Cleft Sentences
A cleft sentence is a way to highlight one part of a sentence by dividing it into two parts. The word cleft means “split.” In a cleft sentence, we split the information to focus on one idea more strongly.
Cleft sentences don’t change the meaning — they only change what part is emphasized. This is common in both formal writing and natural speech.
Let’s start with a normal sentence and see how it can change when we emphasize different parts.
Normal sentence: Ali bought a new car yesterday in Karachi because he got a promotion.
Subject Focus (Who did it)
It was Ali who bought a new car yesterday in Karachi because he got a promotion.
Focus: the person who performed the action.
Object Focus (What was done)
It was a new car that Ali bought yesterday in Karachi because he got a promotion.
Focus: the thing involved in the action.
Place Focus (Where it happened)
It was in Karachi that Ali bought a new car yesterday because he got a promotion.
Focus: the location of the action.
Time Focus (When it happened)
It was yesterday that Ali bought a new car in Karachi because he got a promotion.
Focus: the time when it happened.
Reason Focus (Why it happened)
It was because he got a promotion that Ali bought a new car yesterday in Karachi.
Focus: the reason or cause.
The most common type of cleft sentence begins with It is or It was.
Structure: It + be + focused part + who/that + rest of the sentence.
- It was my brother who helped me with the project.
- It is the final exam that worries most students.
- It was in the park that we met for the first time.
- It is your attitude that makes the difference.
- It was last night that the power went out.
Cleft sentences are used to:
- Emphasize important information.
- Contrast two ideas.
- Clarify meaning.
- Sound natural and expressive in speech.
- It was you who forgot to call, not me. (contrast)
- It was my idea to start early. (emphasis)
- It was at midnight that they arrived. (clarity)
- It is the teacher who decides the marks. (authority)
- It’s my phone that keeps ringing all the time. (focus)
A. Wh-Clefts (Pseudo-Clefts)
Pattern: What / Where / Why / How + clause + be + emphasized part
- What I need is a short break.
- What makes me happy is helping others.
- Where I want to live is near the sea.
- What surprised me was his honesty.
- What they want is clear communication.
B. All-Clefts
Pattern: All + clause + be + emphasized part
- All I want is some peace.
- All we need is love.
- All he said was a single word.
- All they did was laugh.
- All I asked for was a chance.
C. If-Clefts
Pattern: If + there’s one thing / anything / someone + clause, it’s + emphasized part
- If there’s one thing I hate, it’s waiting.
- If there’s one person I trust, it’s my mother.
- If there’s anything I regret, it’s not studying abroad.
- If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s dishonesty.
- If there’s one thing you should know, it’s the truth.
Try to rewrite each normal sentence as a cleft sentence. Click or tap to reveal the answer.
1. Sana baked the cake for the party.
It was Sana who baked the cake for the party.2. They met in London last summer.
It was in London that they met last summer.3. The teacher gave us extra homework.
It was the teacher who gave us extra homework.4. I like morning walks the most.
What I like the most is morning walks.5. He called me to apologize.
It was to apologize that he called me.A cleft sentence is used to give special emphasis to one part of a sentence. The word “cleft” means “split” — because we split the information into two parts to make something stand out. The meaning doesn’t change, but the focus does.
- Normal: Ali bought a new car yesterday in Karachi because he got a promotion.
- Cleft: It was Ali who bought a new car yesterday in Karachi because he got a promotion.
We can emphasize different parts of a sentence — such as the subject, object, place, time, or reason.
1. Subject Focus
It was Ali who bought a new car yesterday in Karachi because he got a promotion.
Focus: Ali (who did the action)
2. Object Focus
It was a new car that Ali bought yesterday in Karachi because he got a promotion.
Focus: a new car (what was bought)
3. Place Focus
It was in Karachi that Ali bought a new car yesterday because he got a promotion.
Focus: in Karachi (where it happened)
4. Time Focus
It was yesterday that Ali bought a new car in Karachi because he got a promotion.
Focus: yesterday (when it happened)
5. Reason Focus
It was because he got a promotion that Ali bought a new car yesterday in Karachi.
Focus: because he got a promotion (why it happened)
Pattern: It + be + focused part + that/who + rest of the sentence
- It was my brother who fixed the car.
- It was the final exam that made everyone nervous.
- It was at the park that they met for the first time.
- It was last night that the storm started.
- It was because she studied hard that she passed the test.
- To emphasize: It was you who forgot to call, not me.
- To contrast: It wasn’t Ali who did it — it was Sara.
- To clarify: It was at midnight that they arrived.
- To sound formal or expressive: It’s your attitude that matters most.
- To focus information: It’s my phone that keeps ringing.
A. Wh-Clefts (Pseudo-Clefts)
Pattern: What / Where / Why / How + clause + be + emphasized part
- What I need is a short break.
- What surprised me was his honesty.
- What I love most is teaching.
- Where I want to go is Italy.
- What they want is peace.
B. All-Clefts
Pattern: All + clause + be + emphasized part
- All I want is some rest.
- All they did was laugh.
- All we need is trust.
- All he said was sorry.
- All I asked for was honesty.
C. If-Clefts
Pattern: If + there’s one thing / anything / someone + clause, it’s + emphasized part
- If there’s one thing I hate, it’s waiting.
- If there’s one person I trust, it’s my father.
- If there’s anything I regret, it’s not studying abroad.
- If there’s one thing I love, it’s music.
- If there’s one place I miss, it’s home.
Rewrite each sentence as a cleft sentence. The element to emphasize is mentioned. Click “Show Answer” to reveal the correct version.
1. Sana baked the cake for the party. (Focus: Subject)
Show Answer
It was Sana who baked the cake for the party.
2. They met in London last summer. (Focus: Place)
Show Answer
It was in London that they met last summer.
3. The teacher gave us extra homework. (Focus: Object)
Show Answer
It was extra homework that the teacher gave us.
4. I met him at the station yesterday. (Focus: Time)
Show Answer
It was yesterday that I met him at the station.
5. He called me to apologize. (Focus: Reason)
Show Answer
It was to apologize that he called me.
- Cleft sentences divide a normal sentence into two parts to emphasize one idea.
- The basic form is It + be + focused part + that/who + rest.
- You can focus on the subject, object, time, place, or reason.
- They are common in both spoken and written English for emphasis or contrast.