A cleft sentence is a sentence structure that divides one idea into two parts to emphasize a particular piece of information. It usually uses a form of be followed by a clause, helping the speaker or writer highlight a person, thing, time, place, or reason.
If you’re searching for “cleft sentence meaning,” “what is a cleft sentence,” or “cleft sentence definition,” you’re likely looking for a simple explanation and examples of how this grammar structure works. In English, cleft sentences are commonly used to add emphasis, clarify information, or show which part of a sentence is most important.
| Question | Answer |
| What is a cleft sentence? | A sentence divided into two parts to emphasize specific information. |
| What does cleft sentence mean? | A grammatical structure used to give special emphasis to part of a sentence. |
| Why are cleft sentences used? | They are used to emphasize, clarify, or focus attention on particular information. |
| What is an example of a cleft sentence? | “It was Sarah who called me.” |
| What are common types of cleft sentences? | It-clefts, wh-clefts, and related structures such as reversed wh-clefts. |
Quick Answer: What Is a Cleft Sentence?
A cleft sentence is a grammatical construction that splits one message into two clauses to give special emphasis to one part of the sentence.
The two most important patterns are:
- It-cleft: It was Sarah who broke the window.
- Wh-cleft: What I need is a break.
Compare them with their ordinary versions:
| Normal sentence | Cleft sentence | Focus |
| Sarah broke the window. | It was Sarah who broke the window. | Sarah |
| Tom bought the tickets. | It was the tickets that Tom bought. | The tickets |
| I need a break. | What I need is a break. | A break |
| We met in Chicago. | It was in Chicago that we met. | Chicago |
The word cleft means something that has been split or divided. In grammar, the term refers to the way one message gets divided into two clauses.
What Does Cleft Sentence Mean?
The simplest way to understand cleft sentence meaning is to think about focus.
A normal sentence can communicate a fact without explicitly telling you which part deserves the most attention:
Maria called me yesterday.
Depending on the situation, you might want to emphasize Maria, the action, or the time.
A cleft construction lets you highlight one of those elements:
It was Maria who called me yesterday.
It was yesterday that Maria called me.
The basic event hasn’t changed. Maria still called, and she still called yesterday. What changes is the information structure.
This makes cleft sentences especially useful when you want to:
- correct someone
- contrast two possibilities
- highlight a person or thing
- clarify an important detail
- emphasize time or place
- make a particular part of a statement more noticeable
For example, imagine someone asks:
“Was James the person who called?”
You could answer:
It was James who called.
The construction works naturally because the listener already knows about the call. The new or corrected information is James.
Cambridge notes that cleft sentences often connect information that is already understood with information that is new or emphasized.
How Does a Cleft Sentence Work?
A cleft sentence usually takes a straightforward message and reorganizes it into two grammatical parts.
Consider:
David repaired the computer.
You can focus on different parts:
It was David who repaired the computer.
Here, David receives the focus.
You could instead focus on the object:
It was the computer that David repaired.
Now the computer receives the focus.
Or you could focus on the time:
It was yesterday that David repaired the computer.
The underlying event remains the same. The structure simply changes which element stands out.
Old Information and New Information
Cleft sentences often work particularly well when one part of the message is already understood and another part provides the important information.
For example:
“I know someone fixed the printer. Who was it?”
It was Daniel who fixed the printer.
The fact that someone fixed the printer is already part of the conversation. The new information is Daniel.
This old-information/new-information relationship helps explain why cleft sentences sound especially natural in conversations involving corrections, questions, contrasts, and clarifications.
Types of Cleft Sentences
English has several cleft constructions, but it-clefts and wh-clefts are the two most important types to learn.
Other patterns, such as reversed wh-clefts and all-clefts, build on the same basic idea of focusing information.
It-Cleft Sentences
The it-cleft is one of the most common cleft constructions.
The basic pattern is:
It + be + focused element + who/that + remaining clause
Examples:
It was Anna who found the keys.
It was the blue folder that I wanted.
The element immediately following it is/was normally receives the main focus.
It-Cleft Structure
| Part | Function |
| It | Introductory subject |
| is/was | Form of be |
| Focused element | Information being emphasized |
| who/that | Links the focused element to the remaining clause |
| Remaining clause | Gives the rest of the information |
For example:
It was Emily who sent the email.
- It = introductory subject
- was = linking verb
- Emily = focused element
- who sent the email = remaining clause
The ordinary sentence would be:
Emily sent the email.
The cleft version places Emily in the spotlight.
Using Who and That in It-Clefts
When the focused element is a person, who is common:
It was Daniel who called me.
It was my sister who organized the event.
That can also occur, especially in less formal contexts:
It was Daniel that called me.
When the focus is a thing, that is generally used:
It was the broken cable that caused the problem.
It was the red button that I pressed.
Cambridge notes that who can replace that when the focus is a person. It also notes that the linking word can sometimes be omitted in informal English when it functions as the object.
For example:
It was your sister that I met.
can become:
It was your sister I met.
That shortened version is natural in conversation.
It-Clefts With People
People are one of the easiest things to emphasize with an it-cleft.
Normal:
James solved the problem.
Cleft:
It was James who solved the problem.
Normal:
My brother sent the package.
Cleft:
It was my brother who sent the package.
Normal:
Lisa gave me the advice.
Cleft:
It was Lisa who gave me the advice.
These structures become particularly useful when you’re correcting an assumption:
“I thought Mark sent the email.”
“No, it was Sarah who sent it.”
The cleft construction makes the contrast clear.
It-Clefts With Things
You can also focus on an object or other non-human element.
It was the deadline that caused the problem.
It was the noise that woke me up.
The normal versions would be:
The deadline caused the problem.
The noise woke me up.
The final question confused everyone.
The cleft forms make the selected element more prominent.
It-Clefts With Time
Time expressions can also receive focus.
It was yesterday that she called.
It was last summer that we moved here.
You can think of the pattern as:
It was + time + that + event
The British Council gives examples such as “It was yesterday that you invited me to the party” to demonstrate how an it-cleft can emphasize time.
It-Clefts With Place
Place can receive the same treatment:
It was in Boston that they first met.
It was at the station that I saw her.
These constructions answer the question, “Where exactly?”
Wh-Cleft Sentences
The second major type is the wh-cleft, often called a pseudo-cleft.
These sentences commonly begin with what, although other wh-words can appear as well.
The basic pattern is:
What + clause + be + focused information
For example:
What I need is a vacation.
The ordinary sentence is:
I need a vacation.
The cleft version places a vacation in the focus position.
Other examples include:
What she wants is a new job.
What we need is more time.
British Council explains that what-clauses followed by be commonly emphasize the part outside the what-clause.
Why Are They Called Wh-Clefts?
They’re called wh-clefts because the first clause typically begins with a wh-word.
The most common word is what:
What I want is a quiet evening.
But other wh-words can appear:
Where we stayed was near the beach.
Why she left remains unclear.
How they solved the problem is still a mystery.
In everyday English, what-clefts are especially common.
What-Cleft Examples
Here are several useful patterns:
| Ordinary sentence | Wh-cleft |
| I need more time. | What I need is more time. |
| She wants a new phone. | What she wants is a new phone. |
| We need to leave early. | What we need to do is leave early. |
| I like the ending most. | What I like most is the ending. |
| His answer surprised me. | What surprised me was his answer. |
Notice that the wh-clause often describes an activity, need, preference, or idea. The information after is/was then identifies the important result or element.
Reversed Wh-Cleft Sentences
A reversed wh-cleft changes the order of the two parts.
Compare:
What I need is a vacation.
with:
A vacation is what I need.
Both sentences communicate essentially the same idea.
The difference lies in where the focused information appears.
Standard Wh-Cleft
What I need is a vacation.
Reversed Wh-Cleft
A vacation is what I need.
More examples:
What she wants is a promotion.
A promotion is what she wants.
And:
What I remember most is the music.
The music is what I remember most.
This construction can create a stronger rhetorical effect because the important noun phrase appears first.
All-Cleft Sentences
Another useful pattern begins with all.
The structure often means the only thing or everything that someone wants, needs, says, or does.
Examples:
All he said was “goodbye.”
All we need is a better plan.
These sentences resemble what-clefts because they divide the information into two parts and place emphasis on the information after is/was.
Compare:
I want a little peace and quiet.
with:
All I want is a little peace and quiet.
The second version adds a stronger sense of limitation: that’s the only thing I want.
Cleft Sentence Examples
Seeing the patterns side by side makes the concept much easier to understand.
| Type | Example | Focus |
| Normal | Maria broke the vase. | Neutral statement |
| It-cleft | It was Maria who broke the vase. | Maria |
| It-cleft | It was the vase that Maria broke. | The vase |
| It-cleft | It was yesterday that Maria broke the vase. | Yesterday |
| Wh-cleft | What Maria broke was the vase. | The vase |
| Reversed wh-cleft | The vase was what Maria broke. | The vase |
| All-cleft | All Maria broke was the vase. | The vase |
Cleft Sentences With People
It was John who called me.
It was my teacher who explained the concept.
What I needed was someone who could help.
Cleft Sentences With Things
It was the battery that caused the problem.
What I need is a new laptop.
The new laptop is what I need.
Cleft Sentences With Time
It was Monday that we started.
What I remember most is the first day.
Cleft Sentences With Places
It was in New York that they met.
Where they met was New York.
Cleft Sentences With Reasons
It was the heavy traffic that made us late.
What caused the delay was the heavy traffic.
These examples show that cleft sentences can focus on many different types of information.
Cleft Sentences vs. Normal Sentences
The biggest difference isn’t necessarily the basic fact. It’s the focus.
Consider:
John ate the last slice of pizza.
This is a straightforward statement.
Now imagine someone says:
“I thought Sarah ate it.”
You can respond:
It was John who ate the last slice of pizza.
The cleft version fits the conversational situation because John is the disputed information.
Likewise:
It was the last slice of pizza that John ate.
Now the focus shifts to the last slice of pizza.
This is why context matters so much with cleft constructions. A sentence can be grammatically correct but still sound unnecessary if there is nothing worth emphasizing.
Cleft Sentences vs. Pseudo-Cleft Sentences
The terms can look confusing at first.
An it-cleft usually follows this pattern:
It + be + focus + relative clause
Example:
It was Sarah who won the race.
A pseudo-cleft, usually a wh-cleft, follows this pattern:
Wh-clause + be + focus
Example:
What Sarah won was the race.
A more natural example would be:
What I want is a new car.
The main structural difference is the location and type of the first clause.
| Feature | It-cleft | Wh-cleft |
| Common opening | It | What |
| Basic pattern | It + be + focus + clause | Wh-clause + be + focus |
| Example | It was Alex who called. | What I need is rest. |
| Main function | Highlights a selected element | Presents an idea and identifies its focus |
Cambridge Grammar treats it-clefts and wh-clefts as distinct cleft constructions and explains how each organizes information around a focus.
When Do You Use a Cleft Sentence?
Cleft sentences aren’t simply fancy alternatives to ordinary sentences. They become useful when information focus matters.
To Correct Someone
Suppose someone says:
“Tom broke the window.”
You know that’s incorrect.
You could say:
It was Jake who broke the window.
The cleft structure immediately highlights the correction.
To Create Contrast
It wasn’t the price that bothered me. It was the quality.
The first cleft establishes one possibility, while the second identifies the real issue.
This kind of contrast works well in conversation and writing.
To Emphasize Time
It was after midnight that the phone rang.
The unusual timing becomes the focus.
To Emphasize Place
It was at the airport that we first met.
The place becomes the important piece of information.
To Highlight a Need or Preference
What I need is a little more time.
This construction makes the speaker’s need especially clear.
To Organize Information
Cleft sentences can also help present information in a way that guides the reader from an established idea toward the important detail.
That principle connects with a broader writing practice: clear sentences often move from familiar information toward new information. Purdue OWL discusses this old-to-new information pattern as a useful way to improve sentence clarity.
Cleft Sentences in Everyday English
You don’t have to encounter a grammar textbook to hear cleft sentences.
They appear naturally when people explain, correct, clarify, or emphasize something.
In Conversation
“Who told you?”
It was Mike who told me.
During an Explanation
What we need to do is check the numbers again.
During a Correction
“Was the meeting on Tuesday?”
No, it was Wednesday that we met.
During an Argument or Contrast
It wasn’t the decision that upset her. It was the way they announced it.
In Writing
What makes the system unusual is its ability to adapt quickly.
The structure can therefore appear in ordinary speech as well as more formal writing.
Common Cleft Sentence Patterns
Keeping a few patterns in mind makes these constructions much easier to recognize.
| Cleft type | Formula | Example |
| It-cleft | It + be + focus + that/who + clause | It was Sarah who called. |
| Wh-cleft | What + clause + be + focus | What I need is rest. |
| Reversed wh-cleft | Focus + be + what-clause | Rest is what I need. |
| All-cleft | All + clause + be + focus | All I need is rest. |
These aren’t rigid formulas for every possible sentence. They are useful starting patterns that show how the construction works.
Common Mistakes With Cleft Sentences
Cleft sentences can look complicated, but most mistakes come from a handful of problems.
Adding an Unnecessary Extra Verb
Incorrect:
❌ It was Sarah who did broke the window.
Correct:
✅ It was Sarah who broke the window.
The cleft construction doesn’t require an extra did when the main verb already carries the required tense.
Using the Wrong Relative Word
For a person, this is natural:
It was Daniel who called.
For a thing:
It was the storm that caused the delay.
Using which in place of who for a person may sound awkward in this structure.
Forgetting the Verb Be
Incorrect:
❌ What I need a break.
Correct:
✅ What I need is a break.
The is/was connects the two parts of a typical wh-cleft.
Repeating the Focused Object
Incorrect:
❌ What I need is it a new computer.
Correct:
✅ What I need is a new computer.
The wh-clause already establishes the grammatical relationship. Don’t add an unnecessary pronoun that repeats the focused element.
Forcing a Cleft Sentence
Not every sentence needs one.
For example:
I went to the store.
is perfectly natural.
You don’t need to turn it into:
It was the store that I went to.
unless the store is important for contrast or emphasis.
A cleft construction should have a reason to exist. Otherwise, ordinary word order will usually sound cleaner.
Cleft Sentence vs. Emphatic Sentence
These ideas overlap, but they aren’t exactly identical.
A cleft sentence uses a particular grammatical structure to organize emphasis:
It was Maria who solved the problem.
Other forms of emphasis don’t necessarily use clefting.
For example:
Maria really did solve the problem.
Here, did adds emphasis, but the sentence isn’t a cleft sentence.
The British Council groups cleft sentences with other ways of adding emphasis, such as inversion and emphatic auxiliaries, while treating them as separate grammatical structures.
The distinction is useful:
- Cleft sentence: changes the sentence structure to highlight information.
- Emphatic auxiliary: uses do, does, or did for emphasis.
- Inversion: changes normal word order for emphasis or rhetorical effect.
A Simple Way to Identify a Cleft Sentence
When you’re unsure whether a sentence is cleft, ask three questions.
Does the sentence divide one basic message into two parts?
For example:
It was Lisa who won.
Yes.
Does the structure highlight one particular element?
Yes. Lisa receives the focus.
Does it use a recognizable cleft pattern?
Look for structures such as:
It was X who/that…
or:
What… is X.
If those features appear together, you’re probably looking at a cleft construction.
A Practical Before-and-After Case Study
Consider this ordinary statement:
The unexpected delay caused the problem.
Suppose you’re answering the question, “What caused the problem?”
You can emphasize the cause:
It was the unexpected delay that caused the problem.
Now suppose the question is, “What happened?”
You might use a different construction:
What caused the problem was the unexpected delay.
The two sentences point to the same basic relationship, but they package the information differently.
This is the real strength of cleft sentences: they let you control where the listener’s attention goes.
How to Turn a Normal Sentence Into a Cleft Sentence
Start with a simple sentence.
Emma bought the tickets on Friday.
Then decide what you want to emphasize.
Focus on Emma
It was Emma who bought the tickets on Friday.
Focus on the tickets
It was the tickets that Emma bought on Friday.
Focus on Friday
It was on Friday that Emma bought the tickets.
Use a wh-cleft
What Emma bought on Friday was the tickets.
The process is straightforward:
- Start with the basic sentence.
- Choose the information that deserves emphasis.
- Select an appropriate cleft pattern.
- Rebuild the sentence without changing the underlying event.
- Check that the result sounds natural in context.
This approach is much easier than trying to memorize dozens of isolated examples.
Cleft Sentences and Questions
Cleft structures can also appear in questions.
For example:
Was it John who called?
Was it yesterday that you left?
Is it this book that you need?
The question still follows the basic cleft pattern, but the speaker asks whether the emphasized information is correct.
Cambridge’s grammar reference includes interrogative cleft constructions as part of the wider use of clefting.
Cleft Sentence Meaning in Simple Terms
If grammar terminology makes the subject feel harder than it needs to be, remember this:
A cleft sentence is a sentence that splits one message into two parts to put extra focus on one part.
Think of a normal sentence as a sentence with a spotlight that isn’t pointed very strongly anywhere.
A cleft sentence moves that spotlight.
For example:
James ate the cake.
becomes:
It was James who ate the cake.
Now the listener knows exactly what matters: James, not someone else.
Or:
I need more time.
becomes:
What I need is more time.
Now more time receives the focus.
That’s the core of cleft sentence meaning.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cleft Sentences
What is a cleft sentence?
A cleft sentence is a grammatical construction that divides one message into two clauses to emphasize a particular piece of information.
For example:
It was Sarah who called.
The ordinary version is:
Sarah called.
The cleft version emphasizes Sarah.
What is an example of a cleft sentence?
A simple example is:
It was John who opened the door.
Another common type is:
What I need is a vacation.
Both sentences use cleft structures to focus attention on specific information.
Why are cleft sentences used?
Cleft sentences are mainly used to emphasize or focus information.
They work particularly well when you’re correcting someone, contrasting two possibilities, clarifying a detail, or presenting important information.
What are the main types of cleft sentences?
The two major types are:
- It-clefts: It was Maria who called.
- Wh-clefts or pseudo-clefts: What I need is more time.
Other patterns include reversed wh-clefts and all-clefts.
What is an it-cleft sentence?
An it-cleft usually follows this structure:
It + be + focused element + who/that + clause
Example:
It was James who solved the problem.
What is a wh-cleft sentence?
A wh-cleft usually begins with what and follows this general pattern:
What + clause + be + focused element
Example:
What I need is a break.
What is a pseudo-cleft sentence?
A pseudo-cleft is a type of cleft construction that commonly uses a wh-clause, especially a what-clause.
For example:
What I want is a new phone.
The term pseudo-cleft is often used for these wh-based constructions.
Are cleft sentences grammatically correct?
Yes. Cleft sentences are established English grammatical constructions. Major English grammar references describe them as structures used to organize and emphasize information.
Do cleft sentences change the meaning of a sentence?
Usually, they don’t change the basic factual meaning. Instead, they change the information focus.
For example:
Lisa bought the book.
and:
It was Lisa who bought the book.
describe the same basic event, but the second sentence strongly highlights Lisa.
What is the difference between a cleft sentence and a normal sentence?
A normal sentence presents the information in ordinary word order:
Mark fixed the computer.
A cleft sentence rearranges the message to emphasize a particular element:
It was Mark who fixed the computer.
The key difference is information focus.
Key Takeaways About Cleft Sentence Meaning
A few points capture the whole topic:
- A cleft sentence divides one message into two grammatical parts.
- Its main purpose is emphasis or information focus.
- It-clefts commonly use the pattern It is/was + focus + who/that…
- Wh-clefts commonly use What + clause + is/was + focus.
- Pseudo-cleft is another name commonly used for wh-cleft constructions.
- Reversed wh-clefts put the focused element before the wh-clause.
- All-clefts often use all to express the idea of “the only thing.”
- Cleft sentences work especially well for correction, contrast, clarification, and emphasis.
- A cleft sentence doesn’t automatically make writing better. Use one when the information focus makes it useful.
- The easiest way to understand clefting is to compare a neutral sentence with a sentence that deliberately puts one element in the spotlight.
Once you recognize the pattern, cleft sentences become much less mysterious. Instead of viewing them as complicated grammar, think of them as a practical way to tell your reader or listener, “This is the part I want you to notice.”
