Cleft Sentences Practice Tests with C1 Grammar Rules & Examples

Cleft Sentences in English

In natural spoken and written English, we often want to draw attention to one particular piece of information in a sentence. One of the most powerful and elegant ways to do this is by using cleft sentences. A cleft sentence splits — or "cleaves" — a simple sentence into two clauses, allowing the speaker to place special emphasis on a specific element.

Compare these two sentences:

Sarah called the police.
It was Sarah who called the police.

Both sentences contain the same information, but the second — a cleft sentence — places strong emphasis on Sarah as the key piece of information. This is the essence of what cleft sentences do: they reorganise a sentence to highlight what matters most.

Cleft sentences are a hallmark of sophisticated, fluent English. At C1 level, you are expected to both recognise and use them naturally in writing and speech. This lesson covers the two main types: it-cleft sentences and wh-cleft sentences (pseudo-clefts), as well as related advanced structures.

Why Use Cleft Sentences?

Cleft sentences serve several important communicative functions at C1 level:

• Emphasis: To highlight a specific part of a sentence (the subject, object, time, place, reason, or manner).
• Contrast: To correct a misunderstanding or contradict a previous statement.
• Information focus: To signal what is "new" or important information in a discourse.
• Cohesion: To link ideas smoothly in written and spoken texts.

Understanding why a cleft sentence is used is just as important as understanding how to form one.

Type 1: It-Cleft Sentences

The it-cleft is the most common type of cleft sentence in English. It uses a dummy subject it to introduce the sentence, followed by a form of be, the focused element, and a relative clause beginning with who, that, which, where, or when.

Structure of It-Cleft Sentences

It + be + [focused element] + relative clause

Let us begin with a simple sentence and see how it transforms into an it-cleft:

Original sentence: James broke the window.

Focused Element	Cleft Sentence	What is emphasised
Subject (person)	It was James who broke the window.	James — not someone else
Object (thing)	It was the window that James broke.	The window — not something else
Time	It was yesterday that James broke the window.	Yesterday — not another time
Place	It was in the kitchen that James broke the window.	In the kitchen — not elsewhere
Reason	It was because he was angry that James broke the window.	His reason — not another reason

Choosing the Correct Relative Pronoun in It-Clefts

The relative pronoun that follows the focused element depends on the nature of that element:

Focused Element	Relative Pronoun	Example
Person	who or that	It was Maria who organised the event.
Thing / object	that or which	It was the contract that caused the problem.
Time expression	that or when	It was in 1969 that the moon landing took place.
Place expression	that or where	It was in Paris that they first met.
Reason clause	that	It was because of the delay that we missed the flight.

Note: In modern English, that is by far the most flexible relative pronoun in it-cleft sentences and can be used in nearly all contexts. Who, which, when, and where are more formal or precise alternatives.

Tense in It-Cleft Sentences

The verb be in an it-cleft must agree with the tense and context of the sentence. It can appear in any tense:

• It is your dedication that makes you stand out. (present)
• It was the sudden noise that startled the audience. (past)
• It will be this decision that defines his career. (future)
• It has been her creativity that has driven the project. (present perfect)

Negating It-Cleft Sentences

It-cleft sentences can also be negated. This is particularly useful for correcting false information:

It was not Peter who stole the money — it was his brother.
It is not the price that concerns me; it is the quality.
It was not until midnight that the guests finally left.

The structure It was not until + time/event + that + clause is especially common in formal writing to indicate that something happened later than expected or after a significant delay.

It Was Not Until… That… (A Key C1 Structure)

This particular cleft construction deserves special attention at C1 level, as it appears frequently in academic and literary texts:

It was not until + [time/event] + that + [clause]

• It was not until she arrived home that she realised her passport was missing.
• It was not until the 20th century that women gained the right to vote in many countries.
• It was not until he read the report that the manager understood the severity of the situation.

This structure emphasises the delay before an event or realisation, and carries a strong sense of contrast or surprise.

Type 2: Wh-Cleft Sentences (Pseudo-Clefts)

The second major type of cleft sentence is the wh-cleft, sometimes called a pseudo-cleft. Instead of using it, this structure begins with a wh- clause (most commonly a what-clause), followed by be and the focused element.

Structure of Wh-Cleft Sentences

Wh-clause + be + [focused element]

The most common pattern uses what:

What + subject + verb + is/was + [focused element]

Again, let us start with a simple sentence:

Original: She needs more confidence.

Wh-cleft: What she needs is more confidence.

Here, the focus falls on more confidence — the new, most important information in the sentence.

More Examples of Wh-Cleft Sentences

Original Sentence	Wh-Cleft Sentence	Focused Element
He wants an apology.	What he wants is an apology.	An apology
They need to communicate better.	What they need to do is communicate better.	Communicate better
The company lacked clear leadership.	What the company lacked was clear leadership.	Clear leadership
I enjoy long walks in the mountains.	What I enjoy is long walks in the mountains.	Long walks in the mountains
The report failed to address the root cause.	What the report failed to address was the root cause.	The root cause

Wh-Clefts with Other Wh-Words

Although what is the most common, other wh- words can also introduce pseudo-cleft sentences, particularly in formal or literary contexts:

• Where: Where he went wrong was in trusting his instincts too blindly.
• When: When I realised the gravity of the situation was the moment he handed me the letter.
• Why: Why she resigned remains a mystery. (less common as a cleft, more as a noun clause)
• How: How they managed to finish on time was remarkable.
• The way: The way she handled the crisis is what impressed everyone.

The Reversed (Inverted) Wh-Cleft

The wh-cleft can also be reversed so that the focused element appears first and the wh-clause comes second. This is sometimes called a reversed pseudo-cleft or it-inversion cleft:

[Focused element] + be + what/wh-clause

• More confidence is what she needs.
• An apology is what he wants.
• Clear communication is what the team lacked.
• A complete rethink of strategy is what this situation demands.

This inverted form is common in spoken English and journalistic writing, where the most important information is placed at the very beginning of the sentence for immediate impact.

Comparing It-Clefts and Wh-Clefts

Both types of cleft sentences emphasise information, but they focus on different elements and carry slightly different stylistic weights. The table below compares them side by side:

Feature	It-Cleft	Wh-Cleft (Pseudo-Cleft)
Opening structure	It + be + focused element	What/wh- + clause + be
Focused element position	Middle of the sentence	End of the sentence
Best for emphasising	Subject, object, time, place, reason	Object, action, or process
Typical use	Spoken and written English	Spoken English and formal writing
Example	It was the noise that woke me.	What woke me was the noise.
Relative clause included?	Yes (who/that/which/when/where)	No relative clause — uses a nominal clause
Negation	Common: It was not until…	Less common
Register	Neutral to formal	Neutral to slightly informal (spoken)

All-Cleft Sentences and Other Advanced Cleft Structures

At C1 level, it is useful to be aware of a few additional cleft-like structures that work in similar ways:

The "All" Cleft

The all-cleft uses all in place of what to create a more restrictive or exclusive meaning. It implies that the focused element is the only thing relevant:

All + subject + verb + is/was + [focused element]

• All I want is a little peace and quiet.
• All she did was smile politely.
• All we need now is a clear plan.
• All the investigation revealed was a trail of contradictions.

The all-cleft carries a strong implication: "nothing more, nothing else." It is commonly used in spoken English to downplay or minimise something, or to highlight simplicity.

The "The Thing / The Reason / The Place / The Time" Cleft

These structures use a noun phrase as the subject of the cleft and are often followed by a relative clause:

• The thing that surprised me most was her calmness.
• The reason (why) he failed was a lack of preparation.
• The place where I feel most at ease is my childhood home.
• The moment (when) everything changed was when she read the letter.

These are sometimes called nominal relative clefts and are a natural extension of the pseudo-cleft pattern. They are particularly effective in academic and discursive writing.

Cleft Sentences: Focus and Information Structure

To use cleft sentences effectively at C1 level, you need to understand the concept of information structure — the way new and old information is organised in a sentence or discourse.

In English, sentences typically move from given (old) information to new information. The new information — what the listener or reader does not yet know — receives the main stress or focus. Cleft sentences manipulate this structure deliberately.

Example in Context

Consider a conversation:

Person A: "I heard that Tom designed the new logo."
Person B: "No — it was Anna who designed the logo."

Person B uses an it-cleft to correct Person A's false assumption. The old information (the logo being designed) is in the relative clause; the new, corrected information (Anna) is the focused element. This is cleft sentences doing their most important work: organising information in discourse.

Cleft Sentences in Academic and Formal Writing

Cleft sentences are extremely common in academic essays, formal reports, and journalistic writing. They help writers:

• Introduce key arguments with emphasis
• Contrast ideas clearly and precisely
• Guide the reader's attention to what is most significant
• Avoid repetitive or flat sentence structures

Here are examples typical of academic English:

• It is the long-term environmental consequences that demand our immediate attention.
• What the research demonstrates is a clear correlation between diet and cognitive decline.
• It was not until the late 19th century that germ theory gained widespread acceptance.
• What remains unclear is the extent to which these findings can be generalised.
• It is this paradox that lies at the heart of the debate.

Important Differences and Special Cases

Cleft Sentences vs. Relative Clauses

It-cleft sentences look similar to sentences with relative clauses, but they are not the same. In a relative clause, the clause modifies a noun. In an it-cleft, the relative clause is part of the cleft structure and the it is a dummy subject — it does not refer to anything.

Compare:

The woman who called you is my aunt. → Ordinary relative clause modifying "the woman"
It was the woman who called you. → It-cleft sentence; it has no referent

Singular or Plural After "It is/was"?

When the focused element is plural, the verb in the cleft technically remains singular (it is / it was), because it is the grammatical subject, not the focused element. However, some speakers use a plural verb with plural focused elements in informal speech.

• Formal/correct: It was the students who raised the concern.
• Informal/heard in speech: It were the students who raised the concern. (regional, non-standard)

In formal writing, always use it is or it was, regardless of whether the focused element is singular or plural.

Can "That" Be Omitted?

In informal spoken English, the word that in an it-cleft is sometimes omitted, especially when the focused element is a person and who is not used:

• It was Maria [that] organised everything. → Omission of that is acceptable informally
• It was the noise [that] kept me awake. → Again, possible in speech

In formal writing, it is generally better to include that or the appropriate relative pronoun.

Wh-Clefts with "Do"

When the focused element in a what-cleft is a verb or action (not a noun phrase), the auxiliary do is often used to introduce it. This is a very natural spoken pattern:

What + subject + verb + is/was + [to-infinitive or bare infinitive]

• What you need to do is take a deep breath.
• What she did was call the emergency services immediately.
• What they should do is reconsider the entire strategy.

Note that after What + subject + do + is, the following verb is a bare infinitive (without to) — a very common point of confusion for learners.

Common Mistakes

❌ It was John who he fixed the car.
✅ It was John who fixed the car. — Do not repeat the subject pronoun in the relative clause.

❌ What she needs it is more practice.
✅ What she needs is more practice. — Do not add an extra subject pronoun (it) before is.

❌ It is the students who was responsible for the project.
✅ It is the students who were responsible for the project. — The verb in the relative clause must agree with the focused element (students = plural → were).

❌ What he did was to shout at everyone. (with to)
✅ What he did was shout at everyone. — After What + subject + do + is/was, use the bare infinitive, not the to-infinitive.

❌ It was in 1990 when the treaty was signed.
✅ It was in 1990 that the treaty was signed. — With time expressions used as adverbials in it-clefts, use that, not when. (When is possible only in less formal contexts.)

❌ It was not until she left, she realised the truth.
✅ It was not until she left that she realised the truth. — The that clause is obligatory in the not until cleft construction.

❌ What surprised me it was his silence.
✅ What surprised me was his silence. — Do not insert it before the verb was in a wh-cleft.

❌ It is your attitude what needs to change.
✅ It is your attitude that needs to change. — In it-clefts, use that (or who/which), never what.

Cleft Sentences: Quick Summary

Cleft sentences are a sophisticated grammatical tool used to emphasise a particular piece of information by splitting one clause into two. There are two main types:

• It-cleft: It + be + [focused element] + relative clause (who/that/which/when/where)
  → Emphasises subject, object, time, place, or reason
  → Example: It was the rain that ruined the event.
• Wh-cleft (Pseudo-cleft): Wh-clause + be + [focused element]
  → Most commonly uses what
  → Example: What the event needed was better planning.

Additional structures to remember at C1 level:

• Reversed wh-cleft: Better planning is what the event needed.
• All-cleft: All we need is a clear decision.
• Not until cleft: It was not until dawn that the storm finally passed.
• Nominal clefts: The reason the project failed was poor communication.

Key rules to keep in mind:

• Never repeat the subject in the relative clause of an it-cleft.
• Use that, not what, in the relative clause of an it-cleft.
• After What + subject + do + is/was, use a bare infinitive.
• The verb be in the relative clause agrees with the focused element, not with it.
• In formal writing, include the relative pronoun (that/who/which) and avoid omission.

Mastering cleft sentences will significantly improve the precision, sophistication, and rhetorical impact of your English — both in writing and in speech. Now practise cleft sentences in the exercises below.