It-Clefts انگلیسی: تاکید بر مفعول (It was the...)
it-cleft ها مثل یه نورافکن زبانی هستن که میندازی رو object جمله تا «توضیح» بدی، «مقایسه» کنی یا رو «جزییات خاص» تاکید کنی.
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.'
مرور کلی
it-cleft برای مفعول جمله انجام میدهند. آنها مانند یک ماژیک هایلایتر دیجیتال برای صحبتهای شما عمل میکنند. به جای گفتن «من پیراهن آبی را خریدم»، میگویید: «این the blue shirt بود که من خریدم».Reddit پیروز شوید، عالی است...قواعد ترتیب کلمات
it-cleft مانند سرهم کردن یک قفسه IKEA است. نمیتوانید مراحل را نادیده بگیرید. همیشه با کلمه it شروع میکنید.to be را انتخاب میکنید (معمولاً is یا was). سپس ستاره نمایش میآید: مفعولی که میخواهید بر آن تأکید کنید. در نهایت، آن را با یک عبارت that یا who به پایان میرسانید...این گرامر چطور کار میکنه
It is/was ، شما یک «شکاف» یا «cleft» در جمله ایجاد میکنید. این شکاف شنونده را مجبور میکند قبل از اینکه بشنود چه کسی کار را انجام داده، بر روی مفعول تمرکز کند...
الگوی ساخت
It شروع کنید.
be را اضافه کنید.
that را اضافه کنید.
تغییرات الگو
not را اضافه کنید. اگر کمی تردید دارید میتوانید از modal verbs استفاده کنید. اگر در مورد یک شخص صحبت میکنید، میتوانید that را با who جایگزین کنید...
مکالمات واقعی
Sarah
Mark
the party بود که فراموش کردم سازماندهی کنم، نه تاریخش رو!»
اشتباهات رایج
it است. نمیتوانید فقط بگویید «Was the coffee...». یک اشتباه کلاسیک دیگر استفاده از which به جای that است. در این ساختار از that استفاده کنید...سؤالات رایج
that را حذف کنم؟ ج: در صحبتهای دوستانه، بله. س: آیا برای پیامک زدن خیلی رسمی است؟ ج: اصلاً! س: تفاوت این با Wh-cleft چیست؟ ج: فقط یک روش دیگر برای بیان دراماتیک است.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
| جمله اصلی | It-Cleft (تاکید بر مفعول) | هدف تاکید |
|---|---|---|
|
I need the password.
|
It's the password that I need.
|
روشن کردن یه نیاز مشخص
|
|
She broke the vase.
|
It was the vase that she broke.
|
مشخص کردن شیء آسیبدیده
|
|
They want more time.
|
It is more time that they want.
|
برجسته کردن خواسته واقعی
|
|
I hate the ending.
|
It's the ending that I hate.
|
بیان یه نظر خاص
|
|
We chose this hotel.
|
It was this hotel that we chose.
|
تایید یه انتخاب مشخص
|
|
He stole the spotlight.
|
It was the spotlight that he stole.
|
استفاده از استعاره برای تاکید
|
طیف رسمیت
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)
The Anatomy of an It-Cleft
Components
- Dummy Subject It
- Pivot Verb Be (is/was)
- The Focus The Object
Connectors
- Relative Pronoun That
- Personal Pronoun Who
Standard vs. Cleft Sentence
Should I use an It-Cleft?
Do you want to emphasize a specific word?
Is the word the Object or Adverbial?
Common Focus Types
Objects
- • The car
- • The decision
- • The money
People
- • The manager
- • My sister
- • The witnesses
Time/Place
- • In London
- • Last Tuesday
- • At the office
مثالها بر اساس سطح
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.
بهراحتی اشتباه گرفته میشود
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.
اشتباهات رایج
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.
الگوهای جملهسازی
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.
فاکتور «در واقع»!
It was the 8:00 train I took, not the 7:00 one.
زیادهروی نکن!
سبک سوشال مدیا
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.
تلفظ
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.
حفظ کنید
روش یادسپاری
IT IS the ITEM that matters.
تداعی تصویری
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.
شبکه واژگان
چالش
Write down three things you did today. Now, rewrite them as it-clefts to emphasize the most interesting object in each sentence.
نکات فرهنگی
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.
شروعکنندههای مکالمه
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?
موضوعات نگارش
اشتباهات رایج
Test Yourself
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
Find and fix the mistake:
Was the movie that I hated.
It ___ the lack of communication that caused the breakup.
Score: /3
تمرینهای عملی
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
10 exercisesIt is the ___ that I'm worried about, not the quality.
It was the shoes which I bought in Paris.
Arrange these words:
Es war das Wetter, das den Tag ruiniert hat.
Select the best option:
Match the pairs:
It was my brother ___ she met at the party.
It is the pizza that I ordered an hour ago.
Arrange these words:
Select the correct option:
Score: /10
سوالات متداول (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
ویدیوهای مرتبط
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