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（Wh分裂文）です。Wh-clefts もこれと全く同じ機能を持ちます。通常の SVO 語順（例：I need rest.）をあえて分解し、What I need is rest. とすることで、聞き手がすでに知っていること（前提：私が何かを必要としていること）と、新しい情報（焦点：それは休息であること）を明確に切り分けます。Wh-clefts（擬似分裂文とも呼ばれます）の仕組みを理解する鍵は、文を「前提（すでに出ている話題）」と「焦点（最も伝えたい新情報）」の2つに分割することにあります。I want a solution.（私は解決策が欲しい。）I, want, a solution が等分に並んでいますが、Wh-cleft を使うと以下のようになります。Wh-cleft：What I want | is | a solution.- Wh節（What I want）: 「私がいま欲しがっているもの」という、いわば「お題」の提示です。これは聞き手との共通認識（前提）となります。
- be動詞（is）: 前提と焦点を結ぶイコール（＝）の役割を果たします。
- 焦点（a solution）: ここが「スポットライト」が当たる場所です。
Wh-cleft は日本語の「〜のは〜だ」という構文と非常に構造が似ています。日本語学習者が無意識に行っている強調の仕方を、そのまま英語にスライドさせることができる数少ない領域です。Wh-cleft) | 日本語構造 | 役割 |What I need | 私が必要なのは | 前提（トピック）の提示 |is | だ / です | 繋ぎ（繋辞） |rest | 休息 | 焦点（強調したい内容） |Wh-clause と be 動詞によって実現されています。しかし、英語には what 以外にも where, why, when など多様な Wh 語があり、それぞれ強調できる対象が異なる点に注意が必要です。Wh-clefts の基本形は以下の通りです：Wh-word + 主語 + 動詞 (+ α) + be動詞 + 強調したい要素Wh 語によって、何を強調するかが決まります。主要なパターンを見てみましょう。What を使ったパターン（最も一般的）- 名詞句の強調:
What we need is a clear strategy.（私たちに必要なのは明確な戦略です。） - 行動（動詞句）の強調: 行動そのものを強調する場合、
doを補う特殊な形をとります。 What he did was (to) resign.（彼がしたのは、辞職することだった。）- ※この場合、
toは省略されるのが一般的です。
Where / When / Why を使ったパターン- 場所:
Where they first met was at a small cafe in Kyoto.（彼らが最初に出会ったのは、京都の小さなカフェだった。） - 時:
When the error occurred was during the system update.（エラーが発生したのは、システムアップデートの最中だった。） - 理由:
Why I'm telling you this is because I trust you.（なぜ私がこの話をしているかというと、あなたを信頼しているからです。）
Reverse Wh-cleft と呼びます。A clear strategy is what we need.
Wh-cleft よりも、さらに結論（A clear strategy）を先に突きつけるため、非常に断定的で強い響きになります。be動詞の一致（Agreement）be動詞の単数・複数の一致です。焦点となる要素が複数の場合、are を使うべきか is を使うべきか、ネイティブの間でも議論になりますが、フォーマルな書き言葉では複数形に合わせるのが一般的です。What I bought were two books and a pen.（私が買ったのは、2冊の本とペン1本だ。）- ※ただし、口語では
What I bought is...と単数で受けることも非常に多いです。
- Scenario: 会議で「予算が足りない」と思われている状況で。
- "No, cost isn't the issue. What we lack is time."
- Scenario: 新製品の発表会で。
What I want to show you today is a revolutionary way to manage your tasks.
- Scenario: 就職活動やキャリア面談で。
What I value most in a workplace is a culture of continuous learning.
- Scenario: 長い議論の末のまとめ。
So, what this research suggests is that we need to pivot our marketing strategy.
- "I opened the box, and what I saw was something I'll never forget."
Wh-clefts を使う際に陥りやすい、特有のミスがいくつかあります。これらは日本語の干渉（L1 interference）や、文法規則の過剰一般化が原因です。Who の誤用（The Who Cleft Mistake）Who helped me was Tanaka-san. と言いたくなりますが、これは不自然です。Who を使った分裂文は、現代英語では非常に限定的な状況でしか使われません。- Bad:
Who told me the news was my boss. - Good:
The person who told me the news was my boss. - Good (It-cleft):
It was my boss who told me the news.
The person who... という形にするか、後述する It-cleft を使うのが正解です。do の欠落What he was apologize. のように do を忘れてしまうミスが散見されます。行動を強調する際は、必ず Wh 節の中に do/does/did を入れ、be 動詞の後に動詞の原形（または to 不定詞）を置きます。- Bad:
What she did was apologized.（時制を二重にかけてしまう） - Good:
What she did was apologize.（didが時制を担っているので、後ろは原形でOK）
which との混同Which I like is... としてしまうことがありますが、分裂文の主語になれるのは基本的に What です（選択肢が限定されている状況を除き、Which は使いません）。- Bad:
Which matters most is quality. - Good:
What matters most is quality.
Wh-cleft と非常によく似た構文に It-cleft（It分裂文）があります。どちらも「強調」のための構文ですが、ニュアンスと使い分けが異なります。C1レベルではこの差を意識しましょう。Wh-cleft (What I need is...) | It-cleft (It is... that I need) |The person who を使う） | 非常に得意 (It was John who...) |Wh-cleft:What we need is more investment.
It-cleft:It is more investment that we need (not more staff).
What I need are... と What I need is...、結局どちらが正しいのですか？are が正解です。しかし、ネイティブの日常会話では What 節全体を「一つの事柄（ひとまとまりの概念）」と捉えて、後ろが複数名詞であっても is を使うことが非常に多いです。試験やフォーマルな論文では複数形に合わせる（are）のが無難ですが、プレゼンなどの口頭発表では is でも全く問題ありません。What 以外の Wh 語（Where, When など）があまり使われないのはなぜですか？What-cleft に比べると Where や When の使用頻度は低いです。これらは少し古風、あるいは非常にドラマチックな響きになります。日常的・ビジネス的な文脈では、Where we met was... よりも The place where we met was... のように、先行詞（The place, The time, The reason）を明示する形の方が好まれます。ただし、Why だけは Why I'm here is... のように頻繁に使われます。What I did was (to) apologize. の to は、いつ付けるべきですか？to を省略するのが一般的です（特にアメリカ英語）。to を入れると、少しだけフォーマルで、教育を受けた印象、あるいは強調の度合いが少し和らぐ響きになります。C1レベルのライティングであれば、どちらを選んでも間違いではありませんが、一貫性を持たせることが大切です。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
| Wh-word | 節の例 | 強調される情報 | Wh-Cleftsの全体例 | 強調の種類 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
What
|
I need
|
more sleep
|
What I need is more sleep.
|
モノ・概念
|
|
What
|
she does
|
teach yoga
|
What she does is teach yoga.
|
行動
|
|
Where
|
we met
|
at the coffee shop
|
Where we met was at the coffee shop.
|
場所
|
|
Why
|
he quit
|
because of stress
|
Why he quit was because of stress.
|
理由
|
|
Who
|
wrote the song
|
Taylor Swift
|
Who wrote the song was Taylor Swift.
|
人
|
|
How
|
you fix it
|
by restarting the computer
|
How you fix it is by restarting the computer.
|
方法
|
|
What
|
they wanted
|
a new challenge
|
What they wanted was a new challenge.
|
モノ・概念
|
フォーマル度スペクトル
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)
強調のためのWh-Clefts
目的
- Emphasis 文の特定の部分を強調すること。
- Clarity 主要な点を明確にすること。
- Correction 誤解を訂正すること。
よく使われるWh-Words
- What モノ、概念、または行動に対して。
- Where 場所に対して。
- Why 理由に対して。
構造
- Wh-word + clause 導入部分（例：'What I need'）。
- is/was 連結動詞、通常は'to be'です。
- Emphasized info 文の焦点となる部分。
Wh-Clefts vs. It-Clefts
Wh-Cleftsの文の作り方
特定の情報を強調したいですか？
強調する部分はモノ、概念、それとも行動ですか？
行動を強調していますか？
強調される情報は単数ですか、それとも概念として扱われますか？
Wh-Cleftsの使用シナリオ
訂正
- • 誤解を明確にする
- • 事実関係を正す
- • 前提に異議を唱える
強調
- • 重要な事実に注意を引く
- • 新しい情報を劇的に導入する
- • 感情的な重みを加える
要約
- • 議論を要点で締めくくる
- • 調査結果をまとめる
- • 核心的な結論を述べる
フォーマル・インフォーマル
- • プレゼンテーションに重みを加える
- • カジュアルに強い意見を表現する
- • 会話での強調
レベル別の例文
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.
間違えやすい
Learners often don't know when to use 'It is...' vs 'What is...'.
Learners confuse 'What' with 'Which' or 'That'.
よくある間違い
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.
文型パターン
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.
「What」をどんどん使ってみましょう
What I want is a cup of coffee.
使いすぎには注意してくださいね
What I need is silence!(毎日言うとちょっと変ですよね)
動詞の一致は特に注意が必要です
What I need is more sleep.(sleepは単数扱いですね)
より自然な英語に近づきます
What he said was very insightful.
行動を強調するなら「do/does/did」
What she does is bake delicious cakes.となります。
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.
発音
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.
暗記しよう
記憶術
W.I.F.E: What-clause, Is/was, Focus, Emphasis.
視覚的連想
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
チャレンジ
Write down three things you need right now using the 'What I need is...' structure.
文化メモ
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'.
会話のきっかけ
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?
日記のテーマ
よくある間違い
Test Yourself
Score: /3
練習問題
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 exercisesScore: /12
よくある質問 (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
Learn These First
Continue With
関連動画
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