Mastering Cleft Sentences in English

English speakers frequently use a cleft sentence to focus on new or important information. It’s the spoken equivalent of underlining or highlighting a word in a document. 

We can use a cleft sentence when we want to correct inaccurate information, emphasize part of a sentence for dramatic effect or highlight our emotions. Native English speakers often employ cleft sentences in both spoken and written communication. Knowing how to use cleft sentences is essential to developing your English fluency. 

Continue reading to learn more about what cleft sentences are, why they are important in English and how to construct a cleft sentence properly. We’ll also discuss different types of cleft sentences in English and provide cleft sentence examples so you can feel more confident using them. 

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What is a cleft sentence? 

A cleft sentence is a complex sentence structure in English that separates important or new information in a sentence from unimportant or already known information. The adjective “cleft” means “cleaved” or “split,” which is exactly what you are doing when constructing a cleft sentence. 

Take a look at the simple English sentence below: 

Jerry figured out the error in our calculations last night. 

This sentence is composed of one clause. We can emphasize or correct a specific piece of information by splitting the information using a cleft sentence:

It was Jerry who figured out the error in our calculations last night.

It was last week that Jerry figured out the error in our calculations. 

In the first cleft sentence example, we are highlighting the fact that Jerry was the person who figured out the error and not someone else. In the second example, we are clarifying that the error was found last week, not last night. 

Though short and simple sentences are usually best, you may sometimes need more complex sentences such as cleft sentences to ensure that you’re presenting clear and accurate information. 

Cleft sentence structure in English 

A cleft sentence is composed of two clauses: the cleft clause and a dependent clause. In the following sentences, the underlined cleft clause comes first and the dependent clause is underlined.

It is our daughter who will be graduating from high school this year. 

It was his tone when he spoke to me that really annoyed me. 

It was the black shoes that she wanted for Christmas. 

In an it-cleft, the most common type of cleft sentence, the cleft clause (sometimes referred to as the main clause) is introduced by the “dummy” pronoun it. This is the portion of the sentence that includes the new or important information you want to highlight. 

The cleft clause is usually followed by a relative pronoun (such as that, which or who) or sometimes a relative adverb (where or when), which introduces a dependent clause. This second clause provides known information or context for the cleft clause.

Function of cleft sentences in English 

In the example conversations below, one speaker uses the underlined cleft sentences to correct wrong information: 

A: Did you bring the shirt I asked you for?
B: Yes, I brought the blue shirt that was on top of the dresser.
A: It was the red shirt that I asked you to bring me!

A: Were you the one who left the empty milk carton in the fridge again?

B: No, it wasn’t me! It was Lisa who left it in the fridge!

A: Don’t you have an appointment today?

B: It was yesterday when I had the appointment, not today. 

Cleft sentences are not only useful for correcting others – they can also help us emphasize an important detail or show strong emotion about a topic, as in the sentences below.

I can’t believe they gave him the promotion. It was I who planned every aspect of the project. 

My son’s reading level has improved significantly over the past year. It was the persistent efforts of his new teacher which helped him achieve this. 

Cleft sentence types 

So far, all the examples above have been it-cleft sentences. That’s because these are the most widely used. There are, however, other types of cleft sentences, often referred to as pseudo-cleft sentences. Knowing these allows us to add variety to our speaking or writing.

Review the cleft sentence types and examples below to get a better idea of how to construct both it-cleft and pseudo-cleft sentences. 

It-cleft sentences

Structure: It + is/was + main focus + dependent clause 

Examples:

(Speaker B uses a cleft sentence in each example.)

A: The Amazon River is the longest river in the world. 

B: No, it’s the Nile River that’s the longest river in the world.

A: We were supposed to read chapter 6 of the book for today’s class. 

B: Actually, it was Chapter 10 which we were supposed to read for today’s class. 

A: He’ll begin his first semester of college next week.

B: It is next month when he’ll begin his first semester in college. 

A; After weeks of searching, they finally found the keys underneath the stove. 

B: It was on top of the fridge where they found the keys!

Wh-cleft sentences 

Similar to it-cleft sentences, wh-cleft sentences allow a speaker to emphasize an important piece of information by dividing the sentence into two parts: a cleft clause and the main focus of the sentence. 

The cleft clause begins with a wh-word (who, what, when, where, why, how) and contains the main verb. The main focus of the sentence gives the specific information the speaker wants to highlight. 

Structure: Wh-word + subject and verb + is/was + main focus 

Examples:

(The wh-clause in each example is underlined, and the main focus is in bold.)

• What I wanted to do was give her a piece of my mind. 

• Who she wanted to speak with was the HR manager, not the director. 

• Why they left so early is a mystery to me. 

Wh-clefts sound slightly more formal than it-cleft sentences. They are often used in writing to provide explanations, definitions or to add emphasis. 

All-cleft sentences 

An all-cleft sentence is another type of pseudo-cleft sentence. It is used to emphasize the importance of one thing above all others.

Structure: All + subject and verb + is/was + main focus

Examples:

(The all-clause in each example is underlined and the main focus is in bold.) 

• All she wanted was a promotion. 

• All I am asking for is a minute of your time. 

• All that matters is that we arrive on time to catch our flight. 

All-cleft sentences are handy when we want to make an emotional plea. In more formal writing, they can help us highlight essential conditions more clearly. 

Other cleft sentences 

It's important to familiarize yourself with the it-, wh- and all-cleft structures, as these are the most common in everyday English. 

However, there are also some less frequently used cleft sentence types that rely on specific phrases or structures. While they appear less often, you may still encounter them in spoken and written English, so it’s useful to be aware of them. 

The following is a quick overview of three of these structures. 

1. Action-focused cleft

Action-focused clefts are used to place focus on an action.

Structure: What + subject + do/does/did + is/was + (to) + main focus

Examples: 

• What they did was (to) make us wait until 5 pm to check into our hotel rooms. 

• To save time during the week, what I do is (to) plan my week on Sundays.

• What she always does is (to) cancel our plans at the last minute.

Using to before the main verb is optional. 

2. Reason cleft

We use this structure to focus on an explanation. 

Structure: The reason + subject and verb + is/was + that/because + main focus 

Examples: 

• The reason they went to the park was that they needed some fresh air.

• The reason we arrived late was because Parker did not wake up on time!

• The reason I haven't responded to her message is that I don’t know what to say!

3. “One thing” cleft

Similar to the all-cleft, this structure is used to emphasize one point as the most important. 

Structure: The one thing + (that) + dependent clause + is/was + main focus

Examples:

• The one thing (that) I value most in relationships is trust.

• The one thing (that) matters most during a job interview is authenticity. 

• The one thing (that) I needed from you was your support. 

A summary of cleft sentence types

Cleft sentence rules explained

Mastering cleft sentences requires understanding a few more rules in addition to knowing the different types we’ve already discussed. Here are some points to keep in mind when constructing and using cleft sentences.

Deleting object pronouns in an it-cleft 

Just like in restrictive clauses, the relative pronouns that and who are optional when the main focus of an it-cleft sentence is the object.

It’s chocolate chip cookies that he enjoys eating, not oatmeal cookies. 

In the above example, the main focus of the cleft sentence, chocolate chip cookies, is the object of the verb eating. We can therefore omit the word that and the sentence is still grammatically correct:

It’s chocolate chip cookies he enjoys eating, not oatmeal cookies. 

We can do the same if the object of the sentence is a person instead of an object: 

It’s our youngest daughter whom you met yesterday, not our eldest. 

Because our youngest daughter is the object of the verb met, we can write the same sentence without whom. 

It’s our youngest daughter you met yesterday, not our eldest. 

For a quick review of subject and object pronouns, make sure to read our detailed overview of personal pronouns. 

Conjugating “to be” in cleft sentences 

The verb “to be” appears in all cleft sentence structures. We typically use the present simple (is) or past simple (was) forms.

Cleft sentence examples: 

• It is how they delivered the news that really annoys me.

• When they changed their minds about the trip is a complete mystery to me.

• What our neighbors have done is drive down the value of our property.

• All that mattered when I was in high school was getting into the best college in the state.

• The reason they didn’t listen to you is because you are too lenient with them.

• The one thing she understood about her classmates was that they were all very hardworking.

Remember that in any cleft sentence, the verb “to be” in the cleft clause should be singular (is or was) in most cases. 

Making questions and negatives from cleft sentences 

We can also make questions and negative statements using cleft structures. 

Cleft sentences examples in question form: 

• Was it the teacher who decided to give the students a deadline extension?

• Is how we left dinner last night the cause of the fight?

• Was all he had to say to you that he was leaving the city?

• Is the reason you are not answering my messages that you are upset with me?

• Was canceling the contract what they did to get back at the company for the low-ball offer?

Cleft sentences examples in negative form: 

• It isn’t this weekend that the game is taking place. 

• Who I don’t wish to see is Nora.

• What they don’t want to hear is you making excuses. 

• What I haven’t figured out is how we will travel from New York to Montreal. 

• The reason we haven’t visited is because work has kept us busy. 

• The one thing I won’t accept is an additional delay.

Develop your English fluency with Busuu

Cleft sentences don’t need to be confusing. It is the Busuu app that can help you learn to use cleft sentences in your English conversations. Here’s how: 

• With Busuu, you can create a personalized study plan that lets you focus your learning on what you need to practice most.

• Busuu helps support your learning with interactive activities and quizzes, allowing you to test your knowledge of new and previously covered topics. 

• Develop your language skills through interactive features like AI-powered Busuu Conversations and get real-time feedback. 

• Study whenever, wherever – download Busuu lessons on your mobile device to practice on the go. 

• Track your progress through the Busuu app or on your browser.