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 + be動詞 + 強調したい要素 + 関係詞（that/whoなど） + 残りの節 という形をとります。ここで使われるItは、天候や時間を表す形式的なItと同様に、具体的な意味を持たない「形式主語」です。日本語の文法で言えば、名詞化された節を補語として取る「〜のは…だ」という構文に相当します。John broke the window.という単純な文を考えてみましょう。これをIt was John who broke the window.とすると、聞き手は「誰かが窓を割った」という状況をすでに知っている（前提）と仮定され、その上で「割ったのはジョンである」という新しい情報（焦点）が強調されます。日本語の「窓を割ったのはジョンだ」という表現と、機能的にも心理的にもほぼ完全に一致します。重要なのは、Itが常に単数扱いである点です。強調したい要素が複数であっても、Itは常にIt isまたはIt wasとなります。これは、日本語にはない「形式主語による文の分割」という英語特有の論理構造です。ネイティブスピーカーは、この構造を使うことで、文の焦点がどこにあるのかをクリアに示し、コミュニケーションの誤解を防いでいます。特に、論理的な正確さが求められるビジネスシーンや、感情を強調したい場面で、この構造は非常に高い効果を発揮します。It was... |the manager |who |made the decision |- 1主語の強調:
It was the manager who made the decision. - 2目的語の強調:
It was the decision that the manager made. - 3時・場所の強調:
It was in the office where we discussed the project. - 4理由の強調:
It was because of the deadline that we worked late.
It beとthat/whoの間に挟み込むだけで、文の重心を劇的に変えることができます。- 誤解の訂正: 相手が間違った前提を持っている場合、それを正すために使います。「彼が来たのではなく、来たのは彼女だ」と伝えたいとき、
It wasn't him who came; it was her.とすることで、対比を明確にします。 - 情報のコントラスト: 複数の選択肢がある中で、特定の要素を際立たせたい場合です。「昨日ではなく、今日やる必要がある」という場合、
It is today that we need to do it, not yesterday.と言います。 - 情報の導入と展開: 文脈の中で、特に重要な情報を提示する際に使います。例えばプレゼンで「このプロジェクトを成功させたのは、他でもない皆さんの努力です」と強調したいとき、
It is your hard work that has made this project a success.とすると、非常に力強い響きになります。
- 1Itの複数形化:
It were the students who did it.としてしまうミスです。日本語話者は「学生たち」という複数形を見ると、ついTheyやTheseを主語にしたくなりますが、It-cleftのItは常に単数固定です。これは「形式主語」という概念が日本語にないため、文法的な整合性を過剰に意識して起こる干渉です。
- 1関係詞の省略: 通常の
that節では関係代名詞を省略できますが、It-cleftでは省略すると文が非常に不自然になります。例えばIt was the book I read.と言うと、ネイティブには文が途中で切れたような違和感を与えます。必ずIt was the book that I read.と接続詞を明示してください。
- 1語順の誤り: 強調要素を文末に置いてしまうミスです。日本語の「窓を割ったのはジョンだ」という語順に引きずられ、
It was the window that broke John.（窓がジョンを割った）のような意味不明な文を作ってしまうことがあります。強調したいのは「誰が」なのか「何を」なのか、常に構造を意識してパズルを組み立てる必要があります。
It + be + X + that/who + ... | 強調したい要素を強調する（焦点化） |What + ... + be + X | 情報を提示し、最後に結論を述べる（説明的） |What I need is more time.（私が必要なのは、もっと時間だ）というWh-cleftは、情報を提示してから補足する形をとります。一方、It is more time that I need.というIt-cleftは、Itで文を開始し、more timeを即座に強調します。It-cleftの方が、より「鋭い強調」のニュアンスが強くなります。It's [person] who... のような形でよく使われます。Was it John who broke the window? のように可能です。これは相手の認識を確認する際に非常に有効です。that 以外に関係詞を使うのですか？who（人）、where（場所）、when（時間）を使うことで、強調する要素の属性をより明確にできるからです。thatは万能ですが、状況に応じて使い分けるとより洗練された英語になります。do を使った強調（He did break the window.）を用いるのが一般的です。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
| 元の文 | 強調される要素 | 「It」強調構文 | 効果 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
I bought the book yesterday.
|
The book
|
It was *the book* that I bought yesterday.
|
何を買ったかを強調。
|
|
Sarah helped me with my project.
|
Sarah
|
It was *Sarah* who helped me with my project.
|
誰が手伝ったかを強調。
|
|
They finished the task quickly.
|
Quickly
|
It was *quickly* that they finished the task.
|
どのように行われたかを強調（副詞句）。
|
|
We met at the coffee shop.
|
At the coffee shop
|
It was *at the coffee shop* that we met.
|
どこで会ったかを強調（場所）。
|
|
He resigned because of stress.
|
Because of stress
|
It was *because of stress* that he resigned.
|
理由を強調（節）。
|
|
You ordered the wrong item.
|
The wrong item
|
It was *the wrong item* that you ordered.
|
目的語に関する誤解を訂正。
|
フォーマル度スペクトル
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: 強調力アップ！
構造
- It + be 強調構文の始まり
- Emphasized Element 焦点となる部分
- that/who/which 節をつなぐ
- Rest of sentence 背景情報
いつ使うか
- Correction 誤解の訂正
- New Info 驚くべき事実の導入
- Drama/Emotion 強さの追加
- Clarification 理由の説明
強調される要素
- Subject 動作をする人/物
- Object 動作を受ける人/物
- Adverbial 時、場所、方法、理由
- Clause 全体的な考え
強調構文 vs. 単純な強調
「It」強調構文の構築
文のどの部分を強調したいですか？
主動詞の時制は何ですか？
強調される要素は人ですか？
強調される要素を「It is/was」の後、関係代名詞の前に配置してください。
現代における「It」強調構文
デジタルライフ
- • Instagram captions
- • Gaming voice chat
- • Texting friends
ビジネスシーン
- • Zoom interviews
- • University projects
- • Formal emails
日常生活
- • Coffee shop conversations
- • Netflix subtitles
- • Ordering delivery food
レベル別の例文
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.
間違えやすい
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.
よくある間違い
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.
文型パターン
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.
強調箇所を見つけよう
使いすぎは禁物！
接続詞を使い分けよう
会話での表現力
Using them naturally will make you sound much more fluent and expressive in real conversations.
誤解を解消する
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.
発音
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.
暗記しよう
記憶術
Remember 'IT IS THE FOCUS': It + Is + The Focus + that...
視覚的連想
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
チャレンジ
Look at the last three sentences you wrote. Rewrite one of them as an it-cleft to change the emphasis.
文化メモ
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.
会話のきっかけ
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?
日記のテーマ
よくある間違い
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
練習問題
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
よくある質問 (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
「It」を使った強調（It-Clefts）
### Overview B2レベルに達した皆さんは、英語で複雑な表現を使いこなせるようになっています。単に情報を伝えるだけでなく、ど...
英語のIt-Clefts: 目的語を強調する (It was the...)
### Overview 英語の`It-cleft`（It強調構文）は、文中の特定の要素を強調するために文構造を意図的に組み替える、非常に洗練さ...
時と場所を強調するIt-Cleft: 「～だったのはその時だ」
### Overview 英語学習において、中級から上級（C1レベル）へとステップアップする際、単に「意味が通じる」だけでなく、「どの...
普遍的な強調: 「All」を使った焦点化（All-Cleft）
### Overview 英語学習において、中級から上級へとステップアップする際に避けて通れないのが「情報の焦点化（Information Focu...
あなたが必要なのは... (強調のためのWh-Clefts)
### Overview 英語の学習が上級レベル（C1）に達すると、単に「意味が通じる」だけでなく、「どの情報を際立たせ、聞き手の注意...
Related Grammar Rules
強調：本当に好きなんです！ (Emphatic Do/Does/Did)
### Overview 英語において「強調」を表現する方法は多岐にわたります。強い形容詞や副詞（`extremely`, `absolutely` など）を...
do/does/did を使った強調
### Overview 英語の文法には、単に事実を述べるだけでなく、話し手の強い確信や、相手の誤解を訂正したいという意図を伝えるた...
あなたが必要なのは... (強調のためのWh-Clefts)
### Overview 英語の学習が上級レベル（C1）に達すると、単に「意味が通じる」だけでなく、「どの情報を際立たせ、聞き手の注意...
目的語の先頭化：目的語を最初に置く
### Overview 英語の構文における「前置（Fronting）」、特に「目的語前置（Object Fronting）」は、標準的なSVO（主語-動詞-目...
存在を表す There (There is / There are)
スマホを見て、`there is` (いない・ない) Wi-Fiがないことに気づいたことはありますか？その小さなパニックの瞬間は、存在を示...
