Ce dont tu as besoin, c'est... (Phrases clivées en Wh- pour l'emphase)
projecteur linguistique ! Ils te permettent de mettre en lumière l'information cruciale, pour une clarté et un impact maximum dans ta communication. Pense emphasis, clarity, spotlight !
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 (ou phrases clivées en « wh- ») représentent l'un des outils les plus puissants de la syntaxe anglaise pour structurer le discours et manipuler l'attention de ton interlocuteur. Si tu as déjà atteint un niveau C1, tu sais que la maîtrise de l'anglais ne s'arrête pas à la simple correction grammaticale ; il s'agit désormais de maîtriser l'emphase, le rythme et la nuance. Les Wh-clefts te permettent de faire exactement cela : mettre en relief une information spécifique en la séparant du reste de la phrase.I need a coffee (neutre, informatif) et What I need is a coffee (insistant, soulignant l'urgence du besoin).What I need), puis tu révèles l'élément crucial (a coffee).what, where, why, when, who et how que nous n'utilisons pas toujours de la même manière.Wh-clefts, c'est passer d'une communication fonctionnelle à une communication stratégique, que ce soit pour briller lors d'une présentation au bureau, nuancer tes propos lors d'un débat philosophique ou simplement exprimer tes émotions avec plus de précision sur les réseaux sociaux.Wh-cleft est de transformer une phrase déclarative simple en une structure complexe à deux parties, reliées par le verbe to be. On « clive » (on coupe) la phrase pour isoler l'élément que l'on veut souligner.What I need is rest.- 1La proposition en Wh- : Elle introduit le sujet de manière générale. Elle fonctionne comme un nom (proposition nominale) et occupe la place du sujet. Elle contient souvent une information que l'interlocuteur connaît déjà ou que tu viens d'évoquer.
- 2Le verbe pivot (
to be) : Il sert de signe « égal » entre l'attente créée et la réponse fournie. Il peut être conjugué à différents temps (is,was,has been,will be). - 3L'élément focalisé : C'est la « star » de la phrase. C'est l'information nouvelle, la correction d'une erreur, ou l'élément sur lequel tu veux insister lourdement.
end-focus). En plaçant l'élément important après le verbe to be, tu forces ton auditeur à attendre la fin de ta structure pour obtenir l'information clé, ce qui crée un effet de suspense ou de clarification immédiate.Whatpour les choses, les actions ou les idées.Wherepour les lieux.Whenpour le temps.Whypour les raisons.Whopour les personnes (bien que plus rare et souvent remplacé par lesIt-clefts).Howpour la manière.
Wh-cleft suit un schéma rigoureux. Pour un apprenant C1, la difficulté ne réside pas dans la formule elle-même, mais dans l'accord du verbe et l'utilisation correcte de l'auxiliaire do pour souligner une action.Wh-word + Sujet + Verbe (+ Complément) + be (conjugué) + Élément mis en reliefWhat | S + V (transitif) | is/was | Nom ou Groupe nominal | What we require is your signature. |What | S + do/does/did | is/was | Verbe (infinitif) | What he did was resign immediately. |Where | S + V | is/was | Groupe prépositionnel | Where I want to go is to Japan. |Why | S + V | is/was | Proposition (clause) | Why she left was because she was bored. |When | S + V | is/was | Adverbe de temps | When I'm happiest is on the weekend. |do) :do dans la première partie.- Phrase simple :
She called the police. Wh-cleft:What she did was call the police.
What [Sujet] did was..., le verbe qui suit peut être un infinitif complet (to call) ou un infinitif nu (call). En anglais moderne et naturel, l'infinitif nu est beaucoup plus fréquent. On dira : What I'm going to do is send an email, plutôt que to send.to be :to be doit normalement s'accorder avec l'élément qui suit (le focus), et non avec le mot What.What I need is a new laptop.(Singulier)What I need are more resources and better tools.(Pluriel - bien que dans le langage parlé, beaucoup de natifs utilisentispar facilité, à l'écrit C1, l'accord pluriel est préférable).
Wh-cleft est indispensable :The results were disappointing, tu diras : What really surprised us was how disappointing the results were. Tu prépares ton audience à recevoir une information importante.- Ton collègue : « Tu veux dire qu'on doit annuler le projet ? »
- Toi : « No,
what I'm saying is that we need to postpone it, not cancel it. »
Wh-cleft ajoute une couche d'intensité.What I love about this city is the energy.What irritates me the most is people talking loudly on the phone.
I love the energy of this city.What this study demonstrates is a clear link between sleep and productivity.
We opened the door, and what we saw was breathtaking. La structure what we saw crée une micro-pause qui amplifie l'impact de l'adjectif breathtaking.Wh-clefts proviennent souvent d'une traduction littérale de nos structures « Ce que / C'est ». Voici les pièges à éviter :That initialThat.- *Faux* :
*That I want is a coffee. - *Juste* :
What I want is a coffee.
What.to beWh- qu'on oublie de faire le pont avec le verbe to be.- *Faux* :
*What he said very interesting. - *Juste* :
What he said was very interesting.
What et WhichWhich pour commencer une phrase clivée d'emphase.- *Faux* :
*Which option I prefer is the first one. - *Juste* :
What I prefer is the first option.(Ou mieux :The option I prefer is the first one).
is partout.- *Français* : « Ce dont nous avons besoin, c'est de solutions. »
- *Anglais soutenu* :
What we need are solutions.
Wh-cleft plutôt qu'une It-cleft ou une phrase simple.I hate the rain. | Neutre, informatif. |What I hate is the rain. | Met l'accent sur l'objet (the rain). Crée une attente. |It is the rain that I hate. | Très spécifique. Souvent utilisé pour contrer une alternative (C'est la pluie que je déteste, pas le froid). |The rain is what I hate. | Plus informel, met l'objet en premier pour une identification immédiate. |- La
Wh-cleft(What I need is...) est plus dynamique et souvent utilisée pour introduire du nouveau contenu ou des sentiments. - La
It-cleft(It is... that...) est plus restrictive. On l'utilise beaucoup pour identifier une personne ou un coupable :It was Sarah who broke the vase(et pas quelqu'un d'autre). On utilise rarementWhodans uneWh-cleft(*Who broke the vase was Sarahsonne très lourd et peu naturel).
A promotion is what she deserves. C'est une version plus décontractée, très courante à l'oral, qui permet de nommer l'élément important tout de suite tout en gardant la structure d'emphase.Who pour parler d'une personne dans une Wh-cleft ?Who told me was John), mais honnêtement, ça sonne très daté ou très formel. Pour les personnes, privilégie toujours la It-cleft : It was John who told me. Si tu veux vraiment utiliser une structure similaire à la Wh-cleft, utilise The person who : The person who told me was John.What I did was... doit toujours être au passé ?do et du verbe to be doit correspondre au moment de l'action.- Présent :
What I do is (to) meditate every morning. - Futur :
What I will do is call you later. - Passé :
What I did was explain the situation.
How dans une Wh-cleft ?How they managed to finish on time is a mystery to me. (La manière dont ils ont réussi est un mystère). C'est une structure très élégante pour exprimer l'étonnement.What I mean is... ou What I'm saying is... sont des tics de langage extrêmement courants chez les natifs pour clarifier leur pensée.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
| Mot en Wh- | Exemple de proposition | Information mise en valeur | Exemple complet de Wh-Cleft | Type d'emphase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
What
|
I need
|
more sleep
|
What I need is more sleep.
|
Objet/Idée
|
|
What
|
she does
|
teach yoga
|
What she does is teach yoga.
|
Action
|
|
Where
|
we met
|
at the coffee shop
|
Where we met was at the coffee shop.
|
Lieu
|
|
Why
|
he quit
|
because of stress
|
Why he quit was because of stress.
|
Raison
|
|
Who
|
wrote the song
|
Taylor Swift
|
Who wrote the song was Taylor Swift.
|
Personne
|
|
How
|
you fix it
|
by restarting the computer
|
How you fix it is by restarting the computer.
|
Manière
|
|
What
|
they wanted
|
a new challenge
|
What they wanted was a new challenge.
|
Objet/Idée
|
Spectre de formalité
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)
Exemples par niveau
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.
Facile à confondre
Learners often don't know when to use 'It is...' vs 'What is...'.
Learners confuse 'What' with 'Which' or 'That'.
Erreurs courantes
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.
Structures de phrases
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.
Utilise 'What' très souvent
What I really want is a new phone.
Évite la surutilisation des Wh-clefts
Vérifie bien l'accord du verbe
What I need is two apples(pas 'are').
Parle comme un vrai natif
What I love about English is its flexibility.
Utilise 'do/does/did' pour les actions
What she does is bake delicious cakes.(Pas
What she bakes is 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.
Prononciation
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.
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
W.I.F.E: What-clause, Is/was, Focus, Emphasis.
Association visuelle
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
Défi
Write down three things you need right now using the 'What I need is...' structure.
Notes culturelles
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'.
Amorces de conversation
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?
Sujets d'écriture
Erreurs courantes
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
Exercices pratiques
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
FAQ (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
Vidéos associées
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