Cleft Sentences in English: How to Add Emphasis

Q: What is a cleft sentence in English?

A cleft sentence splits (or 'cleaves') one piece of information across two clauses in order to focus attention on a specific element. The most common types are the it-cleft (It was Maria who called) and the wh-cleft (What I need is more time). Both allow the speaker to control exactly which part of the message receives the most emphasis.

Q: How do you form an it-cleft sentence?

An it-cleft follows the pattern: It + be + focused element + relative clause (who/that/which). For example: It was the director who made the final decision. The focused element — the director — is placed immediately after the verb be and before the relative clause. This construction highlights who, what, where, when, or why an action occurred.

Q: What is the difference between an it-cleft and a wh-cleft?

An it-cleft (It is X who/that Y) emphasises one specific element by fronting it after 'It is/was'. A wh-cleft (What X does is Y) emphasises the predicate or an action. The wh-cleft often uses 'what', 'where', 'when', or 'why' to introduce the first clause, and 'is/was' separates it from the focused information. Wh-clefts tend to be more common in speech to build up to new information.

Q: Can you use a cleft sentence in past tense?

Yes. The verb 'be' in a cleft sentence agrees with the tense of the original sentence. For a past event use 'was': It was Alice who won the prize. For present or ongoing situations use 'is': It is teamwork that makes the difference. The relative clause itself can use any tense needed by the context.

Q: Should I use 'who' or 'that' in an it-cleft?

When the focused element refers to a person, both 'who' and 'that' are grammatically acceptable: It was the manager who/that approved the plan. In formal writing 'who' is preferred for people. When the focused element is a thing, use 'that' or 'which': It was the delay that caused the problem.

Grammar Emphasis LexFizz Team 7 min read 13 June 2026

Part of the Grammar Guides Series

Practise emphasis structures with Grammar Quizzes and Cloze Dropdown exercises. Also explore our guides on English Conditionals and Wish and the Subjunctive.

✔ Key Takeaways

A cleft sentence splits one idea into two clauses to highlight a specific element.
It-clefts follow the pattern It + be + focused element + who/that + clause.
Wh-clefts (pseudo-clefts) begin with a wh-word clause and end with the focused element after is/was.
Cleft sentences are used in both formal writing and everyday speech to guide the listener’s attention.
Mastering clefts improves your grammatical range and is rewarded in IELTS Writing at Band 7+.

Want to test your understanding right away? Try Grammar Quiz →

Imagine two sentences: Maria called yesterday and It was Maria who called yesterday. They carry the same information — but they feel very different. The second version puts a spotlight on Maria. This is what cleft sentences do: they cleave (split) a sentence in two so that one element receives maximum focus. They are one of the most versatile emphasis tools in English, used by native speakers constantly in both conversation and writing.

What Is a Cleft Sentence?

A cleft sentence divides a single clause into two parts. The focused piece of information is pulled out of the main clause and placed where it will receive the most stress — typically after the verb be in an it-cleft, or at the very end of a wh-cleft. The rest of the original information moves into a subordinate relative clause or a wh-clause.

Neutral: The director approved the budget.

It-cleft (focus on who): It was the director who approved the budget.

Wh-cleft (focus on what): What the director approved was the budget.

Both cleft versions share the same propositional content as the neutral sentence. What changes is the information structure — which element is treated as new, surprising, or important.

It-Clefts: Spotlight on One Element

The it-cleft is the most common cleft type in written English. It introduces the sentence with a dummy subject it, followed by the verb be, the focused element, and then a relative clause.

Structure: It + is/was + [focused element] + who/that/which + [rest of clause]

It was Sarah who left the message. (focus on person)

It is regular practice that makes the difference. (focus on thing)

It was in Paris that they first met. (focus on place)

It was on Friday that the announcement was made. (focus on time)

Use who when the focused element is a person, that when it is a thing, place, or time, and which in more formal written contexts for things.

Matching Tense

The tense of be in an it-cleft mirrors the tense of the original sentence. If the original event is in the past, use was; if it refers to the present or a general truth, use is.

It was the students who organised the event. (past)

It is the environment that matters most. (general truth)

Wh-Clefts (Pseudo-Clefts): Building Up to New Information

A wh-cleft (also called a pseudo-cleft) begins with a subordinate clause introduced by a wh-word — most commonly what — and ends with the focused element after is/was. This structure works like a drum roll: the first clause sets the scene, and the focused information lands at the end with the heaviest stress.

Structure: [Wh-clause] + is/was + [focused element]

What I need is more time.

What surprised everyone was his resignation.

What she does best is negotiate.

Other wh-words can introduce the first clause when the focus is on place, time, or reason:

Where they went was irrelevant.

Why she left was never explained.

Reversed Pseudo-Cleft

The word order can also be reversed, placing the focused element first and the wh-clause at the end. This variant is sometimes called the end-focus pseudo-cleft and is common in spoken English.

More time is what I need.

His resignation was what surprised everyone.

Quick Reference: Cleft Types at a Glance

Type	Pattern	Focuses On	Example
It-cleft	It + be + X + who/that	Person, thing, time, place	It was Anna who won.
Wh-cleft	What + clause + be + X	Action or thing	What I want is a break.
Reversed wh-cleft	X + be + what + clause	Action or thing	A break is what I want.
Why-/Where-/When-cleft	Why/Where/When + clause + be + X	Reason, place, time	Why he left was a mystery.

When and Why to Use Cleft Sentences

Cleft sentences are not just a grammar exercise — they serve real communicative purposes.

Correcting a misconception: It was Tom who broke the window, not Ben.
Emphasising a contrast: What matters is effort, not just talent.
Adding drama in storytelling: It was at that moment that everything changed.
Guiding the reader in academic writing: It is this gap in the research that the present study addresses.
Highlighting advice: What you should do is speak to your manager directly.

In academic and IELTS writing, it-clefts such as It is clear that… or It is this factor that… are extremely common and signal a high level of syntactic control.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even advanced learners stumble on cleft sentences. Here are the errors to watch out for.

Mistake 1: Missing the relative pronoun
✗ It was Maria called.
✓ It was Maria who called.

Mistake 2: Wrong tense of ‘be’
✗ It is 1969 that humans first landed on the moon.
✓ It was 1969 that humans first landed on the moon.

Mistake 3: Using ‘which’ for people
✗ It was the teacher which explained the rule.
✓ It was the teacher who explained the rule.

Mistake 4: Leaving the main verb in the wrong position
✗ It was the budget the director approved it.
✓ It was the budget that the director approved. (no second pronoun)

Mistake 5: Subject–verb agreement in wh-clefts
✗ What we needs is more practice.
✓ What we need is more practice.

Ready to Practise?

Test your understanding of cleft sentences and other advanced grammar structures with free interactive exercises on LexFizz.

Try Grammar Quiz → Cloze Exercises →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a cleft sentence in English?

A cleft sentence splits (or “cleaves”) one piece of information across two clauses in order to focus attention on a specific element. The most common types are the it-cleft (It was Maria who called) and the wh-cleft (What I need is more time). Both allow the speaker to control exactly which part of the message receives the most emphasis.

How do you form an it-cleft sentence?

An it-cleft follows the pattern: It + be + focused element + relative clause (who/that/which). For example: It was the director who made the final decision. The focused element — the director — is placed immediately after the verb be and before the relative clause. This construction highlights who, what, where, when, or why an action occurred.

What is the difference between an it-cleft and a wh-cleft?

An it-cleft (It is X who/that Y) emphasises one specific element by placing it after It is/was. A wh-cleft (What X does is Y) emphasises the predicate or an action by building up to the focused element at the end. Wh-clefts tend to be more common in speech, while it-clefts are frequent in both speech and formal writing.

Can you use a cleft sentence in past tense?

Yes. The verb be in a cleft sentence agrees with the tense of the original sentence. For a past event use was: It was Alice who won the prize. For present or ongoing situations use is: It is teamwork that makes the difference. The relative clause itself can use any tense needed by the context.

What is a pseudo-cleft sentence?

A pseudo-cleft (also called a wh-cleft) begins with a wh-word clause and ends with the focused information after is or was. Example: What surprised me most was his honesty. The first clause (What surprised me most) sets the topic, and the focused element (his honesty) comes at the end with the heaviest stress.

Are cleft sentences formal or informal?

Cleft sentences are used in both formal and informal English. It-clefts appear frequently in written academic prose and news reporting, while wh-clefts (What I mean is…) are very common in spoken conversation. Mastering both improves range in IELTS and academic writing tasks.

Should I use ‘who’ or ‘that’ in an it-cleft?

When the focused element refers to a person, both who and that are grammatically acceptable, but who is preferred in formal writing: It was the manager who approved the plan. When the focused element is a thing, use that or which: It was the delay that caused the problem.

Can cleft sentences focus on time or place?

Yes. An it-cleft can focus on when or where something happened: It was in Paris that they first met. / It was on Monday that the announcement was made. The focused element simply changes from a person or thing to a time or place expression, and the relative clause uses that.

What are common mistakes with cleft sentences?

The most frequent mistakes are: (1) omitting the relative pronoun — It was John bought it instead of It was John who bought it; (2) wrong tense of be — It is yesterday that we met instead of It was yesterday…; (3) using which for people; (4) adding a second pronoun — It was the book that she read it should be It was the book that she read.

How do cleft sentences help in IELTS writing?

Cleft sentences demonstrate grammatical range and control of information focus — two features that contribute to a Band 7+ score. Using It is X that… or What the data show is… allows you to structure arguments clearly, guide the reader’s attention to your most important point, and vary sentence structure beyond simple SVO patterns.