Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'It + be + [Time/Place] + that' to put a linguistic spotlight on exactly when or where something happened.
- Start with 'It' plus the verb 'to be' in the correct tense. Example: 'It was...'
- Insert the time or place you want to emphasize. Example: 'It was in Paris...'
- Connect the rest of the sentence using 'that'. Example: '...that we first met.'
Overview
It-Clefts (it-강조 구문)입니다.Time)과 장소(Place)를 강조하는 It-Clefts는 문장 내에서 특정 시점이나 장소를 '주인공'으로 만들어주는 역할을 합니다. 단순히 I met him yesterday.라고 말하는 것과 It was yesterday that I met him.이라고 말하는 것은 전달하는 뉘앙스에서 큰 차이가 있습니다. 후자는 듣는 이의 주의를 '어제'라는 시간적 요소에 강력하게 고정시키며, 다른 날이 아닌 바로 '그날'이었음을 명시적으로 드러냅니다.It-Clefts의 구조와 용법, 그리고 한국인 학습자들이 흔히 범하는 실수까지 심도 있게 다루어 보겠습니다.It-Cleft 구문의 핵심은 '분열(Cleft)'에 있습니다. 원래 하나의 절(clause)이었던 문장을 두 개의 부분으로 쪼개어, 강조하고자 하는 요소를 It is/was와 that 사이의 명당자리로 옮기는 것입니다.It은 아무런 의미가 없는 '가주어(Dummy Subject)' 혹은 '형식상의 주어' 역할을 합니다. 날씨를 말할 때의 It is raining에서의 it과 비슷하게, 문법적 틀을 유지하기 위해 그 자리에 있을 뿐입니다. 그 뒤에 오는 be 동사는 강조하는 내용의 시제를 결정하며, 강조하려는 시간이나 장소 표현이 그 뒤를 따릅니다. 마지막으로 that, when, where 등으로 시작하는 관계절이 나머지 정보를 보충하며 문장을 완성합니다.It was...를 배치함으로써 청자에게 «지금부터 아주 중요한 정보를 줄 테니 집중해!»라는 신호를 보내는 것입니다. 이는 특히 비즈니스 미팅에서 마감 기한을 명확히 하거나, 역사적 사실을 서술할 때, 혹은 누군가의 오해를 바로잡을 때 매우 유용하게 쓰입니다.It-Clefts for Time and Place를 만드는 공식은 명확합니다. 하지만 C1 레벨에서는 단순히 공식을 외우는 것을 넘어, 각 구성 요소의 세밀한 변화를 이해해야 합니다.It + be (am/is/are/was/were) + [강조할 시간/장소] + that/when/where + [나머지 문장]- 1
It(The Dummy Subject): 항상 단수형It을 사용합니다. 강조하는 대상이 복수형(예:the 1990s)이라 하더라도 주어는 언제나It입니다. - 2
be동사의 시제: 강조 구문의 시제는 원래 문장의 시제와 일치해야 합니다.
I finished the report on Monday.→It was on Monday that I finished the report.We are meeting at the cafe.→It is at the cafe that we are meeting.
- 1강조 요소 (The Focused Constituent): 시간 부사구(
on Friday,in 2023), 장소 부사구(in the lobby,at the headquarters), 혹은 시간/장소 부사(then,there)가 올 수 있습니다. - 2연결어 (The Relative-like Clause):
that은 만능입니다. 시간과 장소 모두에 쓸 수 있습니다. 하지만 더 구체적으로는 시간일 때when, 장소일 때where를 쓰기도 합니다.
It was | It is |in 2010 | in this very room |that (or when) | that (or where) |the company was founded. | the contract will be signed. |in the office)인 경우, 전치사를 포함하여 통째로 옮기는 것이 원칙입니다. It was the office where I left my keys.라고 하면 '사물'로서의 사무실을 강조하는 느낌이 강해지지만, It was in the office that I left my keys.라고 하면 '장소'라는 맥락이 훨씬 선명해집니다.A: I heard the conference is in Tokyo.B: No, it is in Seoul that the conference is being held.(도쿄가 아니라 바로 '서울'이라는 점을 강조)
It was only after the financial crisis that the government implemented these regulations.(단순히 규제를 시행했다는 사실보다, '금융 위기 이후에야 비로소' 했다는 시간적 선후 관계를 강조)It was at the university cafe where they first discussed their startup idea.(그들의 사업 아이디어가 시작된 '상징적인 장소'를 강조)
It was then that she realized she had made a grave mistake.(그녀가 실수를 깨달은 바로 '그 순간'의 긴박함을 강조)
It is in the field of biotechnology where we see the most rapid growth today.(오늘날 가장 성장이 빠른 분야가 바로 '바이오테크'임을 선언적으로 제시)
which의 오용where나 that 대신 which를 쓰는 경우가 많습니다.- 잘못된 예:
It was in the library which I found the book.(X) - 옳은 예:
It was in the library that/where I found the book.(O) - 이유: 강조 구문의 뒷부분은 관계절의 성격을 띠지만, 강조되는 대상이 전치사구(
in the library)라면 장소 부사 역할을 하므로which는 올 수 없습니다.
It is를 쓰거나, 현재의 일인데 It was를 쓰는 실수입니다.- 잘못된 예:
It is in 1950 that the war broke out.(X) - 옳은 예:
It was in 1950 that the war broke out.(O) - 이유: 한국어에서는
전쟁이 일어난 건 1950년이다
처럼 현재형을 써도 어색하지 않은 경우가 있지만, 영어에서는 주절의be동사와 종속절의 시제를 엄격하게 일치시켜야 합니다.
- 잘못된 예:
It was Friday that the deadline expired.(X - 단순히 날짜를 명사로 볼 수도 있지만, '금요일에'라는 부사적 의미라면on이 필요함) - 옳은 예:
It was on Friday that the deadline expired.(O) - 이유: 원래 문장이
The deadline expired on Friday.이므로,on Friday전체가 강조 위치로 이동해야 합니다.
It-Clefts와 유사한 다른 강조 구조들을 비교해 보면 이 문법의 독특한 위치를 더 잘 이해할 수 있습니다.I met him there. | 중립적, 평범한 정보 전달 |It was there that I met him. | 특정 정보(장소)를 분리하여 강력하게 노출 |Where I met him was there. | '어디서 만났는지'라는 질문에 대한 답을 뒤로 밀어 강조 (초점이 뒤에 있음) |There I met him. | 문학적, 격식 있는 느낌. 장소를 문두에 두어 시각적 효과 극대화 |It-Cleft는 강조하고 싶은 내용을 문장의 앞부분(It was [Focus]...)에 배치하여 즉각적인 주의를 끄는 반면, Wh-Cleft (Pseudo-cleft)는 The place where I met him was... 처럼 강조할 내용을 문장 끝으로 보내 정보를 지연시킴으로써 궁금증을 유발하는 효과가 있습니다.Yesterday I saw her. 처럼 단순히 단어를 앞으로 보내는 '전치'는 It-Cleft보다 강조의 강도가 훨씬 약합니다. It-Cleft는 문장 구조를 완전히 재편하기 때문에 훨씬 더 명시적이고 의도적인 강조로 느껴집니다.that 대신 when이나 where를 써도 항상 똑같나요?that이 가장 표준적이고 안전한 선택입니다. 특히 격식 있는 글쓰기에서는 that을 선호합니다. 하지만 현대 구어체나 부드러운 문체에서는 시간일 때 when, 장소일 때 where를 쓰는 것이 더 자연스럽게 들릴 때가 많습니다. 다만, It was then that... 처럼 관용적으로 that과 결합하는 표현들도 있으니 문맥에 따라 선택하세요.It is/was를 생략할 수 있나요?Was yesterday I saw her. 처럼 It을 생략하는 경우가 드물게 있지만, C1 레벨의 학습자라면 생략하지 않는 것이 원칙입니다. It은 이 구조를 지탱하는 문법적 뼈대이기 때문입니다.It was John who/that called you. 처럼 주어나 목적어도 강조할 수 있습니다. 다만 이번 강의에서 다룬 시간과 장소의 It-Cleft는 부사구(Adverbial phrase)를 강조한다는 점에서 문장 구조가 약간 더 복잡하게 느껴질 수 있으니 전치사 활용에 유의해야 합니다.It-Cleft는 양념과 같습니다. 모든 문장을 강조 구문으로 쓰면 글의 리듬이 깨지고 오히려 무엇이 중요한지 알 수 없게 됩니다. 정말로 대조가 필요하거나, 오해를 바로잡아야 하거나, 서사적인 전환점이 필요할 때만 전략적으로 사용하세요. 세련된 영어의 핵심은 '절제된 강조'에 있습니다.Tense Variations of the It-Cleft
| Tense | It + Be | Focus (Time/Place) | Connector | Clause |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Present Simple
|
It is
|
in the city
|
that
|
he works.
|
|
Past Simple
|
It was
|
in 1995
|
that
|
they met.
|
|
Present Perfect
|
It has been
|
since May
|
that
|
we've waited.
|
|
Future
|
It will be
|
at the gala
|
that
|
she'll perform.
|
|
Past Negative
|
It wasn't
|
until then
|
that
|
I knew.
|
|
Past Question
|
Was it
|
in Rome
|
that
|
it happened?
|
Contractions in Clefts
| Full Form | Contraction | Usage Note |
|---|---|---|
|
It is
|
It's
|
Common in speech/informal writing
|
|
It was
|
N/A
|
Rarely contracted in standard English
|
|
It is not
|
It isn't / It's not
|
Standard negative contractions
|
|
It was not
|
It wasn't
|
Standard past negative contraction
|
Meanings
A construction used to focus on a specific piece of information (the focus) by placing it in a separate clause starting with 'It is' or 'It was'.
Temporal Emphasis
Highlighting a specific moment or period in time to show its significance to the event.
“It was in 1969 that man first walked on the moon.”
“It is only now that we are seeing the results of the policy.”
Locative Emphasis
Focusing on a specific location to contrast it with other possible places.
“It was in this very room that the treaty was signed.”
“It is in the heart of the city that the most vibrant markets are found.”
Corrective Focus
Using the cleft structure to explicitly correct a previous statement about time or place.
“No, it was on Tuesday that I sent the email, not Wednesday.”
“It wasn't in London that they stayed, but in a small village nearby.”
Reference Table
| 구조 | 강조 요소 | 예시 | 원래 문장 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
It + be + TIME + that...
|
시간
|
It was *yesterday* that I saw him.
|
I saw him yesterday.
|
|
It + be + PLACE + that...
|
장소
|
It was *in the park* that we met.
|
We met in the park.
|
|
It + be + TIME + when...
|
시간 (대안)
|
It was *in 2022* when she graduated.
|
She graduated in 2022.
|
|
It + be + PLACE + where...
|
장소 (대안)
|
It was *at the cafe* where they first spoke.
|
They first spoke at the cafe.
|
|
It + be + PREP PHRASE + that...
|
복합 시간/장소
|
It was *after midnight* that he arrived.
|
He arrived after midnight.
|
|
It + be + ADVERB + that...
|
단순 시간/장소
|
It was *then* that I understood.
|
I understood then.
|
|
It + be + TIME CLAUSE + that...
|
특정 시점
|
It was *before the game started* that we left.
|
We left before the game started.
|
격식 수준 스펙트럼
It was in the boardroom that the executive committee convened. (Professional meeting)
It was in the boardroom that we had the meeting. (Professional meeting)
It was in the boardroom that we met up. (Professional meeting)
It was in the boardroom where it all went down. (Professional meeting)
시간과 장소를 강조하는 It-Cleft
구조
- It is/was 고정된 시작
- Emphasized Phrase 시간 또는 장소
- that/when/where 접속사
- Rest of Clause 나머지 내용
용법
- Correction 잘못된 정보 정정
- Emphasis 핵심 내용 강조
- Storytelling 극적인 이야기
- Clarification 모호함 제거
예시
- It was yesterday... 시간 강조
- It was in the lab... 장소 강조
- It's now... 현재 시간 강조
It-Cleft와 단순 문장 비교
It-Cleft 만들기 (시간/장소)
특정 시간이나 장소를 강조하고 싶으신가요?
원래 문장의 주요 행동은 과거인가요, 현재인가요?
강조하고 싶은 정확한 시간 또는 장소 구문을 식별하세요.
강조된 구문이 시간 (예: 'yesterday', 'in 2023')인가요?
강조된 구문이 장소 (예: 'in the park', 'here')인가요?
강조된 시간/장소를 제외하고 원래 절의 나머지를 구성하세요.
It-Cleft 사용 시점 (시간/장소)
정정할 때
- • 잘못된 날짜/시간
- • 잘못된 장소
스토리텔링
- • 결정적인 순간
- • 중요한 배경
명확히 할 때
- • 모호한 정보
- • 새로운 세부 사항
극적 효과 추가
- • 갑작스러운 깨달음
- • 예기치 않은 사건
수준별 예문
It is here that I work.
It is here that I work.
It was then that he left.
It was then that he left.
It is in the box that the toy is.
It is in the box that the toy is.
It was at 5:00 that we ate.
It was at 5:00 that we ate.
It was in Paris that they met.
It was in Paris that they met.
It wasn't at home that I saw her.
It wasn't at home that I saw her.
Was it on Monday that you called?
Was it on Monday that you called?
It was in the garden that we played.
It was in the garden that we played.
It was only after the rain that we went out.
It was only after the rain that we went out.
It is in this office that the decisions are made.
It is in this office that the decisions are made.
It was during the summer that I learned to swim.
It was during the summer that I learned to swim.
It wasn't until midnight that the party started.
It wasn't until midnight that the party started.
It was in the 1920s that the building was constructed.
It was in the 1920s that the building was constructed.
It is primarily in rural areas that the problem exists.
It is primarily in rural areas that the problem exists.
It was only when I saw the photo that I remembered him.
It was only when I saw the photo that I remembered him.
It was through this door that the thief entered.
It was through this door that the thief entered.
It was against this backdrop of economic instability that the revolution began.
It was against this backdrop of economic instability that the revolution began.
It is in the nuances of the language that the true meaning is found.
It is in the nuances of the language that the true meaning is found.
It was not until the final chapter that the mystery was solved.
It was not until the final chapter that the mystery was solved.
It was there, amidst the ruins, that they found the ancient scroll.
It was there, amidst the ruins, that they found the ancient scroll.
It was only upon the cessation of hostilities that reconstruction could commence.
It was only upon the cessation of hostilities that reconstruction could commence.
It is within the intersection of technology and ethics that our greatest challenges lie.
It is within the intersection of technology and ethics that our greatest challenges lie.
It was then, and only then, that the gravity of his error became apparent.
It was then, and only then, that the gravity of his error became apparent.
It is in the very fabric of our society that these prejudices are woven.
It is in the very fabric of our society that these prejudices are woven.
혼동하기 쉬운
Learners often use 'What' when they should use 'It' to focus on a specific time/place.
Confusing the existential 'There' with the dummy 'It'.
자주 하는 실수
Is here that I live.
It is here that I live.
It was in 1990 when I was born.
It was in 1990 that I was born.
It is in London that I met him.
It was in London that I met him.
It was because of the rain that caused the delay.
It was the rain that caused the delay. / It was because of the rain that the delay happened.
문장 패턴
It was in ___ that I first ___.
It was only after ___ that I realized ___.
It is within ___ that the true ___ lies.
Real World Usage
It was during my time at Google that I developed these skills.
It was only when I got home that I saw your message!
It was in the 19th century that industrialization transformed the city.
It was at approximately 10 PM that the witness heard the noise.
It is in the hidden alleys of Kyoto that you find the best tea.
It was here that it all started! #memories
원래 문장 파악하기
The concert was held in the main hall.
남용은 금물!
I really want to emphasize this point.
어떤 접속사를 쓸까요?
that은 언제나 무난하게 쓸 수 있는 접속사예요. 하지만 시간을 강조할 때는 when이, 장소를 강조할 때는 where가 더 자연스럽게 들릴 때가 많아요. 좀 더 정확한 접속사를 쓰면 문장이 훨씬 매끄러워져요. It was last night when he called.
미묘함 vs. 직접적임
It was the third point that we agreed on.
질문으로 연습하기
When did you go?라는 질문에
It was last week that I went.라고 대답하는 것처럼요.
Smart Tips
Use the negative it-cleft followed by the positive one for maximum clarity.
Use an it-cleft to define the scope of your research.
Try 'clefting' your time or place adjuncts to add variety to your rhythm.
Place these words immediately after 'is/was' for the strongest effect.
발음
Stress on the Focus
The word or phrase immediately following 'It is/was' receives the strongest sentence stress.
Weak 'that'
The word 'that' is usually reduced to a schwa sound /ðət/.
Rise-Fall on Focus
It was in ↗PARis ↘that we met.
Conveys certainty and emphasis on the location.
암기하기
기억법
IT is the spotlight, BE is the stand, THAT is the bridge to the rest of the land.
시각적 연상
Imagine a dark stage where a single spotlight (the 'It was') shines on a clock (Time) or a map (Place). Everything else on stage is in the dark until the word 'that' connects them.
Rhyme
If you want to show where or when, start with 'It was' and use 'that' then.
Story
A detective is interrogating a suspect. The suspect says 'I was at home.' The detective slams the table and says, 'No! It was AT THE BANK that you were seen!' The 'It was' makes the detective's point much stronger.
Word Web
챌린지
Look at your calendar. Pick three events from last week and rewrite them as it-clefts. (e.g., 'It was on Tuesday that I went to the gym.')
문화 노트
It-clefts are very common in British academic prose to maintain an objective but focused tone.
In US political rhetoric, it-clefts are used to create 'soundbites' that emphasize specific values or locations.
Hiberno-English often uses cleft-like structures more frequently than other dialects for everyday emphasis.
Clefting has been a feature of English since the Old English period, though it became much more structured in Middle English.
대화 시작하기
Was it in your hometown that you had your first job?
Was it only recently that you decided to master English?
In which decade was it that your country saw the most change?
일기 주제
자주 하는 실수
Test Yourself
It was in the park ___ we first met.
that은 가장 다재다능한 접속사이며, 장소를 강조한 후 나머지 절을 도입하는 데 완벽하게 작동합니다.Find and fix the mistake:
It is last night that the concert was.
last night, was)에 is를 잘못 사용했어요. It-Cleft의 be 동사는 that 절에서 설명된 사건의 시제와 일치해야 합니다.Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
It + be + 강조된 시간 + that + 나머지 절 패턴을 따릅니다: It was after the meeting that we left.Score: /3
연습 문제
8 exercisesI graduated in 2015. -> It was in 2015 ___ I graduated.
Which sentence correctly emphasizes the location?
Find and fix the mistake:
It is in 1945 that the war ended.
We first met at a concert.
In formal writing, 'that' is preferred over 'where' in it-clefts for place.
Person A: 'I heard you're moving to Spain in July.' Person B: 'Actually, ___'
Identify the correct structure.
Reorder the words to form a cleft sentence.
Score: /8
Practice Bank
12 exercisesIt was at the cafe ___ I saw her reading your book.
It was on her birthday ___ he proposed.
It were a Sunday that they arrived.
It's next week when the deadline is gone.
올바른 문장을 고르세요:
올바른 문장을 고르세요:
영어로 번역하세요: 'Foi só depois da palestra que ela fez a pergunta.'
영어로 번역하세요: 'É no jardim que as crianças brincam.'
이 단어들을 문장으로 배열하세요:
이 단어들을 문법적으로 올바른 `It-Cleft`로 재배열하세요.
절들을 짝지으세요:
문장들을 짝지으세요:
Score: /12
자주 묻는 질문 (8)
Yes, in informal speech it is very common to hear `It was then when...`. However, in formal writing and exams, `that` is the preferred and safer choice.
You can use any tense of the verb `to be`. For example, `It has been in this house that we've raised our children` or `It will be at the meeting that we decide`.
An it-cleft starts with `It` (e.g., 'It was John who...'), while a pseudo-cleft (or Wh-cleft) starts with a Wh-word (e.g., 'What I need is...'). It-clefts are better for focusing on specific nouns/times/places.
Absolutely. `It wasn't in London that we met` is a very common way to correct someone's assumption.
Because the word `it` doesn't refer to anything specific (like a cat or a book). It is just a grammatical placeholder to allow the sentence to function.
No, it can be a long phrase. `It was only after three years of intensive research and many failures that the cure was found.`
Yes, especially when we want to be emphatic or when we are correcting someone. It adds a clear 'beat' to the sentence that draws attention.
Yes, for people, `who` is very common and accepted even in formal English. `It was Sarah who told me.`
Scaffolded Practice
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Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Fue entonces cuando / Es allí donde
English requires the dummy 'It', whereas Spanish starts with the verb 'Fue/Es'.
C'est... que
French uses this structure much more frequently in everyday speech than English does.
Es war... dass
German word order is more flexible, making clefts less 'necessary' for focus.
...no wa ... da
The structure is reversed: [Action] no wa [Time/Place] da.
Innama / Word order
Arabic lacks a 'dummy subject' equivalent to the English 'It'.
Shi... de (是...的)
The 'de' comes at the very end of the sentence, unlike the English 'that' which acts as a bridge.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Learn These First
관련 동영상
01:53 EXTRACTION 3 | Trailer - Chris Hemsworth - Idris Elba - Golshifteh | Netflix
02:43 Blade Runner (1/10) Movie CLIP - She's a Replicant (1982) HD
14:25 Ep 1 | Learn Spoken English Through English Movies
이게 바로 it that 강조구문입니다
THE 영어
It is ~ that 강조구문과 It is ~ that 가주어/진주어 구별법
장정호 영어 전문학원
중3 영어 it that 강조구문 개념 완벽 정리
수박씨닷컴 (김민아)
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