Cleft Sentences: It Is/Was... That/Who

When English speakers want one part of a sentence to stand out, they often rearrange the sentence instead of simply stressing a word with their voice. A plain sentence such as "Lena fixed the printer" can become "It was Lena who fixed the printer." The basic information is the same, but the focus has shifted clearly onto Lena. These emphasis patterns are called cleft sentences because the original idea is split into two parts. You will see them in conversation, news writing, essays, speeches, and arguments where the writer or speaker wants to guide attention. This guide explains it-clefts, wh-clefts, reverse clefts, and related forms with rules, examples, and practice.

How Cleft Sentences Work

A cleft sentence takes information that could fit into one simple sentence and divides it into two clauses. The result is not usually more information; it is stronger focus. The word "cleft" is related to "cleave," which means to split. In grammar, that split lets the speaker or writer point to the most important part of the message.

Take the sentence "Daniel chose the blue folder." It includes a person, an action, and an object: Daniel, chose, and the blue folder. With a cleft structure, you can make any one of those parts sound central. The best choice depends on what your listener already knows and what you want to correct, contrast, or emphasize.

Using It-Cleft Patterns

The it-cleft is the form learners usually meet first, and it is also one of the most flexible. It starts with "It is" or "It was," then gives the focused part, followed by "that" or "who" and the rest of the sentence.

Basic Pattern

It + is/was + emphasized element + that/who + rest of sentence

Highlighting a Person as the Subject

Highlighting the Object

Highlighting When Something Happened

Highlighting Where Something Happened

Highlighting the Cause or Reason

Using Wh-Clefts and What-Clefts

Wh-clefts, also known as pseudo-clefts, often begin with a "what" clause. That clause presents the background or category of information, and the part after "is" or "was" delivers the focus. This pattern works well in speech and writing when you want the final element to land with extra force.

Basic Pattern

What + subject + verb + is/was + emphasized element

Putting the What-Clause Second

In a reverse wh-cleft, the highlighted information comes at the beginning, and the "what" clause follows it. The meaning stays close to the regular wh-cleft, but the sentence feels more direct because the focus appears first. This version is especially natural in spoken English.

All-Clefts and Thing/Place/Reason Forms

"What" is not the only word that can introduce a cleft-like emphasis pattern. English also uses forms with "all" and with nouns such as "thing," "place," "reason," and "person" to make the focus more specific.

Clefts Beginning with All

Clefts with Thing, Place, Reason, and Person

Sentence Parts You Can Highlight

Choosing the Right Tense

In most it-clefts, the tense in "it is" or "it was" follows the time of the event or situation. Use "It was..." for past events and "It is..." for present facts, current situations, or general statements. The verb after "that" or "who" normally keeps the tense it would have in the original sentence.

Errors to Watch For

Error 1: Leaving Out "That" or "Who"

Error 2: Putting "What" into an It-Cleft

Error 3: Adding an Extra Subject in a Wh-Cleft

Try These Exercises

Exercise 1: Change the Sentences into Cleft Forms

Answer Key

Main Points to Remember

Cleft sentences let you control emphasis by splitting one idea into two clauses. It-clefts with "It is/was... that/who" can point attention to a subject, object, time, place, or reason. Wh-clefts with "What... is/was..." are useful for emphasizing things, ideas, needs, reactions, and actions. Reverse wh-clefts move the focused element to the front, while all-clefts and noun-based clefts add other common ways to mark contrast or importance. Once you understand these patterns, you can make your English more precise, especially when you need to correct a misunderstanding, contrast two possibilities, or show which part of your message matters most.