Cleft Sentences

What is a cleft sentence?

A cleft sentence splits one simple sentence into two parts so you can put focus on one piece of information. ("Cleft" means "split".) The two main types start with It or What. They are very common in speech and writing, especially when you want to correct someone or make a point clear.

Simple: Anna fixed the printer.

It-cleft: It was Anna who fixed the printer. (not someone else)

What-cleft: What Anna fixed was the printer. (not the scanner)

The facts are the same. The cleft sentence tells the listener which part is important.

How to form it-clefts

It + be + focus + that / who + rest of the sentence

Rules for it-clefts

• Use who or that for people, and that for things, times and places. "That" is always safe. "Which" is possible after things but less common.
• The focus can be a person, a thing, a time, a place or a reason: "It was because of the snow that the flight was cancelled."
• The verb be usually matches the time of the story: "It is ..." for now, "It was ..." for the past.
• "It is / It was" stays singular, even with a plural focus: "It was the managers who decided."
• The verb after who / that agrees with the focus: "It was the managers who were late." / "It was my manager who was late."

Negative and question forms

• Negative: "It wasn't Tom who called. It was his brother."
• Question: "Was it you who left the window open?" / "Who was it that called?"

How to form what-clefts

What + subject + verb + be + focus

Rules for what-clefts

• To focus on an action, use What + subject + do / did + be + (to) base verb: "What we did was (to) book a hotel." The "to" is optional.
• To focus on an event, use What happened was (that) + clause: "What happened was that my phone died."
• The verb be is usually singular: "What we need is more volunteers." You will also hear "are" with a plural focus, but "is" is the safer choice.

When to use cleft sentences

1. To correct someone

The it-cleft is perfect for saying "not that, but this".

• "Did you call the bank?" — "No, it was the landlord that I called."
• It wasn't the price that worried me. It was the delivery time.
• It's not that I don't like the job. It's that the commute is too long.

2. To show what is new or important

• It was in 2019 that we moved to Calgary.
• What I really want is a job closer to home.
• What we need to discuss is the budget, not the logo.

3. To introduce a topic or an explanation

What-clefts help you build up to the main point. They are common when you speak at work or tell a story.

• What happened was the system crashed just before the deadline.
• What I'd suggest is that we wait until the spring.
• What you have to do is fill in the form online.

4. Reversed what-clefts: That's what...

You can put the focus first and the what-clause after it. This is very common in speech.

• A long holiday is what I need.
• That's what I meant.
• This is where we parked the car.
• That's why I called you.

5. All-clefts: All I want is...

All here means "the only thing". It makes the focus sound small or simple.

• All I want is a quiet weekend.
• All you have to do is sign here.
• All she said was "Thank you."

6. The thing / reason / place / person ... is

You can use a general noun instead of what to give focus.

• The thing I like most is the flexible hours.
• The reason I called is that your order has arrived.
• The place where we met was a small café in Montreal.
• The person who helped me most was my neighbour.

You will often hear "The reason is because...". It is very common in speech, but in formal writing "The reason is that..." is the safer choice.

It-clefts vs what-clefts

Common mistakes

1. Leaving out it

   • Wrong: Was my sister who sent the flowers.
   • Correct: It was my sister who sent the flowers.
   • An it-cleft always needs the word it as the subject.

2. Adding an extra subject in a what-cleft

   • Wrong: What I need it is a coffee.
   • Correct: What I need is a coffee.
   • The what-clause is already the subject of is.

3. Wrong verb form after What ... did was

   • Wrong: What she did was called the police.
   • Correct: What she did was call / to call the police.
   • After "What ... do / did + be", use the base form or to + base form.

4. Wrong agreement after who

   • Wrong: It was the managers who was late.
   • Correct: It was the managers who were late.
   • The verb after who agrees with the focus (the managers = plural).

5. Using what for a person

   • Wrong: What called me was my boss.
   • Correct: It was my boss who called me. / The person who called me was my boss.
   • What refers to things and ideas, not people.

6. Plural it-cleft

   • Wrong: They were my parents who paid for it.
   • Correct: It was my parents who paid for it.
   • The start of an it-cleft is always it + is / was, even with a plural focus.

Quick reference

Common questions

Should I use 'who' or 'that' in an it-cleft?

For people, both are correct: "It was Anna who / that called." For things, times and places, use that: "It was in June that we met."

Is it 'What we need is' or 'What we need are'?

"What we need is..." is the standard choice, even before a plural: "What we need is more chairs." "Are" is also heard with a plural focus, especially in speech.

Is 'The reason is because' wrong?

It is very common in everyday speech, but it repeats the idea of a reason. In formal writing, "The reason is that..." is safer.

Practise next

• Inversion — another way to add emphasis, with 'Never have I...'
• Emphasis with Do, Does, Did — more ways to stress a point
• Fronting — moving words to the front of a sentence for focus
• Relative Clauses — the who / that clauses that clefts use
• C2 Grammar: Inversion and Emphasis — test clefts, fronting and inversion