Cleft Sentences in English: meaning, structure, and examples

In English, there are several ways to highlight or emphasize a specific part of a statement. One of these is cleft sentences.

Cleft sentences are complex sentences composed of two parts, focusing on a particular component, often introducing new information to the listener. These sentences express a meaning that could be conveyed by a simple sentence but with added emphasis.

In this article, we will explore the structure of the main types of such sentences, their differences, and common challenges for speakers.

Contents

1. What are cleft sentences in English?
2. Types of cleft sentences
    2.1. It-cleft sentences
    2.2. Wh-cleft sentences
    2.3. Cleft sentences with certain expressions
3. Common mistakes
4. Exercise to practice
5. FAQ

What are cleft sentences in English?

In spoken language, we often emphasize certain parts of information using intonation or pauses. However, these tools are absent in written language, so cleft sentences come into play. These are complex sentences where one message is divided into two interconnected clauses, allowing the speaker to focus on a particular piece of the statement.

They are commonly used in literary and journalistic works, as well as in formal and informal spoken English. This construction allows a speaker to draw attention to new information or emphasize a statement that contradicts what was said before.

Example:

– You don’t like the idea, do you?
– No, it is your manner of speaking that drives me crazy!

Types of cleft sentences

There are several types of cleft sentences, depending on how they start and what structure they follow:

• Cleft sentences that begin with "it"
• Cleft sentences that begin with "what" or other question words
• Cleft sentences that begin with certain expressions (e.g., "all I need," "the thing," "the reason why")

It-cleft sentences

One of the most common types is the it-cleft sentence. These sentences consist of two parts, each containing a verb, and emphasize the part that follows "it."

Typical structure:

It + be + emphasized phrase + subordinate clause (that / who / which / where / when)

Example:

My sister bought delicious cupcakes at the new coffee shop on Saturday.

Let's emphasize different parts of this sentence:

• It was my sister who bought delicious cupcakes at the new coffee shop on Saturday.
• It was delicious cupcakes that my sister bought at the new coffee shop on Saturday.
• It was the new coffee shop where my sister bought delicious cupcakes on Saturday.
• It was Saturday when my sister bought delicious cupcakes at the new coffee shop.

A subordinate clause is most often introduced by the conjunction that or who (for people), but after nouns or noun phrases, where or when can also be used. However, if an adverb follows it, preference is given to the conjunction that:

It is Friday when we are meeting with your colleagues. / It is on Friday that we are meeting with your colleagues. 

In informal conversation, the conjunction that can be omitted if the meaning remains clear from the context:

It was my neighbour (that) you saw at the theatre last weekend. 

The verb to be is used in the tense relevant to the sentence (present is, past was, etc.).

In addition to affirmative sentences, It-cleft sentences can also be negative or interrogative:

• It wasn’t Mary who was talking to you on the phone. 
• Is it July that you are going on holiday? 

Wh-cleft sentences

Another common group is wh-cleft sentences, which begin with a question word (typically "what") and emphasize the second part of the sentence.

Example structures:

What + subject + verb + be + infinitive (with or without "to") / gerund / noun

Examples:

• What she needs is a good night’s sleep.
• What he did was break my favourite cup. 
• What they are doing is lazing around.

The second structure is as follows:

What + subject + verb + be + subordinate clause with that / why / who / which / where / when

Examples:

• What I don’t understand is why she would do something like that.
• What he wanted to know was when they had that discussion.
• What I can’t explain is why she insists on going to Warsaw by bus.

Sometimes, other question words are used instead of "what" at the beginning of the sentence:

How they did it was a mystery to me.

Cleft sentences with certain expressions

Cleft sentences can also begin with certain phrases, following a structure like this:

Phrase + subordinate clause + be + infinitive / gerund / noun / subordinate clause

Common phrases include:

1. all;
2. something;
3. the thing;
4. the person;
5. the reason.

Examples:

• All I need is love and a cat. 
• Something that I have always wanted to try is bungee jumping. 
• The thing that he needed most was support and attention.
• The person you met on Monday was my ex-boyfriend.
• The reason why I didn’t do the task was because I had an urgent appointment with the doctor. 

Common mistakes 

One of the most common challenges involves choosing the correct verb form in the second part of wh-cleft sentences (infinitive, gerund, etc.). This depends on the verb used in the first part of the sentence.

1. If the verb is in the continuous tense or requires the use of a gerund, the verb in the second part will end in -ing:

• What he is doing is taking advantage of your generosity.
• What I enjoy most is drinking a cup of tea and reading an interesting book.

2. If the verb requires the use of an infinitive with "to," it will be used in the second part:

• What she wants to do is to get to the bottom of the situation.
• What he decided to do was to wait until things got cleared up.

3. In other cases (e.g., with simple tenses or after modal verbs), the bare infinitive is used in the second part:

• What I can’t do is finish the project by myself.
• What they did was endanger everyone in the room.

As seen from the example above, in the past tense, the bare infinitive is also used in the second part, rather than the past form of the verb.

Similarly, difficulties arise with It-cleft sentences when a plural noun follows "it." This may create the temptation to use the verb to be in the plural form, but since it agrees with "it," it remains in the singular:

• It was my parents who suggested the idea.
• It is pancakes that I prefer for breakfast.

Exercise to practice 

Rephrase the following sentences starting with the words in brackets to emphasize the highlighted part (if you'd like to see a hint, just click on the respective sentence):

FAQ 

1. What are cleft sentences and why are they named that?

Cleft sentences are complex sentences in English in which one idea is split between two parts to emphasize a particular portion. The word “cleft” means “divided into two or more parts.” There are several types of such sentences:

• it-cleft sentences (starting with “it”); 
• wh-cleft sentences (starting with “what” or other question words); 
• sentences starting with all, the thing, the person, the reason.

2. When are cleft sentences used?

In English, such sentences are common in literary works but are also frequently used in spoken language. Their main purpose is to highlight a specific part of the statement, draw attention to new information, and add emotional or expressive emphasis to certain elements.

In writing, these sentences serve the function of intonation, pauses, facial expressions, and other means that help speakers emphasize points during conversation.

3. What is the formula for cleft sentences?

There are several types of such sentences that follow these structures:

• It + be + word or phrase to be emphasized + subordinate clause
  It is September when a new semester begins.

• What + subject + verb + be + infinitive / gerund / noun / subordinate clause
  What I have never tried is Zumba.

• Specific word or phrase + subordinate clause + be + infinitive / gerund / noun / subordinate clause
  All you need is a two-week vacation.

4. Are cleft sentences formal or informal?

These sentences belong to advanced-level grammar and can be used in both formal and informal English. Using them helps the speaker combine known information with new data and place emphasis on the latter. They also serve as a tool for adding emotional emphasis to specific parts of the message.