Advanced English · 22 min
Cleft sentences
The point
A cleft splits the sentence so one piece is loud. It is plus the piece plus that or who. What plus a clause plus is names the thing you need. Who is for a person. That is for a thing. What does not follow it is.
Form and use
A cleft splits a message so one piece stands out. The it-cleft is it plus is or was, the focus, then that or who. Use who for a person and that for a thing. What-clefts and all-clefts put the highlighted piece at the end.
Shapes: It is the date that matters. It was Mina who replied. It wasn't the team that failed. What we need is a name. What she sent was the final file. All we need is a signature. All they wanted was time. A negative cleft rejects one focus: It wasn't the cost that delayed us. The next sentence can name the real one.
Who is for people. That is for things. Which and what do not replace that in an it-cleft. It is the date what matters is wrong. It is the owner which replies is wrong for a person: use who. After what or all, use is or was before the focus. What we need is time. When the focus is clearly plural, a plural verb is possible: What we need are better tools.
Do not drop the linking verb. What we need a name has a hole in the middle. Say what we need is a name. A cleft is not a finished sentence with an extra clause glued on. We need a name is the plain line. What we need is a name makes the need the point.
Don't translate it like this
Don't say
It is the date what matters.
Say
It is the date that matters.
중요한 것은 날짜입니다.
After it is, the piece is followed by that or who, not by what.
Short examples
It is the date that matters.
중요한 것은 날짜입니다.
What we need is a name.
우리에게 필요한 것은 이름입니다.
It is the owner who replies, not the team.
답하는 것은 팀이 아니라 담당입니다.
It was Mina who replied.
답한 사람은 미나였습니다.
It wasn't the team that failed.
실패한 것은 팀이 아니었습니다.
What she sent was the final file.
그녀가 보낸 것은 최종 파일이었습니다.
All we need is a signature.
우리에게 필요한 전부는 서명입니다.
All they wanted was time.
그들이 원한 전부는 시간이었습니다.
It isn't the cost that worries us.
우리를 걱정시키는 것은 비용이 아닙니다.
Questions
Every question has to be right to close this point.
Answer every question, then check.