followed by an object and to-infinitive, we use the preposition for to connect to this phrase to emphasise it:

• Simple sentence: I want you to be happy.
  • Cleft sentence: What I want is for you to be happy.
• Simple sentence: She needs John to finish the report.
  • Cleft sentence: What she needs is for John to finish the report.
• Simple sentence: We want Laurence to shut up.
  • Cleft sentence: What we want is for Laurence to shut up.
• Simple sentence: I asked everyone to help.
  • Cleft sentence: What I ask is for everyone to help.

Other wh-cleft sentences

While the most common form of wh-cleft sentences begin with what, we can also use the same structure with other wh-words such as where, when, why and how. These are also a type of pseudo-cleft sentence and follow this structure:

wh-clause + be + focused element

Where-cleft sentences (focus on a location)

• Simple sentence: They met at the museum.
  • Cleft sentence: Where they met was at the museum.
• Simple sentence: She works in the city centre.
  • Cleft sentence: Where she works is in the city centre.

When-cleft sentences (focus on a time)

• Simple sentence: I feel most relaxed in the evening.
  • Cleft sentence: When I feel most relaxed is in the evening.
• Simple sentence: The problem started last week.
  • Cleft sentence: When the problem started was last week.

Why-cleft sentences (focus on a reason)

• Simple sentence: I left early because I wasn’t feeling well.
  • Cleft sentence: Why I left early was because I wasn’t feeling well.
• Simple sentence: We cancelled the trip due to the weather.
  • Cleft sentence: Why we cancelled the trip was due to the weather.

How-cleft sentences (focus on a method)

• Simple sentence: He got here in an unknown way.
  • Cleft sentence: How he got here is a mystery.
• Simple sentence: She solved the problem by simplifying the equation.
  • Cleft sentence: How she solved the problem was by simplifying the equation.

Who-cleft sentences – not used

While it is technically possible to use a who-clause for emphasising people, this is not very common. We usually use it-cleft sentences to focus on people:

• Simple sentence: John fixed the car.
  • Cleft sentence: Who fixed the car was John. (not common)
  • Cleft sentence: It was John who fixed the car. (more common)

All-cleft sentences

All-cleft sentences are another type of pseudo-cleft sentence and emphasise the entirety of something or emphasise that something is the only thing that matters. This is very similar to using the adverbs only or just, but with more emphasis. Like what-cleft sentences, the part of the sentence to be focused on can either be the noun or the verb. The structure with nouns is as follows:

all + subject + verb (in past or present) + be + noun/phrase

Here are some examples with objects emphasised:

• Simple sentence: They (only/just) talked about their plans.
  • Cleft sentence: All they talked about were their plans.
• Simple sentence: She (only/just) needs a little help.
  • Cleft sentence: All she needs is a little help.
• Simple sentence: I (only/just) need a minute of your time.
  • Cleft sentence: All I need is a minute of your time.
• Simple sentence: I (only/just) want to relax.
  • Cleft sentence: All I want is to relax.

Verb cleaves with all-cleft sentences

As with what-cleft sentences, all-cleft sentences can also be used to emphasise verbs. Using an all-cleft sentence to emphasise verbs acts much the same way as using the adverbs only, just, and always, but with extra emphasis. Like with what-clauses, as the verb is no longer present in the all-clause, this is replaced with the appropriate form of the auxiliary verb do (do, does, did), and the emphasised verb appears after be in its infinitive form:

all + subject + do/does/did + be + bare infinitive

Here are some examples:

• Simple sentence: You (always/only/just/do nothing but) complain.
  • Cleft sentence: All you do is complain. (this sentence will typically come across as critical or accusatory, so be aware of the tone it creates)
• Simple sentence: The government (always/only/just/does nothing but) increases taxes.
  • Cleft sentence: All the government does is increase taxes.
• Simple sentence: He (only) sat there and stared at me.
  • Cleft sentence: All he did was sit there and stare at me.
• Simple sentence: I (only) made a little joke.
  • Cleft sentence: All I did was make a little joke.

Object + to-infinitive cleaves with all-cleft sentences

Like with what-cleft sentences, with certain verbs that express desire, hope, or necessity etc and are followed by an object and to-infinitive, we use the preposition for to connect to this phrase to emphasise it in all-cleft sentences:

• Simple sentence: I only want you to be happy.
  • Cleft sentence: All I want is for you to be happy.
• Simple sentence: She just needs John to finish the report.
  • Cleft sentence: All she needs is for John to finish the report.
• Simple sentence: We just want Laurence to shut up.
  • Cleft sentence: All we want is for Laurence to shut up.
• Simple sentence: I only asked everyone to help.
  • Cleft sentence: All I ask is for everyone to help.

Reversed pseudo-cleft sentences

Pseudo-cleft sentences beginning with wh-clauses and all can be reversed. This places an even greater emphasis on the focused element. To reverse these cleft sentences, simply move the focused element (which normally appears after be) to the beginning of the sentence, and move the known information to follow the verb be. For example:

• Regular cleft sentence: What made me angry was the referee.
  • Reversed cleft sentence: The referee was what made me angry.
• Regular cleft sentence: What caused the financial crash was the lack of regulations.
  • Reversed cleft sentence: The lack of regulations was what caused the financial crash.
• Regular cleft sentence: What children need is discipline.
  • Reversed cleft sentence: Discipline is what children need.
• Regular cleft sentence: Where I spent most of my days was on the playground.
  • Reversed cleft sentence: On the playground was where I spent most of my days.
• Regular cleft sentence: When the problem started was last week.
  • Reversed cleft sentence: Last week was when the problem started.
• Regular cleft sentence: All they talked about were their plans.
  • Reversed cleft sentence: Their plans were all they talked about.
• Regular cleft sentence: All she needs is a little help.
  • Reversed cleft sentence: A little help is all she needs.
• Regular cleft sentence: All I want is to relax.
  • Reversed cleft sentence: To relax is all I want.

Note that we don’t reverse cleft sentences that contain for + object + bare infinitive as it can sound too clumsy or unnatural:

• What I want is for you to be quiet.
  • For you to be quiet is what I want.
• All she needs is for John to help her.
  • For John to help her is all she needs.

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