Oraciones escindidas con 'It' (It-Clefts): Añadiendo énfasis fuerte
poderoso y preciso a cualquier parte de tus oraciones en inglés.
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
It-clefts split a sentence in two to highlight one specific piece of information, making it the 'star' of the sentence.
- Start with 'It' + 'be' (It is/was) to introduce the focus. Example: 'It was Sarah who won.'
- Follow the focus with a relative clause starting with 'that' or 'who'. Example: 'It was the dog that barked.'
- Ensure the verb 'be' matches the tense of the original action. Example: 'It is today that we leave.'
Overview
Juan compró el caféo
El café lo compró Juano incluso
Fue Juan quien compró el café.
it-cleft.it-cleft sentences son estructuras retóricas que nos permiten reorganizar una oración para poner en primer plano (foreground) una información específica. Imagina que estás en una reunión de trabajo y alguien dice que el retraso del proyecto fue por falta de presupuesto, pero tú sabes que fue por una mala gestión. No dirías simplemente Bad management caused the delay.It was bad management that caused the delay.it-clefts te permite controlar el flujo de información de tus mensajes, distinguiendo claramente entre lo que ya se sabe (la presuposición) y lo que es nuevo o crucial (el foco).it-cleft, primero debemos compararla con nuestra propia gramática. En español, usamos una estructura casi idéntica: Es/Fue [elemento] lo que/quien....
it-cleft estándar se compone de tres piezas fundamentales:- 1El sujeto vacío o expletivo
it. - 2Una forma del verbo
to be(is,was,has been, etc.). - 3El elemento que queremos resaltar (el foco).
- 4Una cláusula de relativo introducida por
that,whoo, a veces, un pronombre relativo de lugar o tiempo.
Sujeto VacíoFue mi hermano quien llamó. En inglés, esto es imposible.
it inicial, aunque no se refiera a nada en particular. Funciona como un marcador de posición que prepara al oyente para la información importante que viene a continuación.Sarah won the prize.it-cleft: It was Sarah who won the prize.- Presuposición (lo que ya sabemos): Alguien ganó el premio.
- Foco (la información nueva o enfatizada): Sarah.
Sarah de su posición normal y poniéndola justo después de It was. Esto obliga al interlocutor a procesar a Sarah como la respuesta a una pregunta implícita (¿Quién ganó el premio?).
it-cleft sigue un patrón lógico y predecible, pero requiere precisión en la concordancia de tiempos verbales. La fórmula básica es:It + be (conjugado) + [Elemento Enfatizado] + [Pronombre Relativo] + [Resto de la oración]beto be debe coincidir generalmente con el tiempo del verbo principal de la oración original. Mira esta tabla comparativa:The CEO makes the decision. | Present Simple | It is the CEO who makes the decision. |The storm caused the damage. | Past Simple | It was the storm that caused the damage. |Your support has helped us. | Present Perfect | It has been your support that has helped us. |The results will clarify everything. | Future | It will be the results that clarify everything. |it-cleft permite resaltar diversos componentes:- El Sujeto:
It was the marketing team that designed the logo. - El Objeto Directo:
It was the logo that the marketing team designed. - Frases Adverbiales de Tiempo:
It was in 2022 that the company expanded. - Frases Adverbiales de Lugar:
It is in this office where we make the big decisions. - Frases Preposicionales:
It was with great effort that they finished the marathon. - Cláusulas de Razón (Because clauses):
It was because he was tired that he made the mistake.
that: Es el más común y seguro. Se usa para personas y cosas.who: Se usa específicamente para personas (muy común en contextos formales y escritos).where / when: Se usan para lugar y tiempo, aunquethatsigue siendo una opción válida y muy natural en estos casos.
it-cleft en cada oración resultaría agotador y poco natural. Su uso debe ser estratégico. Aquí te presento las situaciones clave donde un hablante nativo optaría por esta estructura:it-cleft sirve para poner los puntos sobre las íes.- *Contexto:* Alguien dice que tú cancelaste la suscripción.
- *Respuesta:*
No, it wasn't me who cancelled it; it was my partner.
It is the lack of education, rather than poverty itself, that leads to these social issues.(Aquí estás guiando al lector a ignorar la pobreza como causa principal y centrarse en la educación).
After hours of searching through the old attic, it was a dusty, leather-bound diary that finally gave us the answers.
cuándo o el dóndeIt was only when I reached the airport that I realized I had forgotten my passport.- En español diríamos:
Fue recién cuando llegué al aeropuerto que me di cuenta...
. Nota cómo la estructura es paralela.
ItEs importante que... o Fue Juan quien.... Como no necesitamos un sujeto gramatical para el verbo ser, tendemos a decir: *Was John who called.- Correcto:
It was John who called. - Ojo: Nunca empieces una oración hendida directamente con el verbo
be.
They para elementos en pluralThey were.- Incorrecto:
*They were my parents who encouraged me to study. - Correcto:
It was my parents who encouraged me to study. - Explicación: El
Itno se refiere a los padres; es una estructura fija. El verbobesiempre debe estar en tercera persona del singular (is / was).
falso relativo con whyEs por eso que...como
*It is for that why....- Correcto:
It is for that reason that...oThat is why.... - Regla de oro: En las
it-clefts, la cláusula de relativo suele preferirthatsobrewhy.
who/that.It is I who am responsible.(Muy formal, pero gramaticalmente correcto).It is me who is responsible.(Más común en el habla cotidiana).- Consejo: Para el examen C1, mantén la concordancia con el pronombre si usas la forma formal, pero lo más seguro es usar
It is [persona] that/who [verbo en 3ª persona].
it-clefts con las pseudo-clefts (también llamadas wh-clefts). Aunque ambas sirven para enfatizar, su estructura y matices son distintos.It + be + Foco + Relativo | What-clause + be + Foco |It was a new car that he bought. | What he bought was a new car. |What I need is a coffee). |It-cleft: It was Maria who solved the problem. (Las Wh-clefts con who son muy raras y suenan arcaicas: *Who solved the problem was Maria).Wh-cleft: What I want to do is travel the world.that en una it-cleft?It was the red one (that) I wanted. Sin embargo, para un nivel C1 y especialmente en escritura formal, siempre debes incluir el pronombre relativo (that, who, where) para mantener la claridad estructural.which en lugar de that?that para objetos y who o that para personas. Which es mejor reservarlo para cláusulas de relativo no especificativas ordinarias.It-cleft siempre más formal que una oración normal?It was you who started it!) como en un ensayo académico. Lo que sí es cierto es que es más específica. Al usarla, estás asumiendo que tu interlocutor sabe algo sobre el tema, lo cual es una marca de comunicación avanzada y contextualizada.to be en ese tiempo: It has been my sister who has taken care of the garden all these years. Es una forma excelente de mostrar dominio de los tiempos verbales complejos mientras aplicas estructuras de énfasis.Tense Variations of It-Clefts
| Tense | It + Be | Focus | Relative Clause |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Present Simple
|
It is
|
the money
|
that matters.
|
|
Past Simple
|
It was
|
the money
|
that mattered.
|
|
Present Perfect
|
It has been
|
the money
|
that has caused the trouble.
|
|
Future Simple
|
It will be
|
the money
|
that decides the winner.
|
|
Modal (Possibility)
|
It might be
|
the money
|
that he wants.
|
|
Negative Past
|
It wasn't
|
the money
|
that I lost.
|
Common Contractions
| Full Form | Contraction | Usage Note |
|---|---|---|
|
It is
|
It's
|
Very common in speech and informal writing.
|
|
It was
|
It'was (Non-standard)
|
Rarely contracted in standard English.
|
|
It is not
|
It isn't / It's not
|
Both are common; 'It's not' is slightly more frequent.
|
|
It was not
|
It wasn't
|
Standard contraction for past negative.
|
Meanings
A grammatical construction used to focus on a specific constituent (subject, object, or adverbial) by placing it after 'It + be'. It effectively 'cleaves' (splits) a simple sentence into two parts to create contrast or emphasis.
Subject Focus
Emphasizing the person or thing performing the action.
“It was the rain that ruined our picnic.”
“It is my sister who usually handles the finances.”
Object Focus
Emphasizing the person or thing receiving the action.
“It was the red car that he bought, not the blue one.”
“It is her honesty that I admire most.”
Adverbial Focus (Time/Place)
Emphasizing when, where, or how something happened.
“It was in Paris that they first met.”
“It is only now that I realize my mistake.”
Reference Table
| Oración Original | Elemento Enfatizado | Estructura It-Cleft | Efecto |
|---|---|---|---|
|
I bought the book yesterday.
|
The book
|
It was *the book* that I bought yesterday.
|
Destaca lo que fue comprado.
|
|
Sarah helped me with my project.
|
Sarah
|
It was *Sarah* who helped me with my project.
|
Destaca quién ayudó.
|
|
They finished the task quickly.
|
Quickly
|
It was *quickly* that they finished the task.
|
Destaca cómo se hizo (adverbial).
|
|
We met at the coffee shop.
|
At the coffee shop
|
It was *at the coffee shop* that we met.
|
Destaca dónde se encontraron (lugar).
|
|
He resigned because of stress.
|
Because of stress
|
It was *because of stress* that he resigned.
|
Destaca la razón (cláusula).
|
|
You ordered the wrong item.
|
The wrong item
|
It was *the wrong item* that you ordered.
|
Corrige un malentendido sobre el objeto.
|
Espectro de formalidad
It was John who shattered the window. (Reporting an incident)
It was John that broke the window. (Reporting an incident)
It was John who did it. (Reporting an incident)
It was John who messed up the window. (Reporting an incident)
It-Clefts: ¡Potenciador de Énfasis!
Estructura
- It + be Inicia el cleft
- Emphasized Element El enfoque
- that/who/which Conecta cláusulas
- Rest of sentence La información de fondo
Cuándo Usar
- Correction Corregir malentendidos
- New Info Introducir hechos sorprendentes
- Drama/Emotion Añadir intensidad
- Clarification Explicar razones
Elementos Enfatizados
- Subject Quién/Qué realiza la acción
- Object Quién/Qué recibe la acción
- Adverbial Tiempo, lugar, modo, razón
- Clause Una idea completa
Clefts vs. Énfasis Simple
Construyendo un It-Cleft
¿Qué parte de tu oración quieres destacar?
¿Qué tiempo verbal tiene tu verbo principal?
¿El elemento enfatizado es una persona?
Coloca el elemento destacado después de 'It is/was' y antes del pronombre relativo.
It-Clefts en Contextos Modernos
Vida Digital
- • Pies de foto de Instagram
- • Chat de voz en juegos
- • Enviar mensajes a amigos
Profesional
- • Entrevistas por Zoom
- • Proyectos universitarios
- • Correos electrónicos formales
Cotidiano
- • Conversaciones en cafeterías
- • Subtítulos de Netflix
- • Pedir comida a domicilio
Ejemplos por nivel
It is my book.
It is my book.
It is me!
It is me!
It is cold today.
It is cold today.
It is a big dog.
It is a big dog.
It was my mom who called.
It was my mom who called.
It is the blue pen I want.
It is the blue pen I want.
It was 10 PM when they left.
It was 10 PM when they left.
It is not my fault.
It is not my fault.
It was the movie that made her cry.
It was the movie that made her cry.
It is in London that the story happens.
It is in London that the story happens.
It was because of the rain that we stayed home.
It was because of the rain that we stayed home.
It is her smile that I like most.
It is her smile that I like most.
It was only last week that I found out.
It was only last week that I found out.
It is the government that should take action.
It is the government that should take action.
It was with great difficulty that he finished the race.
It was with great difficulty that he finished the race.
It is not what he said, but how he said it.
It is not what he said, but how he said it.
It was through sheer persistence that she succeeded.
It was through sheer persistence that she succeeded.
It is not until we lose someone that we appreciate them.
It is not until we lose someone that we appreciate them.
It was the lack of transparency that the public resented.
It was the lack of transparency that the public resented.
It is I who am responsible for this oversight.
It is I who am responsible for this oversight.
It was but a moment ago that the world seemed simple.
It was but a moment ago that the world seemed simple.
It is precisely this ambiguity that the poet exploits.
It is precisely this ambiguity that the poet exploits.
It might well have been the stress that triggered the illness.
It might well have been the stress that triggered the illness.
It is seldom that one encounters such genuine talent.
It is seldom that one encounters such genuine talent.
Fácil de confundir
Both add emphasis, but Wh-clefts start with 'What' and focus on the whole clause.
Learners sometimes use 'There' as a dummy subject when they should use 'It'.
Both can shift focus to the object.
Errores comunes
Is John who called.
It is John who called.
It was the cats that was hungry.
It was the cats that were hungry.
It was the book which I liked.
It was the book that I liked.
It is I who is the winner.
It is I who am the winner.
Patrones de oraciones
It was ___ who ___.
It is ___ that ___.
It was not until ___ that ___.
It is with ___ that I ___.
Real World Usage
It was my time at Google that really shaped my approach to coding.
It's not you, it's me.
It is this discrepancy in the data that warrants further investigation.
Actually, it was the diet coke that I ordered, not the regular.
It's the little things that count. ✨
It was the defendant whom I saw entering the building.
It is our priority to ensure your data remains safe.
It's the next turning on the right that you need.
¡Detecta el Énfasis!
It was *the cake* that I baked.
¡No te Excedas!
It is *crucial* that you understand this.
¡Varía tus Conectores!
It was *my sister* who helped me.
Poder Conversacional
Aclara Malentendidos
Smart Tips
Use a negative it-cleft followed by a positive one.
Use an it-cleft to define the specific problem you are solving.
Remember that 'It' stays singular even if the focus is plural.
Keep the preposition with the focus, not at the end of the sentence.
Pronunciación
Focus Stress
In an it-cleft, the word immediately following 'is' or 'was' receives the strongest pitch accent.
Falling Intonation on Focus
It was the CAKE ↘ that I wanted.
Conveys finality and correction of a previous statement.
Memorízalo
Mnemotecnia
Remember 'IT IS THE FOCUS': It + Is + The Focus + that...
Asociación visual
Imagine a theater stage. The whole stage is the sentence. The 'It is' is the spotlight operator, and the 'Focus' is the actor standing in the bright light while the rest of the sentence stays in the shadows.
Rhyme
If you want to make a point and make it hit, start your sentence with the word 'It'!
Story
John was accused of stealing a cookie. He didn't say 'I didn't do it.' He pointed at the dog and said, 'It was the DOG that ate the cookie!' The emphasis saved him from trouble.
Word Web
Desafío
Look at the last three sentences you wrote. Rewrite one of them as an it-cleft to change the emphasis.
Notas culturales
It-clefts are frequently used in British political debates to sound more assertive and precise.
Clefting is extremely common in Ireland, often used even when no strong emphasis is intended, influenced by the Irish language structure.
In scientific papers, it-clefts are used to highlight specific findings or variables without using 'I' or 'We'.
The cleft construction has roots in Old English but became much more prominent in Middle English as the language moved away from case endings toward fixed word order.
Inicios de conversación
Was it your parents who chose your name?
Is it the salary or the work-life balance that matters more to you?
Was it a specific book that changed your way of thinking?
Is it the culture or the food that you enjoy most when traveling?
Temas para diario
Errores comunes
Test Yourself
It was my friend ___ told me the news.
Find and fix the mistake:
It were the unexpected results that surprised everyone.
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
Choose the correct sentence:
Score: /4
Ejercicios de practica
8 exercisesIt ___ my brother ___ told me the news.
Select the correct option:
Find and fix the mistake:
Correct the verb agreement.
Rewrite the sentence.
You can use 'which' as a relative pronoun in an it-cleft.
A: Did Mary buy the cake? B: No, ___.
What is being emphasized?
1. I love her voice. 2. He lost his keys. 3. They met at the park.
Score: /8
Practice Bank
11 exercisesIt ___ her determination that made all the difference.
It is the strict deadline miss that often.
Choose the correct sentence:
Translate into English: 'Foi o seu comprometimento que garantiu o sucesso do projeto.'
Arrange these words into a sentence: 'the meeting / that / was cancelled / it was / the sudden illness / because of'
Match the beginnings and emphasized elements to form correct 'it'-clefts:
It was *at the cafe* ___ we first met.
It is him who is responsible for the error.
Choose the correct sentence:
Translate into English: 'Não foi o tamanho da equipe, mas a qualidade da pesquisa que impressionou o comitê.'
Arrange these words into a sentence: 'making you sad? / it's / what / that's / is'
Score: /11
Preguntas frecuentes (8)
Yes, in spoken English and informal writing, `It's` is very common. However, in formal academic writing, you should use the full `It is` or `It was`.
In formal English, `It is I` is technically correct. In modern, everyday English, almost everyone says `It is me`. If you use `I`, the following verb must be `am` (`It is I who am...`), which sounds very old-fashioned.
Absolutely! You can say, `It will be the voters who decide the outcome.` The verb `be` can be conjugated into any tense.
Normal sentences are fine, but they don't provide focus. `John called` is a fact. `It was John who called` implies 'It wasn't Peter or Sarah; it was specifically John.'
Yes, in very formal writing when the focus is an object. `It was he whom the committee chose.` However, `that` is much more common.
Yes. `It was because I was tired that I made the mistake.` This is a great way to emphasize a reason.
Yes, in this specific structure, `It` is a 'dummy subject' or 'expletive it'. It doesn't refer to anything; it just holds the spot for the verb.
In informal speech, yes, if it's the object. `It was the red one (that) I wanted.` But it's better to keep it for clarity.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Es... que / Fue... quien
English requires the dummy subject 'It'.
C'est... qui/que
French uses 'C'est' for almost all emphasis, whereas English has more variety.
Es ist... der/die/das
Word order in the relative clause follows German rules (verb-final).
〜のは〜だ (no wa... da)
Japanese doesn't use a dummy subject like 'It'.
إنما (Innama) / هو الذي (Huwa alladhi)
Arabic relies on particles and word order rather than a dummy subject construction.
是...的 (shì... de)
The 'de' comes at the end of the sentence in Chinese, unlike the 'that' clause in English.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Continue With
Enfatizando con "It" (Oraciones Hendidas con "It")
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It-Clefts en inglés: Enfatizando el objeto (It was the...)
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Oraciones Hendidas con 'It' para Tiempo y Lugar: 'Fue entonces cuando...'
### Overview Como estudiante de nivel C1, ya sabes que el inglés es un idioma con un orden de palabras bastante rígido...
Énfasis Universal: Usando 'All' para Focalizar (Cláusula Cleft con 'All')
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