It-Clefts em inglês: Enfatizando o objeto (It was the...)
ganhem destaque, adicionando clareza e poder de persuasãoao seu inglês avançado.
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
It-clefts move the object to the front to highlight it as the most important piece of new information.
- Start with 'It' + 'be' (It is/was) to introduce the focus: 'It was the cake...'
- Place the object you want to emphasize immediately after 'be': '...the cake...'
- Connect the rest of the sentence with 'that' or 'who': '...that I ate.'
Overview
se comunicar e passa a ser sobre precisão, estilo e controle retórico. Você já domina as estruturas básicas, mas agora o desafio é saber como guiar a atenção do seu interlocutor exatamente para onde você quer. É aqui que entram as It-cleft sentences.John paid the bill, a informação é neutra. Mas, se você quer enfatizar que foi a conta (e não a rodada de drinks ou a gorjeta) que o John pagou, você precisa de uma estrutura que funcione como um holofote.It-clefts focadas no objeto servem justamente para isso: elas deslocam o objeto da sua posição secundária típica e o colocam logo no início da frase, sinalizando sua importância máxima.It-clefts é a diferença entre falar um inglês correto e falar um inglês persuasivo e sofisticado.It-cleft que enfatiza o objeto reorganiza a estrutura padrão Sujeito + Verbo + Objeto (SVO). Em vez de o objeto aparecer calmamente após o verbo, nós o extraímos e o colocamos logo após a expressão introdutória It is ou It was. Isso cria uma frase bipartida: o elemento enfatizado vem primeiro, seguido por uma that-clause que traz o resto do contexto.- 1Presupposition: É a informação que o ouvinte já possui ou que já foi mencionada.
- Exemplo: Você sabe que eu comprei algo no iFood ontem.
- 1Focus: É a peça de informação específica que você quer destacar.
- Exemplo: Foi um hambúrguer artesanal (e não uma pizza).
It was *a craft burger* that I ordered on iFood yesterday.- Português:
Foi o relatório que o gerente enviou.
- Inglês:
It was the report that the manager sent.
It (em português, às vezes omitimos o ele/isso e começamos direto com o foi) e na escolha rigorosa do pronome relativo no inglês acadêmico ou profissional.It-cleft para enfatizar o objeto segue um padrão fixo. Como aluno C1, você deve prestar atenção especial à concordância do verbo to be com o tempo da frase original e à escolha do pronome relativo.fictício (dummy subject). É sempre singular e invariável. | It... |to be. Deve concordar com o tempo verbal da ação original. | It was... (passado) |It was *the final presentation*... |that, who, whom ou which. Conecta o foco ao resto da frase. | ...that... |...the CEO approved. |- 1O Verbo
to be: Ele sempre concorda com oIt(sempre singular!), mas o tempo dele depende da frase original. Se a ação aconteceu no passado, usewas. Se é algo habitual ou futuro, useis.
- Original:
She loves *jazz music*.->It is *jazz music* that she loves. - Original:
They hired *a new consultant*.->It was *a new consultant* that they hired.
- 1A Escolha do Pronome Relativo:
that: É ocoringa. Funciona para pessoas e coisas. No dia a dia e até em contextos profissionais, é a escolha mais segura e natural.who: Usado para pessoas.It was *my boss* who I called.whom: A forma super formal para quando a pessoa é o objeto da frase.It was *Dr. Silva* whom the board selected.(Raro na fala, mas valorizado em textos acadêmicos).which: Usado para coisas, mas soa muito mais formal e às vezes um pouco travado emIt-clefts. Prefirathat.
- 1Omissão do Pronome: Em conversas informais, o
thatouwhopode ser omitido se o elemento enfatizado for o objeto da oração seguinte.
It was *the blue shirt* I wanted.(Em vez deIt was the blue shirt *that* I wanted). No nível C1, use a omissão para soar mais natural em conversas, mas mantenha o pronome em relatórios ou e-mails formais.
It-cleft carrega uma carga pragmática que a ordem SVO não tem. Aqui estão as situações principais:It-cleft é a ferramenta perfeita para corrigir sem ser agressivo, apenas sendo preciso.- Amigo:
Eu ouvi dizer que você comprou um iPhone novo.
- Você:
Não,
(Foi um Samsung que eu comprei, não um iPhone).it was *a Samsung* that I bought.
It is *the security protocol* that we need to update immediately, not the user interface.(É o protocolo de segurança que precisamos atualizar imediatamente, não a interface do usuário).
Depois de anos de amizade,
(Foi um simples mal-entendido que acabou com o relacionamento deles).it was *a simple misunderstanding* that ended their relationship.
- Pergunta:
What did you enjoy most about the trip?
- Resposta:
(Foi a comida local que eu mais gostei).It was *the local food* that I enjoyed the most.
It (L1 Interference)Foi o João que...ou
Era o relatório que.... No inglês, o sujeito
It é obrigatório. Nunca comece a frase apenas com Was... ou Is... em uma cleft sentence.- Errado:
Was the marketing plan that we discussed. - Correto:
It was the marketing plan that we discussed.
Foram os...).- Errado:
They were the keys that I lost.(Isso é uma frase comum, mas não umaIt-cleftde ênfase). - Correto:
It was the keys that I lost. - Explicação: Em uma
It-cleft, o verboto beconcorda com oIt, e oIté sempre singular. Não importa se você está enfatizando um objeto plural, o início será sempreIt isouIt was.
Which para Pessoaswhich para se referir a pessoas (talvez pensando no o qual/a qualdo português).
- Errado:
It was the director which I saw. - Correto:
It was the director that (ou who/whom) I saw. - Dica: Lembre-se,
whiché exclusivo para coisas, e mesmo assim,thaté quase sempre preferível em clefts.
It-clefts com as Pseudo-clefts (também chamadas de Wh-clefts). Ambas servem para dar ênfase, mas a estrutura e o foco mudam levemente.It + be + [Foco] + that... | What... + be + [Foco] |It was *the cake* that she ate. | What she ate was *the cake*. |- It-Cleft:
(Foco imediato no vestido).It was *the red dress* that she chose. - Pseudo-Cleft:
(Você primeiro diz que ela escolheu algo, e só no final revela o quê).What she chose was *the red dress*.
It-cleft é mais poderosa quando você quer contrastar o objeto com outra coisa imediatamente.It-clefts em e-mails informais ou no WhatsApp?that. Por exemplo, se um amigo perguntar quem você levou pro show, você pode responder: It was my brother I took. Soa super natural e nativo.whom em vez de who ou that?whom apenas em contextos de escrita acadêmica ou jurídica, ou se você estiver em uma entrevista de emprego muito formal. Na vida real, that ou who são muito mais comuns. Se você usar whom no boteco ou no Uber, vai soar um pouco estranho (over-formal).It is e "It's" nessas frases?It is (por extenso) dá ainda mais ênfase e autoridade à frase, enquanto It's é a forma padrão da fala cotidiana.It was John who called me. (Foi o John que me ligou). A única diferença é que, nesse caso, o elemento enfatizado (John) é quem pratica a ação, não quem a recebe. Mas a mecânica do It + be permanece idêntica.Structure of an It-Cleft
| Intro (Dummy Subject) | Verb 'Be' | Focus (Object) | Relative Pronoun | Rest of Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
It
|
is
|
the truth
|
that
|
I seek.
|
|
It
|
was
|
him
|
who
|
called you.
|
|
It
|
wasn't
|
the money
|
that
|
she wanted.
|
|
It
|
might be
|
the weather
|
that
|
is the problem.
|
|
It
|
has been
|
his ego
|
that
|
has held him back.
|
Common Contractions
| Full Form | Contraction | Usage |
|---|---|---|
|
It is
|
It's
|
Informal/Neutral speech
|
|
It was
|
N/A
|
Rarely contracted in writing
|
|
It is not
|
It isn't / It's not
|
Common in speech
|
|
It was not
|
It wasn't
|
Common in speech
|
Meanings
A grammatical structure used to focus on a specific element of a sentence (the 'cleft' or 'split' part) by placing it after 'It is' or 'It was'.
Contrastive Focus
Used to correct a misunderstanding or contrast two items.
“It wasn't the money that I wanted; it was the recognition.”
“It was Sarah who called, not Jennifer.”
New Information Introduction
Introducing a specific object as the key topic of a narrative.
“It was a small mistake that led to the entire system failure.”
“It is this specific gene that scientists are targeting.”
Emotive Emphasis
Adding emotional weight to the object of an action.
“It was your kindness that saved me.”
“It is her bravery that we should celebrate.”
Reference Table
| Tipo de Frase Original | Elemento Enfatizado | Estrutura It-Cleft (Foco no Objeto) | Exemplo |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Ativa Simples
|
Objeto Direto (Coisa)
|
It is/was + Object + that + S + V...
|
It was `the new software` that we installed.
|
|
Ativa Simples
|
Objeto Direto (Pessoa)
|
It is/was + Object + who/that + S + V...
|
It was `my professor` who I consulted.
|
|
Com Preposição
|
Objeto de Preposição
|
It is/was + Object + that + S + V + Prep...
|
It was `their innovative ideas` that I was most impressed by.
|
|
Voz Passiva (Agente)
|
Agente da Ação
|
It is/was + Agent + who/that + V + Object...
|
It was `the lead engineer` who designed the system.
|
|
Informação Esclarecedora
|
Detalhe Específico
|
It is/was + Detail + that + S + V...
|
It was `your feedback` that truly helped me improve.
|
|
Respondendo a 'What' (O quê?)
|
Resposta (Coisa)
|
It is/was + Answer + that + S + V...
|
It was `the forgotten password` that caused the login issue.
|
|
Respondendo a 'Who' (Quem?)
|
Resposta (Pessoa)
|
It is/was + Answer + who/that + S + V...
|
It was `my colleague, Dr. Lee`, who presented the findings.
|
Espectro de formalidade
It was the manager who made the final decision. (Workplace accountability)
It was the manager that decided. (Workplace accountability)
It was the manager who did it. (Workplace accountability)
It was the boss man who called the shots. (Workplace accountability)
It-Clefts: Enfatizando o Objeto
Estrutura
- It is/was + OBJETO O elemento destacado
- + that/who/which Conecta orações
- + Sujeito + Verbo... O resto da frase
Uso
- Destacar info nova Introduzir detalhes chave
- Corrigir mal-entendidos Esclarecer suposições erradas
- Responder a 'Wh-' Qs Responder diretamente 'O quê/Quem'
- Adicionar drama/impacto Tornar declarações fortes
Lembretes Chave
- It is/was SEMPRE singular Verbo concorda com 'It'
- who para pessoas, that para coisas Escolha do pronome relativo
- Evitar uso excessivo Manter o impacto
It-Clefts: Ênfase no Sujeito vs. Objeto
Como Formar um It-Cleft com Ênfase no Objeto
Você quer enfatizar o OBJETO DIRETO da sua frase?
O objeto enfatizado é uma PESSOA?
Qual é o SUJEITO e VERBO originais?
Exemplo: 'She wrote `the best-selling novel`.'
Quando os It-Clefts Realçam seu Ponto
Esclarecendo
- • Corrigindo um erro factual
- • Respondendo diretamente a 'What?'
- • Destacando um item específico
Impactando
- • Adicionando drama a uma declaração
- • Expressando sentimentos fortes
- • Chamando atenção para detalhes cruciais
Convincente
- • Apresentando descobertas chave
- • Mudando o foco em um argumento
- • Fazendo um ponto ressoar
Exemplos por nível
It is the cat.
It is the cat.
It was my ball.
It was my ball.
It is the red one.
It is the red one.
It was her.
It was her.
It was the cake that I liked.
It was the cake that I liked.
It is the bus that we need.
It is the bus that we need.
It was the movie that was loud.
It was the movie that was loud.
It is the doctor who helps me.
It is the doctor who helps me.
It was the rain that ruined our picnic.
It was the rain that ruined our picnic.
It is the truth that matters most.
It is the truth that matters most.
It wasn't the gift that I wanted.
It wasn't the gift that I wanted.
Was it the noise that woke you up?
Was it the noise that woke you up?
It was the lack of communication that led to the breakup.
It was the lack of communication that led to the breakup.
It is the innovative design that sets this phone apart.
It is the innovative design that sets this phone apart.
It was only after the meeting that I realized the mistake.
It was only after the meeting that I realized the mistake.
It isn't the salary that attracts me to this job.
It isn't the salary that attracts me to this job.
It was the sheer audacity of his claim that stunned the audience.
It was the sheer audacity of his claim that stunned the audience.
It is the systemic inequality that we must address first.
It is the systemic inequality that we must address first.
It was not so much the content as the delivery that failed.
It was not so much the content as the delivery that failed.
It is the nuances of the language that take years to master.
It is the nuances of the language that take years to master.
It was the very fabric of society that seemed to be unraveling.
It was the very fabric of society that seemed to be unraveling.
It is the juxtaposition of these two themes that creates the tension.
It is the juxtaposition of these two themes that creates the tension.
It was his unwavering commitment to the cause that eventually bore fruit.
It was his unwavering commitment to the cause that eventually bore fruit.
It is not the destination but the journey that defines us.
It is not the destination but the journey that defines us.
Fácil de confundir
Both are used for emphasis, but they start differently. Learners often mix up the 'It' and 'What' starts.
Learners use 'There' to emphasize a specific object because 'There' also introduces things.
Both move the object, but the passive voice changes the verb form and focus on the action's recipient.
Erros comuns
There is the book I want.
It is the book I want.
It the cat.
It is the cat.
It is me book.
It is my book.
Is it the dog?
It is the dog.
It was the cake I like.
It was the cake that I liked.
It was the man which saw me.
It was the man who saw me.
It is the keys that are lost.
It is the keys that are lost.
It was the rain what stopped us.
It was the rain that stopped us.
It is the money I am worried.
It is the money that I am worried about.
Was it the film you saw?
Was it the film that you saw?
It were the results that surprised us.
It was the results that surprised us.
It was to London that he went to.
It was to London that he went.
It is him that should go.
It is he who should go.
Padrões de frases
It was ___ that ___.
It is not ___ but ___ that ___.
Was it ___ who ___?
It must have been ___ that ___.
Real World Usage
It was my previous role at Google that prepared me for this challenge.
It's your birthday we're celebrating, so you choose the place!
It was the defendant whom I saw entering the building.
It's the hypocrisy that I can't stand.
It is this specific variable that we will be testing today.
It was the latest update that caused the glitch on your device.
Use para Corrigir
No, it was the blue car that I said was mine, not the red one.Evite o Uso Excessivo
It was that moment when everything changed. (mas não use em cada frase!).Considere Who vs. That
It is Dr. Silva who leads the project. ou It is Dr. Silva that leads the project.Persuasão Sutil
It was this market trend that our analysis predicted.It was/is Sempre Singular
It was the delicious food that everybody talked about. (não 'It were').Smart Tips
Use a negative it-cleft followed by an affirmative one.
Use an it-cleft to state your primary thesis or the main factor you will discuss.
Check that your verb 'be' is still singular ('was' or 'is').
Lengthen the 'was' or 'is' to add extra emphasis to the focus.
Pronúncia
Focus Stress
The word immediately following 'is' or 'was' receives the strongest pitch accent in the sentence.
Reduced 'that'
The word 'that' is usually reduced to a schwa sound /ðət/.
Emphasis Peak
It was SARAH (rise) that called (fall).
Indicates that Sarah is the specific person being identified.
Memorize
Mnemônico
IT IS the ITEM that matters.
Associação visual
Imagine a theater stage where the lights are off. Suddenly, a bright spotlight (the 'It was') shines on a single actor (the 'Object') while everyone else stays in the dark.
Rhyme
To make the object shine so bright, start with 'It was' to give it light.
Story
A detective enters a room. He doesn't just say 'John stole the diamond.' He points his finger and shouts, 'It was JOHN who stole the diamond!' The 'It was' is his pointing finger.
Word Web
Desafio
Write down three things you did today. Now, rewrite them as it-clefts to emphasize the most interesting object in each sentence.
Notas culturais
It-clefts are frequently used in British political debates (Prime Minister's Questions) to deflect blame or highlight specific policy successes.
In scientific papers, it-clefts are used to avoid the first person 'I' while still emphasizing the specific cause of a result.
Hiberno-English often uses cleft-like structures more frequently than other dialects for added poetic emphasis.
The it-cleft construction has roots in Old English but became much more prominent in Middle English, likely influenced by the French 'C'est... que' structure.
Iniciadores de conversa
Was it the price or the quality that made you buy your phone?
In your opinion, is it luck or hard work that leads to success?
It was a specific moment that changed your life, wasn't it? Tell me about it.
Was it the ending of the last movie you saw that you disliked the most?
Temas para diário
Erros comuns
Test Yourself
It was my new phone ___ I lost at the concert.
Find and fix the mistake:
It were the students who organized the charity event.
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
Score: /3
Exercicios praticos
8 exercisesI bought the red shoes.
Which is correct?
It ___ the manager ___ I spoke to yesterday.
Find and fix the mistake:
It was the rain what caused the flood.
1. I love jazz. 2. He stole the car. 3. We need more time.
Speaker A: 'I heard you moved to Paris.' Speaker B: 'No, ___.'
that / it / her / was / kindness / us / saved
In an it-cleft, you can never use 'who' for people.
Score: /8
Practice Bank
12 exercisesIt ___ his dedication that truly impressed the judges.
It was the beautiful view who made our vacation unforgettable.
Choose the correct sentence:
Translate into English: 'Fue tu consejo lo que realmente me ayudó.'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Match the emphasized objects with the correct relative pronoun:
It was `the final decision` ___ everyone had been waiting for.
It was him that broke the vase.
Which sentence is correct?
Translate into English: 'Es a ti a quien debo agradecer por la ayuda.'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Match the original sentences to their It-Cleft versions:
Score: /12
Perguntas frequentes (8)
In informal speech, 'that' is sometimes omitted if the focus is the object (e.g., 'It was the pizza I wanted'). However, in formal writing and at the C1 level, you should always include it.
While that is a grammatically correct standard sentence, it is not an 'it-cleft'. An it-cleft *must* start with the dummy subject 'It'. The 'It' represents the situation or the fact, which is why it stays singular.
In everyday English, 'me' (object pronoun) is standard. In very formal, traditional grammar, 'It was I who did it' (subject pronoun) is technically correct, but it sounds very archaic today.
The first (cleft) emphasizes that it was the *dog* and not the cat or the neighbor. The second is a neutral statement of fact.
Yes! You can say 'It will be the final exam that determines your grade.' The verb 'be' conjugates to any tense.
Yes, especially when we want to correct someone or express strong emotion. We use them to 'point' with our voice.
Surprisingly, 'which' is rarely used in it-clefts. 'That' is the standard choice for objects.
Simply make the verb 'be' negative: 'It wasn't the money that I lost.'
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Ser + [Focus] + que...
English requires the dummy subject 'It', whereas Spanish does not.
C'est... que/qui
French uses 'qui' for subjects and 'que' for objects strictly, while English often uses 'that' for both.
Es ist... der/die/das
German relative pronouns are much more complex than the English 'that'.
...no wa ... desu
The focus comes at the end of the sentence in Japanese, whereas it comes at the beginning in English.
Innama / Al-ladhi
Arabic relies on word order and specific particles rather than a 'split' sentence structure.
Shi... de (是...的)
The 'de' comes at the very end of the sentence, unlike the English 'that' which starts the second clause.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Vídeos relacionados
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