Overview
Cleft sentences split a simple sentence into two parts to emphasise one element. It-clefts: It was Maria who found the solution. Wh-clefts: What I need is more time. Clefts are common in formal writing and spoken emphasis to highlight who, what, or when something happened.
It-Cleft Structure
- FocusIt is the quality of evidence that matters most.
- PersonIt was the director who approved the budget.
- TimeIt was in 1989 that the wall fell.
- NegatedIt was not cost but quality that drove the decision.
Wh-Cleft (Pseudo-Cleft)
- Structure: What + clause + be + focus
- What we need is more consistent data.
- What surprised us was the speed of the collapse.
- Reversed: The key issue is what we choose to prioritise.
Common Mistakes
- ❌ What I need it is → ✅ What I need is (no extra pronoun)
- ❌ Overusing clefts — once per paragraph is stylistically appropriate.
- ❌ It was her that done it → ✅ It was she who did it (formal subject case)
When to use
Academic emphasis
It is the methodology that undermines the study's credibility.
Spoken contrast
It was Tom who made the error, not the whole team.
Business reports
What the data reveals is a consistent downward trend.
Formal argument
It is precisely this ambiguity that we must address.