It-Clefts en inglés: Enfatizando el objeto (It was the...)
It-Clefts para hacer que objetos específicos resalten, añadiendo claridad y un poder persuasivo a tu inglés avanzado. ¡Es como poner un foco en lo más importante!
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.'
Overview
It-cleft sentences (u oraciones hendidas con it).The company rejected the proposal, es una frase neutra.It was the proposal that the company rejected, estás poniendo el foco de atención bajo un reflector, señalando que la propuesta (y no otra cosa) fue el centro de la acción.It-clefts te permitirá sonar más preciso, persuasivo y, sobre todo, más natural en contextos académicos y profesionales donde la claridad del énfasis es vital. En esta guía, desglosaremos cómo elevar el objeto de una posición secundaria a una posición de máxima relevancia comunicativa.It-cleft enfocada en el objeto funciona como un mecanismo de «extracción». Tomamos el objeto directo de una oración normal y lo reubicamos al principio, justo después de una frase introductoria fija: It is o It was. Esto divide la oración original en dos partes, creando lo que en lingüística llamamos foco (la información nueva o importante) y presuposición (la información que ya se conoce o se asume).- Oración neutra:
Compré los boletos ayer. - Énfasis en el objeto:
Fueron los boletos lo que compré ayer.
It funciona como un sujeto vacío (dummy subject) y el verbo to be siempre debe permanecer en tercera persona del singular (is o was), independientemente de si el objeto que sigue es plural o singular.It was the marketing strategy that they changed, no solo estás dando información, sino que estás descartando otras posibilidades (no cambiaron el logo, ni el personal; fue la estrategia). Esta capacidad de exclusión es lo que hace que las It-clefts sean tan potentes en el discurso de nivel avanzado.It-cleft para enfatizar el objeto sigue un patrón rígido que debes memorizar para evitar calcos del español. La estructura es la siguiente:It + is / was + [Objeto Enfatizado] + [Pronombre Relativo] + [Sujeto] + [Verbo]It |to be. El tiempo depende del verbo principal de la oración original. | was |the final chapter |that. Se puede usar who para personas. | that |I enjoyed the most |- 1Oración original:
The CEO signed *the merger agreement* this morning. - 2Identificamos el objeto:
the merger agreement. - 3Elegimos el tiempo de
to be: Comosignedestá en pasado, usamoswas. - 4Construimos la estructura:
It was the merger agreement that the CEO signed this morning.
that: Es la opción más segura y común en inglés moderno para objetos, ya sean cosas o personas.who / whom: Se usa para personas. En niveles C1, si el objeto enfatizado es una persona, puedes usarwho(común) owhom(muy formal). Ejemplo:It was Dr. Smith whom they consulted.which: Aunque técnicamente posible para objetos inanimados, suena excesivamente formal o incluso anticuado en unacleft sentence. Es preferible usarthat.- Omisión: En contextos informales, a veces se omite el
that(It was the keys I lost), pero en redacción académica o profesional de nivel C1, siempre es mejor incluirlo para mantener la estructura clara.
It-clefts en cada oración; si lo hiciéramos, sonaríamos dramáticos o agotadores. Se utilizan en situaciones estratégicas:- 1Para corregir una idea errónea (Contrastive Focus):
No, it was a motorcycle that I bought. Aquí, el énfasis sirve para desmentir la presuposición del interlocutor.- 1Para destacar información nueva o sorprendente:
While many factors contribute to climate change, it is the emission of methane that scientists are currently prioritizing. Aquí, resaltas el metano por encima de otros gases conocidos.- 1Para dar peso emocional o estilístico:
It was his integrity that I admired above all else. Esto suena mucho más profundo y reflexivo que decir simplemente I admired his integrity.- 1En contextos de WhatsApp o conversaciones rápidas:
Wait, was it the 5 PM meeting that you cancelled? (¿Espera, fue la reunión de las 5 la que cancelaste?). Aquí el It-cleft ayuda a evitar malentendidos sobre cuál de todas las reuniones fue afectada.- 1El error de concordancia plural (
They were...):
*They were the photos that I liked.* ¡Ojo! Esto es incorrecto en inglés. El sujeto It es gramaticalmente invariable.- Incorrecto:
*They were* the results that surprised us. - Correcto:
*It was* the results that surprised us.
- 1El uso de
whaten lugar dethat:
It was the book *what* I bought). Esto suena muy natural para nosotros, pero en inglés, what no puede actuar como pronombre relativo en una It-cleft.- Incorrecto:
It was the coffee *what* I ordered. - Correcto:
It was the coffee *that* I ordered.
what se usa en Pseudo-clefts, como What I ordered was the coffee, pero no en las que empiezan con It).- 1Olvidar el tiempo verbal del verbo
to be:
It is por inercia. Recuerda que si la acción principal ocurrió en el pasado, el marco de la oración debe ser It was.- Incorrecto:
It is the movie we saw last night. - Correcto:
It was the movie we saw last night.
It-clefts con las Pseudo-clefts (u oraciones hendidas con wh-). Aunque ambas sirven para enfatizar, su estructura y matices son diferentes.It + be + [Objeto] + that... | What... + be + [Objeto] |It was the red wine that he spilled. | What he spilled was the red wine. |It-cleft. Si estás dando una presentación y quieres generar suspenso o ser más explicativo, la Pseudo-cleft con What funciona mejor.It-clefts con tiempos compuestos como el Present Perfect?It has been the lack of communication that has caused the problem, pero en la mayoría de los casos, un simple It is o It was es suficiente y suena más natural incluso si el resto de la oración está en otro tiempo.It was him that I saw o It was he that I saw?to be, debería ir un pronombre de sujeto (he), pero en el inglés hablado moderno, casi todo el mundo usa el pronombre de objeto (him). En un examen de Cambridge o TOEFL, It was he es técnicamente lo «correcto», pero en la vida real, It was him es lo que oirás en Netflix y en la calle.It was to Maria that I gave the gift. Nota que en inglés solemos mantener la preposición (to) para que la frase sea clara.which?that se ha convertido en el estándar para esta estructura específica. Usar which te hace sonar como un libro de texto del siglo XIX.It-clefts son tu mejor aliado para demostrar que no solo hablas inglés, sino que sabes jugar con él. La próxima vez que estés escribiendo un correo importante o explicando un malentendido, intenta usar esta estructura. ¡Verás cómo cambia la fuerza de tu mensaje!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
| Tipo de oración original | Elemento enfatizado | Estructura It-Cleft (Énfasis en el objeto) | Ejemplo |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Activa simple
|
Objeto directo (cosa)
|
It is/was + Objeto + that + S + V...
|
It was `the new software` that we installed.
|
|
Activa simple
|
Objeto directo (persona)
|
It is/was + Objeto + who/that + S + V...
|
It was `my professor` who I consulted.
|
|
Con preposición
|
Objeto de preposición
|
It is/was + Objeto + that + S + V + Prep...
|
It was `their innovative ideas` that I was most impressed by.
|
|
Voz pasiva (agente)
|
Agente de la acción
|
It is/was + Agente + who/that + V + Objeto...
|
It was `the lead engineer` who designed the system.
|
|
Aclarando información
|
Detalle específico
|
It is/was + Detalle + that + S + V...
|
It was `your feedback` that truly helped me improve.
|
|
Respondiendo a 'What' Q
|
Respuesta (cosa)
|
It is/was + Respuesta + that + S + V...
|
It was `the forgotten password` that caused the login issue.
|
|
Respondiendo a 'Who' Q
|
Respuesta (persona)
|
It is/was + Respuesta + who/that + S + V...
|
It was `my colleague, Dr. Lee`, who presented the findings.
|
Espectro de formalidad
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)
It-Clefts: Enfatizando el Objeto
Estructura
- It is/was + OBJECT El elemento destacado
- + that/who/which Conecta cláusulas
- + Subject + Verb... El resto de la oración
Uso
- Highlight new info Introduce detalles clave
- Correct misunderstandings Aclara suposiciones erróneas
- Respond to 'Wh-' Qs Responde directamente a 'Qué/Quién'
- Add drama/impact Da fuerza a las afirmaciones
Recordatorios Clave
- It is/was ALWAYS singular El verbo concuerda con 'It'
- who for people, that for things Elección del pronombre relativo
- Avoid overuse Mantiene el impacto
It-Clefts: Énfasis en el Sujeto vs. Objeto
Cómo Formar una It-Cleft que Enfatiza el Objeto
¿Quieres enfatizar el OBJETO DIRECTO de tu oración?
¿El objeto enfatizado es una PERSONA?
¿Cuál es el SUJETO y VERBO originales?
Ejemplo: 'She wrote `the best-selling novel`.'
Cuando las It-Clefts Destacan tu Punto
Aclarando
- • Corregir un error factual
- • Responder directamente a '¿Qué?'
- • Destacar un elemento específico
Impactando
- • Añadir drama a una afirmación
- • Expresar sentimientos fuertes
- • Llamar la atención sobre detalles cruciales
Convenciendo
- • Presentar hallazgos clave
- • Cambiar el enfoque en una discusión
- • Hacer que un punto resuene
Ejemplos por nivel
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.
Fácil de confundir
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.
Errores comunes
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.
Patrones de oraciones
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.
Úsala para corregir
It-Cleft es tu mejor aliada para una corrección amable y precisa. No, it was the blue car that I said was mine, not the red one.Evita el uso excesivo
It-Clefts con moderación para mantener su impacto. Demasiadas pueden hacer que tu escritura suene forzada o poco natural, perdiendo la énfasis deseada. ¡Varía tus estructuras oracionales! It was her smile that charmed everyone.Piensa en Who vs. That
who es generalmente más natural y un poco más formal. That es perfectamente aceptable para personas también, especialmente en contextos informales o cuando la cláusula es muy corta. Ambos están bien para cosas. It was my neighbor who helped me move. o It was the dog that ate my homework.Persuasión sutil
It-Clefts puede guiar sutilmente el enfoque de tu audiencia. It was this market trend that our analysis predicted suena más seguro que simplemente enunciar la predicción.It was/is Siempre Singular
It is o It was. El verbo to be concuerda con It, ¡no con el objeto enfatizado! It was the many hours of practice that finally paid off.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.
Pronunciación
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.
Memorízalo
Mnemotecnia
IT IS the ITEM that matters.
Asociación visual
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
Desafío
Write down three things you did today. Now, rewrite them as it-clefts to emphasize the most interesting object in each sentence.
Notas culturales
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.
Inicios de conversación
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?
Temas para diario
Errores comunes
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.
to be en una It-Cleft siempre concuerda con It (singular), por lo que 'were' debería ser 'was'. El resto de la oración es correcto.Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
Score: /3
Ejercicios de practica
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
Preguntas frecuentes (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
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Clases de Inglés
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