Cleft Sentences

Emphasizing Ideas with 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.

1. What Is a Cleft Sentence?

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.

2. Structure of “It-Cleft” Sentences

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.
3. Why We Use Cleft Sentences

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)
4. Other Types of Cleft Sentences

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.
5. Practice Time

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.