Home · C1 Advanced · Unit 07
Unit 07
Cleft Sentences & Fronting
it-clefts, wh-clefts & focus
Information Packaging at C1
At C1, fluent speakers control where the emphasis falls in a sentence. Cleft sentences split one clause into two to spotlight a particular element, while fronting moves a phrase to the start for focus or cohesion. These are tools of style and emphasis, not just grammar.
It-Clefts — "It is/was ... that/who"
Spotlight one element by placing it after It is/was; the rest follows in a that/who-clause.
| Emphasis on | Example |
|---|---|
| Subject (person) | It was Sarah who solved the problem. |
| Object | It was the contract that they signed. |
| Time | It was in 2010 that we met. |
| Place | It was in Rome that they married. |
| Reason | It was because of the rain that we left. |
Wh-Clefts (Pseudo-Clefts) — "What ... is/was"
Begin with a what-clause and place the focus after is/was. This is very common in speech to build up to a key point.
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| What + clause + is + focus | What I need is a holiday. |
| What + clause + is + to-inf | What we should do is leave now. |
| What happened was... | What happened was (that) the system crashed. |
| All (that) ... is | All I want is some peace. |
Other Cleft Patterns
| Pattern | Example | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| The thing that... is | The thing that annoys me is the noise. | Identifies a specific issue |
| The reason (why)... is | The reason I called is to apologise. | Focuses on cause |
| The place where... is | The place where I relax is the garden. | Focuses on location |
| It is ... who/that (people) | It is teachers who shape the future. | Highlights the agent |
Fronting — Moving Phrases for Focus
Move a phrase to the front of the sentence for emphasis, contrast, or cohesion. Some frontings trigger inversion.
| Type | Example | Inversion? |
|---|---|---|
| Adverbial fronting | In the corner stood an old clock. | Yes (place + intransitive) |
| Object fronting | That film, I really enjoyed. | No |
| Negative adverbial | Never have I seen such a mess. | Yes (auxiliary) |
| Comment fronting | Strange as it may seem, he agreed. | No |
Advanced Fronting Patterns
| Pattern | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Adjective / adverb + as + subject + verb | Much as I like him, I can't agree. · Tired as she was, she kept going. | = although |
| Try as I might | Try as I might, I couldn't open it. | = however hard I tried |
| Gone are the days when ... | Gone are the days when phones were just for calls. | fronted participle + inversion |
| Where / when / why-clefts | Where he went wrong was trusting them. | focus on place / time / reason |
| The last thing + clause + is | The last thing I want is an argument. | strong negative focus |
| It's not ... but ... | It's not the cost but the time that worries me. | contrastive focus |
Annotated Examples
Subject
Verb
Auxiliary
Object
Adjective
Adverb
Preposition
Hover over any word to see its role.
It wassubjecther couragethatverbinspiredobjectus.
↳ It-cleft — spotlights "her courage".
subjectWhat I needverbisobjecta good rest.
↳ Wh-cleft — builds up to the focus "a good rest".
In the doorwayverbstoodsubjecta stranger.
↳ Adverbial fronting + inversion (place + intransitive verb).
Common Mistakes
It was because of he was late that we left.
→
It was because he was late that we left.
"Because" + clause (not "because of" + clause).
What I need it is a holiday.
→
What I need is a holiday.
Don't add "it" — the what-clause is already the subject. (With a plural focus, "What I need are new shoes" is also heard.)
It was Sarah which solved it.
→
It was Sarah who solved it.
Use "who" for people in clefts.
The reason why I left was because I was tired.
→
The reason I left was that I was tired.
Avoid "reason why ... because" — use "that".
Never I have seen such chaos.
→
Never have I seen such chaos.
Negative fronting triggers inversion: have I.
As much as tired she was, she continued.
→
Tired as she was, she continued.
Adjective + as + subject + verb.
Gone the days are when...
→
Gone are the days when...
Fronted participle + be + subject.