Cleft sentences

A cleft sentence splits a normal sentence into two parts to put the spotlight on one piece of information — usually something new, or a correction of what the listener thinks. There are two main types: It + be + X + that / who… and What… + be + X. From Minh fixed the printer yesterday, you can focus on each part:

💡When you say a cleft sentence, stress the part in focus: It was MINH who fixed it. The frame and the stress work together.

It is / It was + the part in focus + that / who + the rest. The part in focus can be a person, a thing, a time, a place, a reason or a prepositional phrase.

• People: use who or that — It was my aunt who / that taught me. Don't use which for people.
• Things, times, places, reasons: the standard word is that — It was in Hue that…, It was because of the rain that…. Don't use where / when / why after these phrases.
• It always takes a singular verb — It was my parents who… (not: It were). But the verb after who / that agrees with X: It's the students who choose….
• Present → It is / It's, past → It was. Negatives and questions: It wasn't me who…, Was it you who…?, Who was it that called?
• With not until: It was not until midnight that the guests left = they stayed until midnight, and only then left.
• Pronouns: It was me who… is the normal form; It was I who… is very formal.

• It was my grandfather who taught me to ride a motorbike.

• It's the noise that keeps me awake, not the heat.

• It was in Hoi An that my parents first met.

• It wasn't until I moved out that I learned to cook.

• Was it you who left the window open?

What + clause means “the thing that”. The whole What… part is a singular subject, so it takes is / was, and the important information goes at the end. This type is very common in speech — it prepares the listener for the main point.

After What … do / did + is / was, speakers usually use the bare base verb (What I did was call…); adding to is also correct and slightly more formal. Don't repeat the subject: not “What I did was I called…”.

• What I love about Hue is the slow pace of life.

• What we need is more time, not more money.

• What she did was call the airline directly.

• What happened was the taxi never showed up.

  a common way to start a story in speech

A few other frames do the same job:

• All + clause means “the only thing…” and takes a singular verb: All I want is…. After All you have to do is…, the bare base verb is usual.
• The thing (that)… / The only thing… / The reason (why)… / The person who… + is / was + the part in focus.
• Reversed frames X + is + what / where / why…: That's what I mean. This is where I grew up. Here where / when / why are perfectly normal.

• All I want is a quiet weekend at home.

• All you have to do is press this button.

• The reason I called is that I need your help.

  in speech you'll also hear is because; formal writing prefers is that

• That's what I was trying to say!

• This is where I grew up.

💡Many familiar ways to start a sentence in speech are really clefts: What I mean is…, The thing is…, What I'd like to know is… — see the lesson “Spoken sentence frames”.

• ✗What I need it is a cup of coffee.

  ✓What I need is a cup of coffee.

  What I need is already the subject; it is one subject too many.

• ✗It was my parents which paid for the trip.

  ✓It was my parents who paid for the trip.

  People → who / that.

• ✗It was in Da Nang where I learned to surf.

  ✓It was in Da Nang that I learned to surf.

  After a place phrase in a cleft, use that.

• ✗It was because I was ill why I missed the exam.

  ✓It was because I was ill that I missed the exam.

  Reasons take that too.

• ✗It is the students who chooses the topic each week.

  ✓It is the students who choose the topic each week.

  The verb after who agrees with the students (plural).

• ✗What I did was I called the police.

  ✓What I did was call the police.

  After What … did was, use the base verb (with or without to) — no second subject.