Grammar Worksheet — Intro
Cleft Sentences for Emphasis
Explanation
Cleft sentences divide one message into two parts so the writer or speaker can highlight important information.
It-clefts often focus on a person, time, place, or reason: It was the lack of evidence that weakened the claim.
What-clefts and all-clefts often focus on actions, needs, causes, or results: What we need is a clearer policy.
Form
| Use | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Core form | It + be + focus + that/who + clause | It was the timing that caused the problem. |
| Variation | What + clause + be + focus | What surprised me was the speed of the decision. |
| Advanced form | All + clause + be + focus | All we need is more reliable data. |
Use who for people in it-clefts when the person is the focus; that is also common.
Keep the verb after what/all singular when the focused idea is singular: What matters is accuracy.
Examples
- It was the lack of evidence that weakened the argument.
- It is the timing of the announcement that worries investors.
- What made the proposal convincing was its practicality.
- What the report fails to explain is the cost.
- All the team wanted was a clear decision.
- The reason why we objected was the lack of consultation.
- The person who raised the issue was the junior analyst.
- What matters most is whether the policy can be implemented fairly.
Common Mistakes
- It was the cost what worried us. → It was the cost that worried us. Use that, not what, in a standard it-cleft.
- What made the proposal convincing were its practicality. → What made the proposal convincing was its practicality. Use a singular verb when the focused complement is singular.
- All what I need is a clear answer. → All I need is a clear answer. Do not use what after all in this cleft pattern.
- The reason why we left it was the noise. → The reason why we left was the noise. Avoid an unnecessary object after an intransitive verb.