Cleft sentences: it's the focus that counts – cleft sentences exercises for C1 students

Q: What are cleft sentences?

Cleft sentences split one sentence into two parts to put the focus on the part that matters: My brother called becomes It was my brother who called , and I want a quiet life becomes What I want is a quiet life . Cleft sentences: it's the focus that counts is a C1 drill lesson on edio.ai with 46 self-checking exercises on them.

Q: How do you form a cleft sentence?

For an it-cleft, use It was + focus + who / that + the rest: It was my cousin who planned the whole trip. For a wh-cleft, use What + a clause + is or was + the focus: What I love about fall is the color of the leaves. The scheme in Cleft sentences: it's the focus that counts on edio.ai sets out both formulas.

Q: What do cleft sentences exercises practice?

Cleft sentences exercises practice building the frame around the part in focus : It was… who / that , What… is / was , All… is / was and The reason… is that… . In Cleft sentences: it's the focus that counts on edio.ai, each frame gets drills of its own, and then an interpreter's talk puts them together: It was that silence that ended the deal, not the price. All you need to do is listen.

Q: Is it “It was Tom who called” or “It was Tom who he called”?

It's It was Tom who called : nothing repeats the focus after who or that . Tom is already the subject of called , so adding he doubles it, and the same goes for It was the thunder that it woke us up . This extra pronoun is the first mistake in the scheme of Cleft sentences: it's the focus that counts , and a wrong reply in Evander's chat on edio.ai.

Q: Do you use “who” or “that” in a cleft sentence?

For a person, both who and that are correct : It was Mrs. Lin who gave me my first job or It was Mrs. Lin that gave me my first job . For a thing, use that (or which ); for a place or a time, use that : It was at the airport that I lost my wallet. Cleft sentences: it's the focus that counts on edio.ai accepts both words for people wherever students type them.

Q: How do I use cleft sentences exercises with C1 students?

Begin with corrections , where it-clefts feel natural: Did Tom break it? – No, it was Ana who broke it. Move on to What… is / was for what people want, need or love, then to All , the reason and the thing . Cleft sentences: it's the focus that counts on edio.ai follows that order in chapters 2 to 4, then shows every pattern at work in a talk about listening.

Q: What's a good game for practicing cleft sentences?

Play “No, it was…” : one student makes a wrong statement about the class ( Mia brought the cake ), and the next corrects it with a cleft ( No, it was Leo who brought the cake ) before adding a new wrong one. For wh-clefts, go round the room with What I need right now is… The homework of Cleft sentences: it's the focus that counts on edio.ai has a drill built on the same correction idea.

Q: Which cleft sentences exercises make good homework?

The best homework exercises ask for the cleft, then for the fix : rewrites that start with What or All , answers that correct a wrong guess, and broken sentences such as What I need it is more time to repair. The homework chapter of Cleft sentences: it's the focus that counts on edio.ai does all of this and checks itself, ending with a restaurant review, a story about a lost dog and an apology email.

Q: How do you practice cleft sentences one-to-one?

Talk about the student's likes and dislikes in clefts only: What I love about my city is… , The thing that annoys me most is… , It was my teacher who… The teacher answers in the same frames, then asks why. Between classes, the chat in Cleft sentences: it's the focus that counts on edio.ai needs no partner: Evander, a colleague, texts about the talk on listening.

Q: Are there interactive cleft sentences exercises?

Yes. This page plays five parts of Cleft sentences: it's the focus that counts , a C1 drill lesson on edio.ai, with no account: a sort into three kinds of cleft ; gaps that put the focus on the words in bold; a choice of What… is / was forms; a table that turns plain sentences into What… and All… clefts; and Evander's chat about the talk. The other 41 need an account.

This C1 drill lesson gives 46 self-checking cleft sentences exercises, from It was Ana who called and What I need is a break to All I did was ask and The reason… is that…

Grammar: It is / was + focus + who / that, What or All + clause + is / was, What happened was that…, The reason… is that… and It wasn't until… that…
Topic: An interpreter's talk on listening at an invented talk series, with the host's introduction, audience questions, comments under the video and a colleague's texts.
Activities: Gap-fills, choices, sorts, matches, word order, tables, find-the-mistake quizzes, short texts, a chat and a final test.

What's inside

Chapter 1The rule
- PictureUnlock
- Study the scheme: cleft sentencesGrammar schemeTry it
- Is the sentence correct? Mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
- Sort the sentences: which kind of cleft is it?Sort into columnsTry it
- Choose the right wordChoose the optionUnlock
- Write the missing wordFill in the gapsUnlock
Chapter 2It was you!
- Fill in the gaps: put the focus on the words in boldFill in the gapsTry it
- Choose the right words: It is / It was … who / thatChoose the optionUnlock
- Match the questions and the answersMatchUnlock
- Put the words in the right orderUnjumbleUnlock
- Fill in the table: two ways to put the focusFill in the tableUnlock
- Find the mistake and choose the right wordsQuizUnlock
- Read Philippa's message and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
Chapter 3What I need is…
- Fill in the gaps: start with WhatFill in the gapsUnlock
- Choose the right words: What … is / wasChoose the optionTry it
- Fill in the gaps: say what someone did or doesFill in the gapsUnlock
- Match the beginnings and the endingsMatchUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: What … is / wasUnjumbleUnlock
- Find the mistake: What … is / wasQuizUnlock
- Read Cosmin's blog post and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
Chapter 4All I did was ask
- Fill in the gaps: All … is / wasFill in the gapsUnlock
- Choose the right words: All, the reason and the thingChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: the reason, the thing and what happenedFill in the gapsUnlock
- Fill in the table: What … and All …Fill in the tableTry it
- Choose the best sentence for the situationQuizUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: All, the reason, the thingUnjumbleUnlock
- Match the beginnings and the endings: the reason, the thing and allMatchUnlock
Chapter 5Real life: A talk about listening
- Read the talk transcriptReal-life documentUnlock
- Read the transcript again: true or false?True or falseUnlock
- Read the host's introduction and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read the questions from the audience and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Read the comments under the video and choose the right wordsChoose the optionUnlock
- Choose the right replies: Evander texts youChatTry it
- Test yourself: choose the right answerQuizUnlock
Chapter 6Homework
- Choose the right words: at workChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: no, it was someone else!Fill in the gapsUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: start with What or AllFill in the gapsUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: mixed cleftsUnjumbleUnlock
- Find the matching pairs: the plain sentence and the cleftMemory gameUnlock
- Sort the sentences: correct or wrong?Sort into columnsUnlock
- Match the questions and the answers: who, where and when?MatchUnlock
- Fill in the table: three ways to say itFill in the tableUnlock
- Find the mistake: everyday EnglishQuizUnlock
- Is it correct English? Mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
- Choose the right answer: what do you say?QuizUnlock
- Correct the mistakes and write the right wordsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read Barnaby's restaurant review and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read the news story and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Read Winifred's email and choose the right wordsChoose the optionUnlock

Grammar: cleft sentences: It was…, What…, All…

A cleft sentence splits one plain sentence in two so that one part gets the spotlight: Ana broke the mirror becomes It was Ana who broke the mirror or What Ana broke was the mirror. The facts stay the same; only the focus moves, as when a speaker corrects a wrong guess or stresses one point.

Cleft sentences: it's the focus that counts

Split one sentence into two parts to put the focus on the part that matters.

It is / It was + focus + who / that

The focus goes between It was and who or that. A person takes who or that, a thing that or which, and a place or a time takes that: It was in May that I left. A plural focus keeps It was: It was the neighbors who called.

It is / was + focus + who / that

It is / It wasthe focuswho / thatthe rest

It was my brother who called.

It's the smell that I love.

It was in Lima that we met.

One sentence, different focuses

Plain sentence	Cleft sentence	The focus
Ana broke the mirror.	It was Ana who broke the mirror.	a person: who or that
Ana broke the mirror.	It was the mirror that Ana broke.	a thing: that (or which)
We met in Lima.	It was in Lima that we met.	a place: that
I left in May.	It was in May that I left.	a time: that
I need a break.	What I need is a break.	what you need, want, love…
I only want tea.	All I want is tea.	all = the only thing
We took a taxi.	What we did was (to) take a taxi.	an action: do / did + (to) verb
The bus broke down.	What happened was (that) the bus broke down.	an event
I quit because I was tired.	The reason (why) I quit was that I was tired.	a reason

What… is / was and All… is / was

What + clause saves the focus for after is or was: What shocked me was the bill. All means “the only thing”: All I need is some fresh air. Actions take do or did and a verb, with or without to: What we did was (to) take a taxi.

What / All + clauseis / wasthe focus

What I want is a quiet life.

What shocked me was the bill.

All I need is some fresh air.

The reason, the thing, it wasn't until

More frames follow the same plan: The thing I miss most is the sea. The reason I'm calling is that I have news. It wasn't until midnight that we got home. Questions start with Was it: Was it you who took my umbrella?

Pattern	Example
The thing (that) … is / was …	The thing I miss most is the sea.
The reason (why) … is that / because …	The reason I'm calling is that I have news.
Was it … who / that …?	Was it you who took my umbrella?
It isn't … that …, it's …	It isn't the money that matters; it's the people.
It wasn't until … that …	It wasn't until midnight that we got home.
It was only when … that …	It was only when I sat down that I felt tired.

Which verb agrees with what?

The verb after who or that agrees with the focus: It's my sons who are noisy. The opening stays It is or It was, never It were. Before one thing, a What or All clause takes a singular verb: All I want is a hot bath, not are.

Good to know

People: who or that. Things: that or which. Places and times: that (It was in May that…). Keep it and a singular is / was even when the focus is plural; the verb after who / that agrees with the focus: It's my sons who are noisy. After What / All … do / did, the verb comes with or without to: All I did was (to) ask.

Common mistakes

No pronoun repeats the focus: It was Tom who called me, not who he called me. No it before is: What I need is a rest, not What I need it is. What I did was takes a verb, not a clause: call her, not I called her.

It was Tom who he called me.
It was Tom who called me.
no he / she / it after who / that
What I need it is a rest.
What I need is a rest.
no it before is / was
All I want are a hot bath.
All I want is a hot bath.
one thing: is / was
What I did was I called her.
What I did was (to) call her.
did … was + (to) verb

Examples

It was my grandmother who taught me to cook.a person
It's the little things that matter most.things
What I love about this city is the light.What … is
All we need is a little more time.All = only this
What happened was that the lights went out.an event
It wasn't until I got home that I saw your message.a time

Try the cleft sentences exercises

Try them yourself: these are the same exercises your students do in edio.

What's in the lesson

41 auto-checked exercises
5 games
1 real-life document
1 grammar scheme
1 picture

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

put a person, a thing, a place or a time in focus: It was my sister who found the puppy. It was in Nairobi that we first met.
start with What + clause and add no extra it: What surprised me was the size of the room.
say what someone did with What… did was + verb: What she did was call her lawyer.
use All for the only thing and The reason for a cause: All I want is a quiet weekend. The reason I'm late is that I missed the bus.
make the verb after who agree with the focus: It's my brothers who are always late.

Cleft sentences: it's the focus that counts is lesson 3 of English Grammar Practice · C1, found on the English grammar page. Lesson 2, Conditionals without if: had I known, should you need, were I to, comes before it, and lesson 4, Advanced passives: who was told what?, after it. It adds no new words to learn, so teachers can run it alongside any C1 course book.

Chapter 1 shows both kinds of cleft in a scheme and checks them with a true-or-false set, a sort by type, a choice and one-word gaps. Chapter 2, It was you!, drills It was… who / that through rewrites, questions and answers, word order, a table and Philippa's message about an office party; chapter 3 turns to What… is / was, ending with Cosmin's marathon blog post; chapter 4 adds All, the reason and the thing. In chapter 5, students read an interpreter's talk on listening, complete the host's introduction and the audience's questions, choose words in the video comments, reply to Evander in the chat and finish with a test.

Homework brings 15 self-checking tasks in new sentences: choices at work, “no, it was someone else” corrections, What and All rewrites, word order, a memory game, a correct-or-wrong sort, question-and-answer matches, a three-way table, two quizzes, true or false and a mistake-correction gap-fill. Barnaby's restaurant review, a news story about a missing beagle and Winifred's apology email close it.

Grammar:: cleft sentences · it was … who / that · what … is / was · all … is / was · emphasis
Topic:: grammar practice · talks and speeches · listening · communication

Teaching tips

Correct a wrong guess: say Tom broke the vase, right? and let students answer with the real culprit: No, it was Ana who broke it. It-clefts come naturally when someone has a fact wrong.
Box the focus in color: write one plain sentence, then its It was…, What… and All… versions, as the scheme's table does, and box the part that gets the spotlight each time.
Ban the extra pronoun: whenever someone says It was my sister who she…, the class taps the desk. It is the first mistake the quiz in chapter 2 goes after.
Hunt the clefts in the talk: students underline every What…, All… and It was… in the transcript, then say each line as a plain sentence and hear what changes.

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The whole course: English Grammar Practice · C1

English Grammar Practice · C1 has 16 drill lessons on advanced grammar, one point each: inversion, cleft sentences, the subjunctive, advanced passives, ellipsis, nominalization, hedging, fronting and concession. Each has the rule as a scheme, 43 to 47 exercises that check themselves, 15 of them for homework, and no new words.See the course

Questions about this lesson

What are cleft sentences?

Cleft sentences split one sentence into two parts to put the focus on the part that matters: My brother called becomes It was my brother who called, and I want a quiet life becomes What I want is a quiet life. Cleft sentences: it's the focus that counts is a C1 drill lesson on edio.ai with 46 self-checking exercises on them.

How do you form a cleft sentence?

For an it-cleft, use It was + focus + who / that + the rest: It was my cousin who planned the whole trip. For a wh-cleft, use What + a clause + is or was + the focus: What I love about fall is the color of the leaves. The scheme in Cleft sentences: it's the focus that counts on edio.ai sets out both formulas.

What do cleft sentences exercises practice?

Cleft sentences exercises practice building the frame around the part in focus: It was… who / that, What… is / was, All… is / was and The reason… is that…. In Cleft sentences: it's the focus that counts on edio.ai, each frame gets drills of its own, and then an interpreter's talk puts them together: It was that silence that ended the deal, not the price. All you need to do is listen.

Is it “It was Tom who called” or “It was Tom who he called”?

It's It was Tom who called: nothing repeats the focus after who or that. Tom is already the subject of called, so adding he doubles it, and the same goes for It was the thunder that it woke us up. This extra pronoun is the first mistake in the scheme of Cleft sentences: it's the focus that counts, and a wrong reply in Evander's chat on edio.ai.

Do you use “who” or “that” in a cleft sentence?

For a person, both who and that are correct: It was Mrs. Lin who gave me my first job or It was Mrs. Lin that gave me my first job. For a thing, use that (or which); for a place or a time, use that: It was at the airport that I lost my wallet. Cleft sentences: it's the focus that counts on edio.ai accepts both words for people wherever students type them.

How do I use cleft sentences exercises with C1 students?

Begin with corrections, where it-clefts feel natural: Did Tom break it? – No, it was Ana who broke it. Move on to What… is / was for what people want, need or love, then to All, the reason and the thing. Cleft sentences: it's the focus that counts on edio.ai follows that order in chapters 2 to 4, then shows every pattern at work in a talk about listening.

What's a good game for practicing cleft sentences?

Play “No, it was…”: one student makes a wrong statement about the class (Mia brought the cake), and the next corrects it with a cleft (No, it was Leo who brought the cake) before adding a new wrong one. For wh-clefts, go round the room with What I need right now is… The homework of Cleft sentences: it's the focus that counts on edio.ai has a drill built on the same correction idea.

Which cleft sentences exercises make good homework?

The best homework exercises ask for the cleft, then for the fix: rewrites that start with What or All, answers that correct a wrong guess, and broken sentences such as What I need it is more time to repair. The homework chapter of Cleft sentences: it's the focus that counts on edio.ai does all of this and checks itself, ending with a restaurant review, a story about a lost dog and an apology email.

How do you practice cleft sentences one-to-one?

Talk about the student's likes and dislikes in clefts only: What I love about my city is…, The thing that annoys me most is…, It was my teacher who… The teacher answers in the same frames, then asks why. Between classes, the chat in Cleft sentences: it's the focus that counts on edio.ai needs no partner: Evander, a colleague, texts about the talk on listening.

Are there interactive cleft sentences exercises?

Yes. This page plays five parts of Cleft sentences: it's the focus that counts, a C1 drill lesson on edio.ai, with no account: a sort into three kinds of cleft; gaps that put the focus on the words in bold; a choice of What… is / was forms; a table that turns plain sentences into What… and All… clefts; and Evander's chat about the talk. The other 41 need an account.

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