Lo que necesitas es... (Oraciones escindidas con Wh- para énfasis)
crucial, añadiendo claridad y un énfasis impactante a tu comunicación. ¡Domina esta estructura y sonarás como un nativo!
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Wh-clefts move the most important information to the end of the sentence to create dramatic emphasis or clarity.
- Start with 'What' + a clause to set the scene: 'What I love...'
- Follow with the verb 'is' or 'was' as a bridge.
- End with the 'Focus'—the specific thing you want to highlight: '...is coffee.'
Overview
Wh-clefts (oraciones hendidas con wh-).Wh-cleft sirve para enfatizar, aclarar o contrastar un elemento, dirigiendo la mirada del lector o del oyente hacia la parte más relevante del mensaje. Imagínate que estás en una reunión de trabajo y quieres decir que la puntualidad es lo más importante. Podrías decir Punctuality is important, pero si realmente quieres que ese concepto sea el protagonista, dirías: What matters most is punctuality.Wh-clefts funcionan como un dispositivo de estructuración del discurso. Crean un vínculo temático, presentando primero una idea general o situación (la wh-clause) y revelando después su contenido específico (el elemento enfocado). Esta construcción es frecuente tanto en el inglés formal como en el informal, y ofrece un medio sofisticado para transmitir peso retórico, intensidad emocional o una aclaración precisa.Wh-clefts va más allá de la formación básica de oraciones; se trata de manipular la sintaxis para lograr un efecto pragmático.lo que. Por ejemplo, cuando decimos Lo que necesito es un café, estamos usando exactamente la misma lógica que en inglés:
What I need is a coffee.Wh-cleft transforma una oración declarativa simple en una estructura más compleja diseñada para resaltar un constituyente particular. El proceso implica dividir la oración original en dos partes: una cláusula con wh- y una cláusula principal que contiene el verbo be y la información enfatizada. La cláusula wh- suele introducir información que ya se da por sentada o que es conocida por el contexto, mientras que la parte que sigue al verbo be proporciona la información nueva y estresada.empaquetado de la información. La cláusula
wh- actúa como una cláusula nominal, funcionando como el sujeto del verbo be. En consecuencia, el elemento enfocado ocupa la posición de complemento predicativo, atrayendo atención inmediata.What you said was crucial, el hecho de que dijiste algo se asume, y crucial es la cualidad nueva y enfatizada de lo que dijiste. Esta estructura permite una mayor precisión y puede usarse para preparar explicaciones o extraer conclusiones.wh- (what, where, why, when, who, how) determina el tipo de información que se está enfocando:What: Es, con diferencia, la más versátil y utilizada. Enfatiza entidades no personales, acciones o ideas. Equivale a nuestrolo que.Where,When,Why: Se especializan en lugar, tiempo y razón, respectivamente.Who: Aunque es posible, es menos común que las demás (a menudo preferimos lasIt-cleftspara personas, como veremos más adelante).
to be (is, was, has been, will be, etc.) actúa como el puente o eslabón entre la cláusula wh- y el elemento enfocado.Wh-cleft sigue un patrón consistente, aunque ocurren variaciones dependiendo de la palabra wh- específica y del tipo de elemento que se enfatiza. La fórmula general es:Wh-word + Cláusula + be (conjugado) + Elemento Enfocadobe concuerde en número con el elemento enfocado, no necesariamente con el sujeto dentro de la cláusula wh-. Esto asegura que el peso gramatical recaiga correctamente en la información resaltada.What | Sujeto + Verbo (transitivo) | is/was | Frase nominal, adjetivo, infinitivo | What he needs is a vacation. |What | Sujeto + do/does/did | is/was | Infinitivo (con o sin to) | What she did was (to) resign. |Where | Sujeto + Verbo | is/was | Frase preposicional (lugar) | Where we met was in Paris. |When | Sujeto + Verbo | is/was | Frase de tiempo | When I called him was at midnight. |Why | Sujeto + Verbo | is/was | Cláusula con because | Why she left was because she was bored. |do para enfatizar accionesdo/does/did en la cláusula wh-. Esto permite que la acción misma sea el foco.- Oración simple:
He painted the house. - Énfasis en el objeto:
What he painted was the house.(Lo que pintó fue la casa). - Énfasis en la acción:
What he did was paint the house.(Lo que hizo fue pintar la casa).
was puede ir en infinitivo con to o sin to (bare infinitive), aunque en el inglés moderno es mucho más común omitir el to.Wh-clefts solo porque sí; las usas para lograr objetivos comunicativos específicos. Aquí te presento las situaciones más comunes donde esta estructura brilla:- 1Para introducir información nueva o sorprendente:
wh- prepara el escenario y el elemento enfocado da la noticia.What surprised me most was how calm he remained during the crisis.(Lo que más me sorprendió fue lo tranquilo que permaneció...).
- 1Para corregir malentendidos o aclarar:
Wh-cleft sirve para poner los puntos sobre las íes. Es muy común usarla con el adverbio actually.- Persona A:
I heard you wanted to move to London. - Persona B:
Actually, what I want is to move to Madrid.(En realidad, lo que quiero es mudarme a Madrid).
- 1Para expresar opiniones fuertes o prioridades:
What we must prioritize right now is the safety of our employees.(Lo que debemos priorizar ahora mismo es la seguridad...).What I find unacceptable is the lack of transparency.(Lo que me parece inaceptable es la falta de transparencia).
- 1Para resumir o concluir:
Wh-clefts ayudan a destilar información compleja en una conclusión clara.What the data suggests is that we need a new marketing strategy.(Lo que sugieren los datos es que necesitamos una nueva estrategia...).
- 1Para crear suspenso o énfasis retórico:
wh- para generar expectativa antes de revelar el punto principal.What happened next changed the course of history.(Lo que sucedió a continuación cambió el curso de la historia).
- 1Usar
Thaten lugar deWhatal inicio:
Lo que..., y muchos estudiantes tienden a traducir ese Lo como That.- Incorrecto:
That I need is a rest. - Correcto:
What I need is a rest.
What al principio de estas frases equivale a nuestro Lo que. No uses That ni The thing what.- 1Errores de concordancia con elementos plurales:
native speaker level. Si el elemento enfocado es plural, el verbo be debe ser plural, aunque la cláusula wh- parezca singular.- Incorrecto:
What I like about the house is the large windows. - Correcto:
What I like about the house are the large windows.
is, en un examen de C1 o en un contexto profesional, debes usar are si lo que sigue es plural.- 1Olvidar el verbo
be:
- Incorrecto:
What I want, a better salary. - Correcto:
What I want is a better salary.
- 1Confundir
Wh-cleftscon preguntas indirectas:
wh- debe ser de afirmación (Sujeto + Verbo).- Incorrecto:
What did he say was a lie. - Correcto:
What he said was a lie.
Wh-clefts y las It-clefts, ya que aunque ambas sirven para enfatizar, se usan de formas ligeramente distintas.What I need is... | It is... that I need. |Who I saw was... suena raro). | Muy común (It was John who saw...). |What I love is your sense of humor.(Enfatiza la cualidad: el sentido del humor).It is your sense of humor that I love.(Enfatiza que es *eso* y no otra cosa lo que amo; es más contrastivo).
Reverse Wh-cleft, donde simplemente invertimos el orden para un efecto más directo, muy común en conversaciones de WhatsApp o correos rápidos:- Estándar:
What I need is the report. - Inversa:
The report is what I need.
Who para empezar una Wh-cleft?Who told me the news was my brother. En el 99% de los casos, un nativo preferirá una It-cleft: It was my brother who told me the news.Wh- para personas, es mejor usar The person who...: The person who told me was my brother.What I really want to watch is a documentary. O en el trabajo: What I'm trying to say is that we are over budget. Es una estructura muy natural que te hace sonar más fluido y preciso.be?What has been achieved is remarkable.(Lo que se ha logrado es notable).What will be necessary is a total restructure.(Lo que será necesario es una reestructuración total).
What I did was cry y What I did was I cried?What I did was cry) es la forma estándar y preferida en el inglés escrito y formal. La segunda (What I did was I cried) es una duplicación del sujeto que ocurre con mucha frecuencia en el inglés hablado (especialmente en EE. UU.), pero se considera menos elegante en contextos académicos.What I did was + bare infinitive.Structure of a Wh-Cleft
| Wh-Clause (Subject) | Linking Verb | Focus (Object/Complement) |
|---|---|---|
|
What I need
|
is
|
a break
|
|
What she said
|
was
|
hilarious
|
|
What we want
|
is
|
to help
|
|
What happened
|
was
|
that the car broke down
|
|
What I love
|
is
|
walking in the rain
|
|
What they bought
|
were
|
three new houses (Formal)
|
|
What they bought
|
is
|
three new houses (Informal)
|
Contractions in Wh-Clefts
| Full Form | Contracted Form | Usage |
|---|---|---|
|
What I need is...
|
What I need's...
|
Very informal speech
|
|
What happened was...
|
N/A
|
Rarely contracted
|
|
What it is is...
|
What it is's...
|
Dialectal/Informal
|
Meanings
A sentence structure used to focus on specific information by placing it after a 'What' clause and the verb 'to be'.
Emphasizing a Noun
Highlighting a specific object or person that is the focus of a desire, need, or action.
“What I really want for my birthday is a new laptop.”
“What she needs most right now is some peace and quiet.”
Emphasizing an Action
Focusing on a specific verb or activity, often using 'do/did' in the wh-clause.
“What I did was call the police immediately.”
“What you should do is talk to your manager.”
Correcting Information
Using the structure to contrast a previous statement or correct a misunderstanding.
“No, what I said was 'Tuesday', not 'Thursday'.”
“What I meant was that the project is delayed, not cancelled.”
Reference Table
| Palabra Wh- | Ejemplo de Cláusula | Información Enfatizada | Ejemplo Completo de Wh-Cleft | Tipo de Énfasis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
What
|
I need
|
more sleep
|
What I need is more sleep.
|
Objeto/Idea
|
|
What
|
she does
|
teach yoga
|
What she does is teach yoga.
|
Acción
|
|
Where
|
we met
|
at the coffee shop
|
Where we met was at the coffee shop.
|
Lugar
|
|
Why
|
he quit
|
because of stress
|
Why he quit was because of stress.
|
Razón
|
|
Who
|
wrote the song
|
Taylor Swift
|
Who wrote the song was Taylor Swift.
|
Persona
|
|
How
|
you fix it
|
by restarting the computer
|
How you fix it is by restarting the computer.
|
Manera
|
|
What
|
they wanted
|
a new challenge
|
What they wanted was a new challenge.
|
Objeto/Idea
|
Espectro de formalidad
What is required is additional funding. (Financial request)
What I need is more money. (Financial request)
What I'm after is some extra cash. (Financial request)
What I gotta have is more dough. (Financial request)
Ejemplos por nivel
What I like is tea.
What I want is a dog.
What he needs is water.
What she has is a pen.
What I need is a new phone.
What we saw was a big bird.
What they did was very nice.
What I don't like is rain.
What I meant was that I'm busy.
What happened was that I lost my keys.
What you should do is call her.
What I find difficult is the grammar.
What the government should do is lower taxes.
What I'm trying to say is that we need more time.
What surprised me most was his reaction.
What we are looking for is a creative solution.
What remains to be seen is whether the plan will work.
What I find particularly striking is the use of color.
What the data suggests is a significant shift in behavior.
What he failed to realize was the gravity of the situation.
What is perhaps most intriguing about this theory is its simplicity.
What the author is essentially grappling with is the nature of identity.
What we are witnessing is nothing short of a revolution.
What I would argue, however, is that the evidence is inconclusive.
Fácil de confundir
Learners often don't know when to use 'It is...' vs 'What is...'.
Learners confuse 'What' with 'Which' or 'That'.
Errores comunes
That I want is water.
What I want is water.
What I like it is pizza.
What I like is pizza.
What I need are a pen.
What I need is a pen.
What I want was a car.
What I want is a car.
What happened it was a mistake.
What happened was a mistake.
What I did was called him.
What I did was call him.
What we need are more time.
What we need is more time.
What is important are the results.
What is important is the results.
Patrones de oraciones
What I ___ is ___.
What happened was that ___.
What ___ is trying to say is that ___.
Real World Usage
What I can offer your company is a unique perspective.
What you don't understand is that I'm trying to help!
What we're going to see on the next slide is the growth chart.
What I meant was I'll be there at 8, not 7.
What this evidence suggests is a need for further research.
What I can do for you is offer a full refund.
Usa 'What' con frecuencia
What I want is a good coffee.
Evita el uso excesivo
What he always does is complain, but what I do is ignore him.
Revisa la concordancia verbal con cuidado
What they need is more time.
Suena más natural en inglés
What truly matters is how you treat others.
Usa 'do/does/did' para acciones
What she *does* is bake delicious cakes.
Smart Tips
Start your sentence with 'What we need to focus on is...' instead of 'We should focus on...'.
Use 'What I meant was...' to soften the correction and make it clearer.
Use a wh-cleft to introduce your most important finding.
Use 'What I love/hate is...' to make your opinion stand out.
Pronunciación
Stress on the Focus
The most important word in the 'Focus' part of the sentence usually receives the strongest stress.
Pause after the Wh-clause
There is often a slight micro-pause after the wh-clause to build anticipation.
Rising-Falling
What I need (rising) is a break (falling).
Conveys a sense of completion and emphasis.
Memorízalo
Mnemotecnia
W.I.F.E: What-clause, Is/was, Focus, Emphasis.
Asociación visual
Imagine a spotlight on a dark stage. The 'What' clause is the dark stage, and the 'Focus' is the person who suddenly appears when the spotlight (the verb 'is') turns on.
Rhyme
Start with 'What' to set the scene, use 'is' to show what you mean!
Story
A detective is explaining a crime. He doesn't just say 'The butler did it.' He says, 'What happened was... the butler did it!' This makes the reveal much more dramatic.
Word Web
Desafío
Write down three things you need right now using the 'What I need is...' structure.
Notas culturales
In some British dialects, you might hear 'What it is, is...' used as a filler or to start an explanation.
Wh-clefts are very common in American political rhetoric to sound more decisive and clear.
Using wh-clefts is a sign of high-level academic writing, helping to define research questions clearly.
The use of 'what' as a fused relative pronoun dates back to Old English, where 'hwæt' could mean 'that which'.
Inicios de conversación
What is the one thing you can't live without?
What would you say is your greatest strength?
What do you think is the biggest challenge for our generation?
Temas para diario
Errores comunes
Test Yourself
What I love about this city ___ its vibrant nightlife.
Find and fix the mistake:
What he needs are a new perspective.
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
Score: /3
Ejercicios de practica
8 exercisesWhat I really need ___ a cup of coffee.
Find and fix the mistake:
That I want is to go home.
I love her sense of humor.
___ is my ability to work under pressure.
What we need are more volunteers.
A: Did you say you were quitting? B: No, ___ was that I was taking a break.
is / what / most / important / honesty
1. I need help. 2. I forgot my keys. 3. I love pizza.
Score: /8
Practice Bank
12 exercisesWhere I want to travel next ___ Japan.
What she said were total nonsense.
Choose the correct sentence:
Translate into English: 'Lo que realmente me molesta es el ruido de la construcción.'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Match the beginnings with the correct endings:
Why he resigned ___ still a mystery to us.
What makes a great coffee are the quality of the beans.
Choose the correct sentence:
Translate into English: 'Lo que necesito es un poco de paz y tranquilidad.'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Match the beginnings with the correct endings:
Score: /12
Preguntas frecuentes (8)
Usually, no. Instead of 'Who I need is you', we say 'The person I need is you'. 'What' is much more common for things and general situations.
Yes, the linking verb is almost always a form of 'to be'. You can use modals like 'What you need might be a rest', but 'is/was' are the standard.
It is both! It's very common in casual speech ('What I want is pizza') and in very formal academic writing ('What the data indicates is...').
In formal writing, yes: 'What we need are more resources.' In speech, most people just use 'is'.
It's just flipping the sentence: 'A coffee is what I need.' It's slightly less emphatic than the standard wh-cleft.
Yes, but they are less common. 'Where I want to go is Hawaii' is okay, but 'The place I want to go is Hawaii' is more natural.
We use 'do' to focus on an action. It allows us to put the main verb at the very end of the sentence for emphasis.
No. The 'What' clause is the subject, so adding 'it' is redundant and incorrect.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Lo que... es...
Spanish requires the article 'Lo'.
Ce que... c'est...
French often uses a double 'ce' (Ce que... c'est...).
Was... ist...
Verb agreement rules are stricter in German.
...no wa... desu
Japanese is a verb-final language, so the structure feels different.
Al-ladhi... huwa...
Arabic uses a personal pronoun as the 'bridge' instead of just a verb.
...de shi...
Chinese doesn't have a specific 'What' word for this; it uses the general nominalizer.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
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