Quick answer. A cleft sentence divides one message into two parts so that one element receives extra focus. Use It was X who/that… to highlight a person, thing, place or time, and What… is/was X to highlight the information that completes an idea: It was Nina who called; What I need is a break.
- build it-clefts and wh-clefts;
- keep the original tense and meaning;
- choose who, that and what correctly;
- avoid adding unnecessary words after the focused element.
Cleft sentence patterns
| Pattern | Focus | Example |
|---|---|---|
| It + be + person + who/that + clause | person | It was Maya who found the key. |
| It + be + thing/place/time + that + clause | other detail | It was at the station that we met. |
| What + clause + be + focus | needed action or information | What I need is more time. |
| The person/thing that + clause + be + focus | identified person or thing | The person who helped me was Leo. |
| All + clause + be + focus | single limited need or action | All I want is a clear answer. |
A neutral sentence such as Maya found the key in the kitchen can focus different details: It was Maya who found the key; It was the key that Maya found; It was in the kitchen that Maya found the key. The event stays the same, but the listener’s attention moves.
Exercise 1: complete the pattern
- It ___ Anna who sent the message yesterday.
- It was at the front desk ___ I left my passport.
- What we need ___ a quieter room.
- It ___ the blue cable that caused the problem.
- The person who booked the tickets ___ Sam.
- All I want ___ ten minutes to think.
Answers to Exercise 1
- was
- that
- is
- was
- was
- is
The form of be follows the time and number intended by the sentence. Do not choose it only by looking at the nearest noun.
It-clefts: choose the focused element
Begin with it + be, place the new or corrected information next, and finish with a relative clause. For a person, who is often the clearest choice; that is also possible in many neutral it-clefts. For time, place and things, that is the safest general option.
Exercise 2: rewrite as an it-cleft
- Leo repaired the bicycle.
- We met on Thursday.
- Maya put the keys in the top drawer.
- The delay affected the morning flight.
- I first heard the song at school.
Model answers
- It was Leo who repaired the bicycle.
- It was on Thursday that we met.
- It was in the top drawer that Maya put the keys.
- It was the morning flight that the delay affected.
- It was at school that I first heard the song.
Wh-clefts: what the sentence needs
A wh-cleft begins with a clause introduced by what. That whole clause works as the subject: What she enjoys is solving difficult problems. Use this pattern when the focus completes, defines or identifies the first part. Do not add a second object that repeats the same information.
Exercise 3: build a wh-cleft
- I need a short break. → What I need ___.
- She enjoys teaching beginners most. → What she enjoys most ___.
- We should check the address first. → What we should do first ___.
- He hated the long wait. → What he hated ___.
- They want clear instructions. → What they want ___.
Model answers
- What I need is a short break.
- What she enjoys most is teaching beginners.
- What we should do first is check the address.
- What he hated was the long wait.
- What they want is clear instructions.
After What we should do is…, the complement often uses the base form: is check. An infinitive with to can occur, but keep one consistent neutral pattern in this exercise.
Keep the original tense and meaning
The cleft does not automatically change the event time. Compare It is Nina who checks the figures every week with It was Nina who checked them yesterday. The first be frames the focus, while the verb inside the clause still carries important tense information.
| Neutral sentence | Cleft sentence | Meaning kept? |
|---|---|---|
| Tom opens the office every day. | It is Tom who opens the office every day. | present routine |
| Tom opened it yesterday. | It was Tom who opened it yesterday. | past event |
| We need a new plan. | What we need is a new plan. | present need |
Exercise 4: correct the mistake
- It was Anna which called me.
- What I need it is more practice.
- It was yesterday where we met.
- What he likes is to plays chess.
- It is last week that Maya sent the form.
- It was the noise what woke the baby.
Corrections
- It was Anna who/that called me.
- What I need is more practice.
- It was yesterday that we met.
- What he likes is playing chess / to play chess.
- It was last week that Maya sent the form.
- It was the noise that woke the baby.
Exercise 5: translate into English
- Именно Олег нашёл ошибку.
- Именно в понедельник мы получили ответ.
- Мне нужен чёткий пример.
- Больше всего её раздражал шум.
- Всё, чего я хочу, — это выспаться.
Model translations
- It was Oleg who found the mistake.
- It was on Monday that we received the answer.
- What I need is a clear example.
- What annoyed her most was the noise.
- All I want is to get enough sleep.
Typical mistakes for Russian-speaking learners
- Using which for a person after the focused element.
- Repeating a dummy subject: What I need it is…
- Using where or when automatically inside an it-cleft instead of the neutral that pattern.
- Changing the original tense while transforming the sentence.
- Creating a cleft where no contrast or correction needs emphasis.
Thirty-second focus test
Start with Mia found the document in the kitchen. Focus the person: It was Mia who found the document in the kitchen. Focus the place: It was in the kitchen that Mia found the document. If both sentences describe the same event, the pattern is working.
Continue with relative clauses, inversion for emphasis, subject and object questions, indirect questions, linking ideas with however and therefore and mixed tenses.
