Emphasis & Focus

Cleft Sentences

What is a cleft sentence?

Cleft means split. We take one ordinary sentence and break it into two parts so that one element gets the spotlight. The information is identical — only the emphasis changes.

Plain sentence	Cleft sentence
Actually, a love of life motivates them.	Actually, it's* a love of life that motivates them.*
A neurotransmitter called dopamine is responsible for feelings of pleasure.	The thing that is responsible for feelings of pleasure is a neurotransmitter called dopamine.
They want to stay safe.	What they want is to stay safe.
They are just thinking about what they need to do next.	All they are thinking about is what they need to do next.
Careful planning and attention to detail keep them safe.	What keeps them safe is careful planning and attention to detail.

A note on the coursebook table: row 2 gives the “noncleft” as A neurotransmitter called dopamine is the thing that is responsible for feelings of pleasure — but that sentence is already half-cleft. The genuinely plain version is A neurotransmitter called dopamine is responsible for feelings of pleasure, which is what the table above uses.

Every cleft puts the spotlighted element next to the verb be. There are three main patterns.

Pattern 1 — It-clefts

Put the element you want to highlight straight after it + be, and push everything else into a relative clause.

It + be + noun phrase + that / who + …

It's a love of life that motivates them. — a thing

It was my sister who paid for the tickets. — a person

It was in 2019 that we first met. — a time

It's the noise that I can't stand, not the work. — a contrast

Which pronoun? That works after every kind of focus. Who is possible only when the focus is a person: It was my sister who / that paid. Never use which here.

Pattern 2 — Wh-clefts with what

Start with a what-clause, then be, then the spotlighted element at the end. Because English saves its strongest position for last, this cleft emphasises the ending.

What + subject + verb + be + complement

What they want is to stay safe.

What I need is a decent night's sleep.

The what-clause can also contain the verb phrase itself, so that the doer lands at the end.

What + verb phrase + be + complement

What keeps them safe is careful planning and attention to detail.

What worries me is the cost.

⚠ Agreement: a what-clause counts as singular, so the verb is is / was — even when the complement is plural: What keeps them safe is careful planning and attention to detail. You will sometimes hear are, but the singular is the safe answer.

Pattern 3 — All-clefts and noun-head clefts

All replaces what when you mean the only thing. It adds a sense of limitation.

All + subject + verb + be + complement

All they are thinking about is what they need to do next.

All I want is five minutes of quiet. — nothing more than that

You can also use a noun instead of what, followed by a relative clause. This is the pattern in row 2 of the coursebook table.

Head noun	Example
the thing	The thing that is responsible for pleasure is dopamine.
the reason	The reason (why) I called was to apologize.
the place	The place where we met was a tiny cafe in Lisbon.

Choosing a cleft

All three patterns highlight something — the difference is what and where.

You want to highlight…	Use…
a person, thing, time or place, often to correct someone	It was Ana who called, not Bruno.
an action or a whole idea, saved for the end	What I did was call the landlord.
the fact that there is nothing more	All I did was call the landlord.

⚠ Common mistakes:
✗ What they want to stay safe. → ✓ What they want is to stay safe.
✗ It was my sister which paid. → ✓ It was my sister who paid.
✗ What keeps them safe are careful planning… → ✓ What keeps them safe is careful planning…
✗ All what I want is a coffee. → ✓ All I want is a coffee.
✗ Is a love of life that motivates them. → ✓ It's a love of life that motivates them.

Match the Sentence Halves

Click a sentence beginning on the left, then click its matching ending on the right.

Matched 0 / 5

Fill in the Gaps

Complete each sentence with the correct form of the word in parentheses.

Find the Mistake

One sentence, four underlined parts. Click the lettered part that contains the error — it is not always in the grammar of this lesson, so read the whole sentence.

Put the Words in Order

Click the words to build the correct sentence. Click a placed word to remove it.

Answer the Questions

Write your own answers using cleft sentences. Then click "Show Model Answer" to compare.