Phrases clivées en 'It' (It-Clefts): Ajouter un fort accent
précision et l'impact !
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
it-clefts. En tant que francophones, nous avons un avantage naturel ici : nous utilisons cette structure sans même y réfléchir. Quand tu dis « C'est lui qui a commencé !cleft sentence (une phrase clivée).it-clefts n'est pas seulement une question de grammaire, c'est une question de stratégie rhétorique. C'est l'outil qui te permet de manipuler l'attention de ton interlocuteur. Dans une phrase standard comme John bought the wine, l'information est plate, linéaire.it-cleft, tu peux transformer cela en It was John who bought the wine (C'est Jean qui a acheté le vin) ou It was the wine that John bought (C'est le vin que Jean a acheté).it-clefts permettent de segmenter une proposition unique en deux parties distinctes : ce qui est déjà connu (le présupposé) et ce sur quoi on veut mettre un coup de projecteur (le focus).it-clefts repose sur une architecture très spécifique. On prend une phrase simple et on la « coupe » (d'où le terme cleft, du verbe to cleave, fendre) pour insérer l'élément que l'on veut souligner entre un « présentatif » et une proposition relative.- Le pronom
it: C'est ce qu'on appelle un sujet « vide » ouexpletive pronoun. Il n'a pas de sens propre, il sert juste de support grammatical. - Le verbe
be: Il sert de pivot. Contrairement au français où l'on hésite parfois entre « c'est » et « ce sont », en anglais, ce verbe reste presque toujours au singulier. - L'élément focalisé : C'est la star de ta phrase. Cela peut être un nom, un pronom, un adverbe de temps ou de lieu, ou même une proposition entière.
- Le pronom relatif : Généralement
thatouwho. C'est le lien qui rattache le reste de l'information (ce qui est déjà connu).
it-cleft parfait, il faut suivre une recette précise. La règle d'or est la suivante :It + be (conjugué) + [Élément à souligner] + Relative Pronoun (that/who) + [Reste de la phrase]bebe doit généralement s'accorder avec le temps de la phrase d'origine.- Si tu parles au passé :
It was... - Si tu parles au présent :
It is... - Si tu parles au futur :
It will be... - Pour un regret ou une hypothèse :
It would have been...
- Un nom/pronom :
It was the manager who signed it. - Une expression de temps :
It was only yesterday that I found out. - Une expression de lieu :
It is in this very room that the treaty was signed. - Une cause (proposition avec
because) :It was because he was tired that he made the mistake.
that: C'est le couteau suisse. Il fonctionne pour tout (personnes, objets, lieux, temps). En cas de doute, utilisethat.who: Utilisé uniquement pour les personnes. C'est un peu plus élégant mais moins polyvalent quethat.whom: Très formel, utilisé quand la personne soulignée est l'objet de la relative.It was Sarah whom I saw(plutôt quewho).when/where: On les voit parfois, mais attention ! Dans unit-cleftstrict,thatest souvent préféré àwhenouwhere. On dira plus naturellementIt was in London that we metplutôt queIt was in London where we met.
It was John that John bought the car.It was John that bought the car.it-cleft remplit des fonctions pragmatiques que la simple intonation ne peut pas toujours porter, surtout à l'écrit.- *L'autre :*
I heard Sarah resigned. - *Toi :*
No, it was Mark who resigned, not Sarah.
it-cleft sert à opposer deux réalités.It was a simple tweet that eventually brought down the entire corporation.
it-cleft ici montre que l'importance du tweet est disproportionnée par rapport à sa nature simple.It is only by investing in R&D that we can remain competitive.
It’s your attitude that I find most frustrating!(C'est ton attitude que je trouve la plus frustrante !)
They are my friends who helped me ou Those are my friends who....it de la structure clivée est invariable. Peu importe que l'élément qui suit soit pluriel, le verbe be reste au singulier (ou s'accorde avec it).- *Faux :*
They were the results that shocked us. - *Juste :*
It was the results that shocked us.
that (ex: The book (that) I read). Mais dans un it-cleft, surtout au niveau C1, l'omission du pronom relatif rend la phrase bancale et moins claire.- *Bof :*
It was John did it. - *Juste :*
It was John who/that did it.
I ou you, le verbe qui suit dans la relative doit s'accorder avec ce pronom, pas avec it.- *Faux :*
It is I who is responsible. - *Juste :*
It is I who am responsible.(Même si, soyons honnêtes, la plupart des natifs dirontIt's me who's responsibledans un registre informel. Mais à l'écrit C1, fais attention !)
it-clefts avec les wh-clefts (aussi appelées pseudo-clefts).I need a coffee. | Neutre. |It is a coffee that I need. | Focus sur l'objet (pas un thé, un café). |What I need is a coffee. | Focus sur le besoin (l'action de l'avoir). |wh-clefts commencent souvent par What, All, ou The thing that. Elles sont très utiles pour souligner un désir ou une nécessité : All I want for Christmas is you.do pour l'emphase : I do like your hair. Mais là où do insiste sur la vérité de l'action, le it-cleft insiste sur l'identité de l'élément (qui, quoi, quand, où).which au lieu de that ?It was the car which caused the accident. Cependant, dans l'usage moderne des it-clefts, that est devenu la norme quasi absolue. which sonne parfois un peu trop lourd ou formel dans cette structure précise.It's me who... est correct ?be devrait être au cas sujet (It is I who...), mais c'est extrêmement formel et presque archaïque. Dans 99 % des cas, utilise le pronom objet : It's me who, It's him that, It's them who.it-clefts à l'écrit académique ?be est cohérent avec le reste de ton texte.JOHN did it en insistant sur le nom. Mais à l'écrit, tu n'as pas de voix. Le it-cleft est ton « intonation écrite ». Il force le lecteur à lire la phrase avec la bonne emphase dans sa tête.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
| Phrase originale | Élément mis en emphase | Structure It-Cleft | Effet |
|---|---|---|---|
|
I bought the book yesterday.
|
The book
|
It was *the book* that I bought yesterday.
|
Met en lumière ce qui a été acheté.
|
|
Sarah helped me with my project.
|
Sarah
|
It was *Sarah* who helped me with my project.
|
Met en lumière qui a aidé.
|
|
They finished the task quickly.
|
Quickly
|
It was *quickly* that they finished the task.
|
Met en lumière comment cela a été fait (adverbe).
|
|
We met at the coffee shop.
|
At the coffee shop
|
It was *at the coffee shop* that we met.
|
Met en lumière où ils se sont rencontrés (lieu).
|
|
He resigned because of stress.
|
Because of stress
|
It was *because of stress* that he resigned.
|
Met en lumière la raison (clause).
|
|
You ordered the wrong item.
|
The wrong item
|
It was *the wrong item* that you ordered.
|
Corrige un malentendu sur l'objet.
|
Spectre de formalité
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 : Le boost d'emphase !
Structure
- It + be Début du cleft
- Emphasized Element L'élément central
- that/who/which Connecte les clauses
- Rest of sentence L'information de fond
Quand l'utiliser
- Correction Corriger les malentendus
- New Info Introduire des faits surprenants
- Drama/Emotion Ajouter de l'intensité
- Clarification Expliquer les raisons
Éléments mis en emphase
- Subject Qui/Quoi réalise l'action
- Object Qui/Quoi reçoit l'action
- Adverbial Temps, lieu, manière, raison
- Clause Une idée entière
Clefts vs. Emphase simple
Construire un It-Cleft
Quelle partie de ta phrase veux-tu souligner ?
Quel est le temps de ton verbe principal ?
L'élément mis en emphase est-il une personne ?
Place l'élément souligné après 'It is/was' et avant le pronom relatif.
It-Clefts dans les contextes modernes
Vie numérique
- • Instagram captions
- • Gaming voice chat
- • Texting friends
Professionnel
- • Zoom interviews
- • University projects
- • Formal emails
Quotidien
- • Coffee shop conversations
- • Netflix subtitles
- • Ordering delivery food
Exemples par niveau
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.
Facile à confondre
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.
Erreurs courantes
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.
Structures de phrases
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.
Repérer l'emphase
N'en fais pas trop !
Varie tes connecteurs
Puissance conversationnelle
Clarifier les malentendus
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.
Prononciation
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.
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
Remember 'IT IS THE FOCUS': It + Is + The Focus + that...
Association visuelle
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
Défi
Look at the last three sentences you wrote. Rewrite one of them as an it-cleft to change the emphasis.
Notes culturelles
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.
Amorces de conversation
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?
Sujets d'écriture
Erreurs courantes
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
Exercices pratiques
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
FAQ (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
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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
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