جمل الفصل 'It-Clefts' في الإنجليزية: التركيز على المفعول به (It was the...)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
It-clefts move the object to the front to highlight it as the most important piece of new information.
- Start with 'It' + 'be' (It is/was) to introduce the focus: 'It was the cake...'
- Place the object you want to emphasize immediately after 'be': '...the cake...'
- Connect the rest of the sentence with 'that' or 'who': '...that I ate.'
نظرة عامة
It-cleft أو ما يُعرف بـ Cleft sentences (الجمل المشقوقة) أداة بلاغية متقدمة في اللغة الإنجليزية، وهي بمثابة «مشرط جراح» يستخدمه المتحدث لتركيز الضوء على معلومة محددة دون غيرها. في اللغة العربية، نحن نستخدم وسائل متنوعة لتحقيق هذا التركيز، مثل التقديم والتأخير (أسلوب القصر) أو استخدام أدوات التوكيد مثل «إنّ» أو «قد» أو حتى تكرار اللفظ. لكن في الإنجليزية، لا يملك المتحدث مرونة التقديم والتأخير التي نملكها في العربية بسبب صرامة ترتيب الجملة (SVO).It + be + focus + that-clause ليحققوا غرضاً بلاغياً يوازي أساليبنا في التوكيد.I bought the car فأنت تخبرني بحدث عام، لكن عندما تقول It was the car that I bought فأنت هنا تصحح اعتقاداً خاطئاً أو تبرز المفعول به كونه العنصر الأهم في سياق الحديث.It-cleft عن طريق «شطر» الجملة إلى قسمين. الجزء الأول يبدأ بـ It (وهي فاعل صوري لا يعود على شيء محدد) متبوعاً بفعل الكينونة be في صيغة المفرد، ثم العنصر الذي نود التأكيد عليه (المفعول به في حالتنا هذه)، يليه جملة فرعية تبدأ بـ that أو who أو which تحتوي على بقية الجملة الأصلية. من منظور نحوي عربي، يمكن تشبيه هذا بأسلوب «التخصيص» أو «الحصر».It was the car that I bought.Presupposition (المعلومة المفترضة) و Focus (التركيز). في جملة It was the report that the team submitted, نحن نفترض مسبقاً أن الفريق قام بعملية تسليم (the team submitted...), ونقوم بتركيز الضوء على the report كونه العنصر الذي نريد تمييزه. هذا يشبه تماماً أسلوبنا في العربية حين نقول: «التقريرُ هو ما سلّمه الفريق»، حيث قدمنا المفعول به (التقرير) ليكون هو محور الاهتمام.It كفاعل صوري لملء الفراغ النحوي، بينما العربية تسمح لنا بالبدء بالمفعول به مباشرة في جملة اسمية. هذا التركيب لا يغير من معنى الجملة الأساسي، بل يغير من «الوزن البلاغي» لكل جزء فيها، مما يجعله أداة قوية جداً في الإقناع.It-cleft تركز على المفعول به، نتبع نمطاً صارماً يضمن سلامة البناء النحوي. إليك الجدول التوضيحي للتركيب:It | فاعل صوري (Dummy Subject) | It |is / was | فعل الكينونة (يتبع زمن الفعل الأصلي) | was |Emphasized Object | المفعول به المراد التركيز عليه | the final contract |that / who | أداة ربط (Relative Pronoun) | that |Subject + Verb | بقية الجملة (المعلومة المعروفة) | the manager signed |It was the final contract that the manager signed.- 1تصحيح المعلومات الخاطئة (Correction): إذا ظن زميلك أنك أرسلت الإيميل، تقول:
No, it was the report that I sent.هناIt-cleftتعمل كأداة تصحيح قوية. - 2التركيز على معلومة جديدة (Highlighting New Information): في سياق عرض تقديمي، قد تقول:
It is this specific feature that we want to emphasize.أنت هنا توجه انتباه الحضور لشيء محدد. - 3إضافة طابع رسمي أو درامي: يستخدم هذا الأسلوب في الخطابات الرسمية أو الأدبية لإعطاء ثقل للكلمات.
It was our heritage that we defended. - 4تجنب الغموض: عندما يكون هناك عدة مفعولات به، يساعد هذا التركيب في تحديد أي واحد منهم تقصده بالضبط، مما يمنع اللبس في التجمعات المهنية أو أثناء النقاشات الحادة.
- 1حذف فعل الكينونة (L1 Interference): المبتدئ العربي يميل لقول
It the report that I sentلأنه في العربية نقول «التقريرُ هو ما أرسلتُه» (جملة اسمية بدون فعل كينونة). الإنجليزية تتطلبisأوwasدائماً. - 2تكرار المفعول به (Redundancy): يقع الكثيرون في خطأ قول
It was the report that I sent it.هذا خطأ فادح لأنthatتحل محل المفعول به. في العربية، نحن نستخدم الضمير العائد (الهاء في «أرسلتُه»)، وهذا الانتقال للإنجليزية يسبب خطأً شائعاً. - 3استخدام الضمير الخاطئ: استخدام
whichللأشخاص أوwhoللجمادات. رغم أنthatهي الأكثر شيوعاً، إلا أن الدقة في استخدامwhoللأشخاص وthatللأشياء تعكس مستوى C1 الحقيقي.
Passive Voice | التركيز على المفعول به مع إخفاء الفاعل | The report was submitted. |It-cleft | التركيز على المفعول به مع إبقاء الفاعل | It was the report that the team submitted. |Fronting | وضع المفعول به في أول الجملة (غير رسمي) | The report, the team submitted. |- 1س: هل يمكن استخدام هذا التركيب مع جميع الأفعال؟ ج: نعم، ولكن استخدامه مع أفعال الحالة (Stative verbs) قد يبدو غريباً أحياناً. هو الأكثر شيوعاً مع أفعال الحركة والحدث (Action verbs).
- 2س: هل
Itهنا تشير إلى شيء؟ ج: لا، هي فاعل صوري (Dummy subject). لا تحاول ترجمتها حرفياً كـ «هو» أو «هي» في ذهنك، بل اعتبرها أداة هيكلية. - 3س: هل يمكنني استخدام
It'sدائماً؟ ج: يمكنك ذلك في المحادثة غير الرسمية، لكن في الكتابة الأكاديمية أو الرسمية، يفضل كتابتها كاملةIt isأوIt wasلضمان الرصانة اللغوية المطلوبة في مستوى C1.
Structure of an It-Cleft
| Intro (Dummy Subject) | Verb 'Be' | Focus (Object) | Relative Pronoun | Rest of Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
It
|
is
|
the truth
|
that
|
I seek.
|
|
It
|
was
|
him
|
who
|
called you.
|
|
It
|
wasn't
|
the money
|
that
|
she wanted.
|
|
It
|
might be
|
the weather
|
that
|
is the problem.
|
|
It
|
has been
|
his ego
|
that
|
has held him back.
|
Common Contractions
| Full Form | Contraction | Usage |
|---|---|---|
|
It is
|
It's
|
Informal/Neutral speech
|
|
It was
|
N/A
|
Rarely contracted in writing
|
|
It is not
|
It isn't / It's not
|
Common in speech
|
|
It was not
|
It wasn't
|
Common in speech
|
Meanings
A grammatical structure used to focus on a specific element of a sentence (the 'cleft' or 'split' part) by placing it after 'It is' or 'It was'.
Contrastive Focus
Used to correct a misunderstanding or contrast two items.
“It wasn't the money that I wanted; it was the recognition.”
“It was Sarah who called, not Jennifer.”
New Information Introduction
Introducing a specific object as the key topic of a narrative.
“It was a small mistake that led to the entire system failure.”
“It is this specific gene that scientists are targeting.”
Emotive Emphasis
Adding emotional weight to the object of an action.
“It was your kindness that saved me.”
“It is her bravery that we should celebrate.”
Reference Table
| نوع الجملة الأصلية | العنصر المؤكَّد | بنية أسلوب الفصل التأكيدي (تركيز المفعول به) | مثال |
|---|---|---|---|
|
جملة مبنية للمعلوم بسيطة
|
مفعول به مباشر (شيء)
|
It is/was + Object + that + S + V...
|
It was `the new software` that we installed.
|
|
جملة مبنية للمعلوم بسيطة
|
مفعول به مباشر (شخص)
|
It is/was + Object + who/that + S + V...
|
It was `my professor` who I consulted.
|
|
مع حرف جر
|
مفعول به لحرف الجر
|
It is/was + Object + that + S + V + Prep...
|
It was `their innovative ideas` that I was most impressed by.
|
|
صيغة المبني للمجهول (الفاعل)
|
فاعل الفعل
|
It is/was + Agent + who/that + V + Object...
|
It was `the lead engineer` who designed the system.
|
|
توضيح معلومات
|
تفصيل محدد
|
It is/was + Detail + that + S + V...
|
It was `your feedback` that truly helped me improve.
|
|
الرد على سؤال 'What'
|
الإجابة (شيء)
|
It is/was + Answer + that + S + V...
|
It was `the forgotten password` that caused the login issue.
|
|
الرد على سؤال 'Who'
|
الإجابة (شخص)
|
It is/was + Answer + who/that + S + V...
|
It was `my colleague, Dr. Lee`, who presented the findings.
|
طيف الرسمية
It was the manager who made the final decision. (Workplace accountability)
It was the manager that decided. (Workplace accountability)
It was the manager who did it. (Workplace accountability)
It was the boss man who called the shots. (Workplace accountability)
أساليب الفصل التأكيدي (It-Clefts): التركيز على المفعول به
البنية
- It is/was + OBJECT العنصر المُبرَز
- + that/who/which يربط الجمل الفرعية
- + Subject + Verb... بقية الجملة
الاستخدام
- Highlight new info تقديم تفاصيل رئيسية
- Correct misunderstandings توضيح الافتراضات الخاطئة
- Respond to 'Wh-' Qs الإجابة مباشرة على 'ماذا/من'
- Add drama/impact جعل العبارات قوية
تذكيرات رئيسية
- It is/was ALWAYS singular الفعل يتوافق مع 'It'
- who for people, that for things اختيار الضمير الموصول
- Avoid overuse الحفاظ على التأثير
أساليب الفصل التأكيدي (It-Clefts): تأكيد الفاعل مقابل المفعول به
كيفية تكوين أسلوب الفصل التأكيدي الذي يركز على المفعول به
هل تريد تأكيد المفعول به المباشر في جملتك؟
هل المفعول به المؤكَّد شخص؟
ما هو الفاعل والفعل الأصليان؟
مثال: 'She wrote `the best-selling novel`.'
متى تجعل أساليب الفصل التأكيدي (It-Clefts) نقطتك واضحة
للتوضيح
- • تصحيح خطأ واقعي
- • الرد مباشرة على 'ماذا؟'
- • تسليط الضوء على عنصر محدد
للتأثير
- • إضافة دراما إلى بيان
- • التعبير عن مشاعر قوية
- • لفت الانتباه إلى تفاصيل حاسمة
للإقناع
- • تقديم النتائج الرئيسية
- • تغيير التركيز في حجة
- • جعل النقطة تلقى صدى
أمثلة حسب المستوى
It is the cat.
It is the cat.
It was my ball.
It was my ball.
It is the red one.
It is the red one.
It was her.
It was her.
It was the cake that I liked.
It was the cake that I liked.
It is the bus that we need.
It is the bus that we need.
It was the movie that was loud.
It was the movie that was loud.
It is the doctor who helps me.
It is the doctor who helps me.
It was the rain that ruined our picnic.
It was the rain that ruined our picnic.
It is the truth that matters most.
It is the truth that matters most.
It wasn't the gift that I wanted.
It wasn't the gift that I wanted.
Was it the noise that woke you up?
Was it the noise that woke you up?
It was the lack of communication that led to the breakup.
It was the lack of communication that led to the breakup.
It is the innovative design that sets this phone apart.
It is the innovative design that sets this phone apart.
It was only after the meeting that I realized the mistake.
It was only after the meeting that I realized the mistake.
It isn't the salary that attracts me to this job.
It isn't the salary that attracts me to this job.
It was the sheer audacity of his claim that stunned the audience.
It was the sheer audacity of his claim that stunned the audience.
It is the systemic inequality that we must address first.
It is the systemic inequality that we must address first.
It was not so much the content as the delivery that failed.
It was not so much the content as the delivery that failed.
It is the nuances of the language that take years to master.
It is the nuances of the language that take years to master.
It was the very fabric of society that seemed to be unraveling.
It was the very fabric of society that seemed to be unraveling.
It is the juxtaposition of these two themes that creates the tension.
It is the juxtaposition of these two themes that creates the tension.
It was his unwavering commitment to the cause that eventually bore fruit.
It was his unwavering commitment to the cause that eventually bore fruit.
It is not the destination but the journey that defines us.
It is not the destination but the journey that defines us.
سهل الخلط
Both are used for emphasis, but they start differently. Learners often mix up the 'It' and 'What' starts.
Learners use 'There' to emphasize a specific object because 'There' also introduces things.
Both move the object, but the passive voice changes the verb form and focus on the action's recipient.
أخطاء شائعة
There is the book I want.
It is the book I want.
It the cat.
It is the cat.
It is me book.
It is my book.
Is it the dog?
It is the dog.
It was the cake I like.
It was the cake that I liked.
It was the man which saw me.
It was the man who saw me.
It is the keys that are lost.
It is the keys that are lost.
It was the rain what stopped us.
It was the rain that stopped us.
It is the money I am worried.
It is the money that I am worried about.
Was it the film you saw?
Was it the film that you saw?
It were the results that surprised us.
It was the results that surprised us.
It was to London that he went to.
It was to London that he went.
It is him that should go.
It is he who should go.
أنماط الجُمل
It was ___ that ___.
It is not ___ but ___ that ___.
Was it ___ who ___?
It must have been ___ that ___.
Real World Usage
It was my previous role at Google that prepared me for this challenge.
It's your birthday we're celebrating, so you choose the place!
It was the defendant whom I saw entering the building.
It's the hypocrisy that I can't stand.
It is this specific variable that we will be testing today.
It was the latest update that caused the glitch on your device.
استخدمه للتصحيح
No, it was the blue car that I said was mine, not the red one.تجنب الإفراط في الاستخدام
فكر في Who مقابل That
It was my colleague who presented the findings.الإقناع الخفي
It was this market trend that our analysis predicted تبدو أكثر ثقة من مجرد ذكر التنبؤ.It was/is دائماً مفرد
It was the elephants that caused the commotion.Smart Tips
Use a negative it-cleft followed by an affirmative one.
Use an it-cleft to state your primary thesis or the main factor you will discuss.
Check that your verb 'be' is still singular ('was' or 'is').
Lengthen the 'was' or 'is' to add extra emphasis to the focus.
النطق
Focus Stress
The word immediately following 'is' or 'was' receives the strongest pitch accent in the sentence.
Reduced 'that'
The word 'that' is usually reduced to a schwa sound /ðət/.
Emphasis Peak
It was SARAH (rise) that called (fall).
Indicates that Sarah is the specific person being identified.
احفظها
وسيلة تذكّر
IT IS the ITEM that matters.
ربط بصري
Imagine a theater stage where the lights are off. Suddenly, a bright spotlight (the 'It was') shines on a single actor (the 'Object') while everyone else stays in the dark.
Rhyme
To make the object shine so bright, start with 'It was' to give it light.
Story
A detective enters a room. He doesn't just say 'John stole the diamond.' He points his finger and shouts, 'It was JOHN who stole the diamond!' The 'It was' is his pointing finger.
Word Web
تحدٍّ
Write down three things you did today. Now, rewrite them as it-clefts to emphasize the most interesting object in each sentence.
ملاحظات ثقافية
It-clefts are frequently used in British political debates (Prime Minister's Questions) to deflect blame or highlight specific policy successes.
In scientific papers, it-clefts are used to avoid the first person 'I' while still emphasizing the specific cause of a result.
Hiberno-English often uses cleft-like structures more frequently than other dialects for added poetic emphasis.
The it-cleft construction has roots in Old English but became much more prominent in Middle English, likely influenced by the French 'C'est... que' structure.
بدايات محادثة
Was it the price or the quality that made you buy your phone?
In your opinion, is it luck or hard work that leads to success?
It was a specific moment that changed your life, wasn't it? Tell me about it.
Was it the ending of the last movie you saw that you disliked the most?
مواضيع للكتابة اليومية
أخطاء شائعة
Test Yourself
It was my new phone ___ I lost at the concert.
Find and fix the mistake:
It were the students who organized the charity event.
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
Score: /3
تمارين تطبيقية
8 exercisesI bought the red shoes.
Which is correct?
It ___ the manager ___ I spoke to yesterday.
Find and fix the mistake:
It was the rain what caused the flood.
1. I love jazz. 2. He stole the car. 3. We need more time.
Speaker A: 'I heard you moved to Paris.' Speaker B: 'No, ___.'
that / it / her / was / kindness / us / saved
In an it-cleft, you can never use 'who' for people.
Score: /8
Practice Bank
12 exercisesIt ___ his dedication that truly impressed the judges.
It was the beautiful view who made our vacation unforgettable.
Choose the correct sentence:
Translate into English: 'Fue tu consejo lo que realmente me ayudó.'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Match the emphasized objects with the correct relative pronoun:
It was `the final decision` ___ everyone had been waiting for.
It was him that broke the vase.
Which sentence is correct?
Translate into English: 'Es a ti a quien debo agradecer por la ayuda.'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Match the original sentences to their It-Cleft versions:
Score: /12
الأسئلة الشائعة (8)
In informal speech, 'that' is sometimes omitted if the focus is the object (e.g., 'It was the pizza I wanted'). However, in formal writing and at the C1 level, you should always include it.
While that is a grammatically correct standard sentence, it is not an 'it-cleft'. An it-cleft *must* start with the dummy subject 'It'. The 'It' represents the situation or the fact, which is why it stays singular.
In everyday English, 'me' (object pronoun) is standard. In very formal, traditional grammar, 'It was I who did it' (subject pronoun) is technically correct, but it sounds very archaic today.
The first (cleft) emphasizes that it was the *dog* and not the cat or the neighbor. The second is a neutral statement of fact.
Yes! You can say 'It will be the final exam that determines your grade.' The verb 'be' conjugates to any tense.
Yes, especially when we want to correct someone or express strong emotion. We use them to 'point' with our voice.
Surprisingly, 'which' is rarely used in it-clefts. 'That' is the standard choice for objects.
Simply make the verb 'be' negative: 'It wasn't the money that I lost.'
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Ser + [Focus] + que...
English requires the dummy subject 'It', whereas Spanish does not.
C'est... que/qui
French uses 'qui' for subjects and 'que' for objects strictly, while English often uses 'that' for both.
Es ist... der/die/das
German relative pronouns are much more complex than the English 'that'.
...no wa ... desu
The focus comes at the end of the sentence in Japanese, whereas it comes at the beginning in English.
Innama / Al-ladhi
Arabic relies on word order and specific particles rather than a 'split' sentence structure.
Shi... de (是...的)
The 'de' comes at the very end of the sentence, unlike the English 'that' which starts the second clause.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
فيديوهات ذات صلة
02:43 Blade Runner (1/10) Movie CLIP - She's a Replicant (1982) HD
05:44 Billie Eilish - BLUE (Isolated Vocals)
01:31 Top 10 Best Arnold Schwarzenegger Movie Quotes (Quickie)
It cleft sentences شرح قاعدة
English with Reem
It Cleft Sentences شرح قاعدة اللغة الانجليزية
English with Sara
شرح قاعدة It-cleft sentences
English with Marwa
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