Cleft sentences: Adding emphasis — Explanation

Practice B2 cleft sentences with clear exercises. Learn how to add emphasis using it-cleft and wh-cleft structures with practical English grammar examples.

Cleft Sentences in English: Adding Emphasis Exercises

We sometimes want to stress a certain part of a sentence in English. Using cleft sentences is a common way to do this. Cleft sentences help bring out important information and make the message clearer or more dramatic.

People use them a lot when they talk, write, tell stories, and explain things.

This guide will teach you what cleft sentences are, how to make them, and when to use them.

What Are Cleft Sentences?

A cleft sentence is one that has two parts that draw attention to one thing in particular.

Cleft sentences change the structure of a sentence to draw attention to something specific, like:

• the person
• the time
• the place
• the reason
• the object

For example:

Normal sentence:
She broke the window yesterday.

Cleft sentence:
It was yesterday that she broke the window.

The cleft sentence makes it clear when the action took place.

Types of Cleft Sentences

In English, there are two main kinds of cleft sentences.

It-Cleft Sentences

The it-cleft sentence is the most common type of sentence.

Structure:

It + be + emphasized element + that/who + rest of the sentence

Examples:

• It was John who solved the problem.
• It is this book that everyone is talking about.
• It was last night that they announced the news.

These sentences bring out the most important part of the message.

For example:

Normal sentence:
Maria invited us to the party.

Emphasized sentence:
It was Maria who invited us to the party.

The focus is now on Maria, not the invitation.

Wh-Cleft Sentences (Pseudo-Cleft)

Another common type is the wh-cleft sentence, which usually starts with a wh-word.

Structure:

What / where / why / how + clause + be + emphasized element

Examples:

• What I need is a good vacation.
• What she loves most is classical music.
• Where they met was in a small café.

These sentences emphasize the result or important information.

Example:

Normal sentence:
I need a break.

Wh-cleft sentence:
What I need is a break.

What Are Cleft Sentences Used For?

There are a few reasons to use cleft sentences:

To Emphasize Important Information

They let the speaker draw attention to a certain part.

Example:

I met Sarah at the conference.
→ It was at the conference that I met Sarah.

To Correct Information

People often use cleft sentences when they are correcting someone.

Example:

A: Did Tom call you?
B: No, it was Anna who called me.

To Make Speech More Natural

Cleft sentences are often used by native speakers to sound more natural or expressive.

Example:

What I really enjoy is traveling to new countries.

More Examples of Sentences with Clefts

Here are some more examples:

• It was the manager who made the decision.
• It is this restaurant that I recommend.
• What surprised me most was his reaction.
• What they want is a fair solution.

See how each sentence makes a point.