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A cleft sentence splits one idea into two clauses to emphasise a particular element. The it-cleft uses 'It + be + emphasised part + that/who...': 'It was John who broke the vase' (emphasising John).
The normal sentence 'John broke the vase' becomes emphatic, often to correct or contrast: '...not Tim.'
예문
It was John who broke the vase, not Tim.
Emphasises 'John' and corrects.
It was in 1990 that the Berlin Wall came down.
Emphasises the time.
It wasn't me who told her — it was Anna.
Contrast with the negative it-cleft.
It was John who
/ɪt wəz dʒɒn huː/
It was John who broke the vase, not Tim.
It is here that
/ɪt ɪz hɪər ðæt/
It is here that we first met.
It was in 1990
/ɪt wəz ɪn ˌnaɪnˈtiːn ˈnaɪnti/
It was in 1990 that the Berlin Wall came down.
It wasn't me
/ɪt ˈwɒzənt miː/
It wasn't me who told her — it was Anna.
Emphasise 'John': ___ broke the vase, not Tim.
Complete the it-cleft: It was in 1990 ___ the Berlin Wall came down. (that/who)
The what-cleft uses 'What + clause + be...' to focus on a thing or idea: 'What I need is a long holiday.'
It's a smooth way to highlight the most important point, common in both speech and writing: 'What he said upset everyone.'
예문
What I need is a long holiday.
Focus shifts to 'a long holiday'.
What he said upset everyone.
Highlights the thing that upset people.
What we want is justice.
What-cleft emphasising 'justice'.
What I need
/wɒt aɪ niːd/
What I need is a long holiday.
What he said
/wɒt hiː sed/
What he said upset everyone.
What we want
/wɒt wiː wɒnt/
What we want is justice.
Turn 'I need a holiday' into a what-cleft.
Complete the what-cleft: ___ we want is justice. (one word)
The all-cleft uses 'All + clause + be...' to mean 'the only thing': 'All I want is a quiet evening' = the only thing I want.
It suggests something is simple, modest or limited — a single, exclusive point.
예문
All I want is a quiet evening.
'All' = the only thing I want.
All she did was apologise.
Suggests it was the only / a modest action.
All you need is patience.
Emphasises one simple requirement.
All I want
/ɔːl aɪ wɒnt/
All I want is a quiet evening.
All she did
/ɔːl ʃiː dɪd/
All she did was apologise.
All you need
/ɔːl juː niːd/
All you need is patience.
Which means 'the only thing I want is a quiet evening'?
Complete the all-cleft: ___ you need is patience. (one word)
Clefts are tools for managing emphasis and information. Use them to stress a key element, to draw a contrast, or to present new, surprising information at the end of the sentence.
Good writers reach for clefts when normal word order wouldn't make the important part stand out.
예문
It was the rain that ruined our picnic.
Emphasis on the cause (the rain).
It wasn't the price — it was the quality.
Drawing a contrast.
What surprised me was her honesty.
New information placed last for effect.
It was ... that (emphasis)
/ɪt wəz ðæt/
It was the rain that ruined our picnic. (emphasis)
It wasn't ... it was (contrast)
/ɪt ˈwɒzənt/
It wasn't the price — it was the quality.
What ... was (new info)
/wɒt wəz/
What surprised me was her honesty.
What is the main purpose of a cleft sentence?
Complete the cleft for new info: ___ surprised me was her honesty. (one word)
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