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
It-cleft（IT-分裂句），这是一种在高级英语写作和演讲中极具威力的修辞工具。简单来说，分裂句就像是给句子装上了一个“聚光灯”，把原本平铺直叙的信息拆解开来，将最关键的部分推向台前。当你想要强调一个动词的宾语（Object）时，It-cleft 能让原本处于次要位置的信息瞬间变成交流的中心。It-cleft 异曲同工。然而，英语作为一种高度依赖语法形态和固定句式的语言，其分裂句有着严格的结构要求和细微的语体差别。掌握了强调宾语的 It-cleft，你就能像母语使用者一样，精准地操控读者的注意力，纠正他人的误解，或者在正式场合（如雅思/托福写作、商务汇报）中展现出极高的语言驾驭能力。It-cleft 的核心逻辑在于“拆分”。它把一个简单的陈述句拆成两个部分：一个是引导强调重点的“门面”（Focus），另一个是提供背景信息的“背景板”（Presupposition）。The committee rejected the proposal.（委员会拒绝了这项提议。）这是一个中性的陈述。但如果我们想强调“被拒绝的是提议，而不是别的”，我们就需要把 the proposal 提取出来，放在 It is/was 之后。It was the proposal that the committee rejected 时，你潜意识里在告诉听者：“不是预算，不是人选，正是这项提议被拒绝了。”It-cleft 包含两个关键成分：- 1焦点 (Focus)：紧跟在
It is/was之后的部分，即你想强调的宾语。 - 2预设 (Presupposition)：由
that或who引导的从句，包含听众已经知道或者句子余下的背景信息。
- 普通句：我昨天在淘宝买了这件衣服。
- 强调句：我昨天在淘宝买的是这件衣服。（或者：正是这件衣服，我昨天在淘宝买了。）
- 英语
It-cleft：It was this dress that I bought on Taobao yesterday.
It 和 be 动词，并引入从句）来实现中文里靠“是……的”或重音就能达到的效果。It-cleft，你需要遵循一套严密的“公式”。对于 C1 级别的学习者，不仅要记住公式，还要注意时态一致性和关系代词的精准选择。It。 | It... |be 动词。其时态必须与原句动词的时态保持一致。 | It was... (如果原句是过去时) |the final report... |that... |the manager reviewed. |- 1确定原句：
The CEO praised the marketing team.(CEO表扬了营销团队。) - 2提取宾语：
the marketing team。 - 3匹配时态：
praised是过去时，所以用It was。 - 4组合：
It was the marketing team that the CEO praised.
- 代词的格： 如果被强调的宾语是人称代词，在正式文体（学术论文、正式演讲）中倾向于使用主格，但在现代口语和非正式文体中，宾格更为常见。
- 正式：
It was she whom they invited. - 非正式：
It was her that they invited.(在微信聊天或日常外卖订餐纠纷中，这更自然)。 - 关系代词的选择：
that：万能选择，既可指人也可指物，是It-cleft中最常用的。who/whom：仅用于指人。whom在强调宾语时最正式，但在现代英语中正逐渐被who或that取代。which：虽然指物时语法正确，但在分裂句中极少使用，听起来非常生硬。建议始终优先使用that。
It-cleft 的语用功能（Pragmatic Functions），即：为什么我不说简单句，非要绕弯子用分裂句？- 对话场景：
- A:
I heard the boss fired the intern.(我听说老板把实习生开了。) - B:
No, it was the manager that the boss fired.(不，老板开掉的是经理。) - *这里分裂句隐含的意思是：不是实习生，而是经理。*
- 例子：
It is only the highest quality coffee beans that we use in our cafe.(我们在咖啡馆里只使用最高品质的咖啡豆。) - *这比
We only use...听起来更有品牌高级感和说服力。*
- 例子：
It was this specific chemical reaction that the researchers spent years studying.(研究人员花费数年时间研究的正是这一特定的化学反应。)
- 例子：
It was his integrity that I admired most, not his wealth.(我最钦佩的是他的正直，而非他的财富。)
It-cleft 时，最容易掉进以下三个陷阱，这通常是受母语思维（L1 Interference）的影响：that 从句内部必须留下一个“空位”。- ❌
It was the report that I finished it yesterday. - ✅
It was the report that I finished yesterday. - *解析：
the report已经出现在It was之后了，从句里再加个it就画蛇添足了。*
It 的数格误用 (Subject-Verb Agreement with 'It')It 也要变成 They。- ❌
They were the keys that I lost. - ✅
It was the keys that I lost. - *解析：这里的
It是形式主语，是固定不变的。无论后面强调的是一本书还是十本书，永远用It is或It was。*
It is 引导所有句子，忽略了原句的时态。- ❌
It is the red car that he bought last week. - ✅
It was the red car that he bought last week. - *解析：既然买车的动作发生在过去（
bought），引导词也必须用was。*
It-cleft 和其他类似的强调结构。I love Beijing. | 中性陈述，无特殊强调。 |It is Beijing that I love. | 强调目标。隐含对比：我爱的不是上海，而是北京。 |What I love is Beijing. | 强调内容。通常用于回答“你到底爱什么？”这类问题。比 It-cleft 更口语化一点。 |Beijing, I love. | 极具文学色彩或方言色彩（如纽约口语），在正式写作中较少见。 |It-cleft(It was the money that he wanted) 通常用于纠正对方。Pseudo-cleft(What he wanted was the money) 通常用于解释或定义。
It-cleft 更有力。that 吗？that 确实可以省略。例如：It was him I saw. 但在 C1 级别的正式写作或专业场合，强烈建议保留 that，以确保句法结构的严谨性。which？which 指代物，但在分裂句的固定搭配中，that 已经成为了标准。使用 which 会让句子读起来像 19 世纪的古语，不符合现代高级英语的习惯。who 还是 whom？whom（如：It was Dr. Li whom the university honored）。但在 95% 的场景下，that 或 who 都是安全且地道的选择。It was the lack of communication that led to the delay, not the technical issues.（导致延迟的是沟通不畅，而非技术问题。）这比直接说 Communication caused the delay 更有辩论逻辑和针对性。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
| 原始句型 | 强调元素 | It-Cleft 结构 (宾语焦点) | 例子 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
简单主动句
|
直接宾语 (物)
|
It is/was + Object + that + S + V...
|
It was `the new software` that we installed.
|
|
简单主动句
|
直接宾语 (人)
|
It is/was + Object + who/that + S + V...
|
It was `my professor` who I consulted.
|
|
带介词短语
|
介词宾语
|
It is/was + Object + that + S + V + Prep...
|
It was `their innovative ideas` that I was most impressed by.
|
|
被动语态 (施动者)
|
动作执行者
|
It is/was + Agent + who/that + V + Object...
|
It was `the lead engineer` who designed the system.
|
|
澄清信息
|
特定细节
|
It is/was + Detail + that + S + V...
|
It was `your feedback` that truly helped me improve.
|
|
回答 'What' 问题
|
答案 (物)
|
It is/was + Answer + that + S + V...
|
It was `the forgotten password` that caused the login issue.
|
|
回答 'Who' 问题
|
答案 (人)
|
It is/was + Answer + who/that + S + V...
|
It was `my colleague, Dr. Lee`, who presented the findings.
|
正式程度
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: 强调宾语
结构
- It is/was + 宾语 被突出的元素
- + that/who/which 连接从句
- + 主语 + 动词... 句子的剩余部分
用法
- 突出新信息 引入关键细节
- 纠正误解 澄清错误假设
- 回答 Wh- 问题 直接回答 'What/Who'
- 增加戏剧性 让陈述更有力
核心提醒
- It is/was 永远单数 动词与 'It' 一致
- 人选 who, 物选 that 连接词选择
- 避免滥用 保持影响力
强调句：主语 vs. 宾语强调
如何构建强调宾语的 It-Cleft
你想强调句子中的直接宾语吗？
被强调的宾语是人吗？
原始的主语和动词是什么？
例子：'She wrote `the best-selling novel`.'
何时使用强调句最有效
澄清
- • 纠正事实错误
- • 直接回答 'What?'
- • 突出特定项目
影响力
- • 增加陈述的戏剧性
- • 表达强烈情感
- • 吸引对关键细节的注意
说服力
- • 展示关键发现
- • 转移辩论焦点
- • 让观点产生共鸣
按水平分级的例句
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.
容易混淆
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.
常见错误
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.
句型
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.
纠错神器
No, it was the blue car that I said was mine, not the red one.
避免滥用
Vary your sentence structures!
Who 还是 That？
It was my professor who I consulted.
职场说服力
It was this market trend that our analysis predicted.听起来比普通陈述句更自信。
It 永远是单数
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.
发音
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.
记住它
记忆技巧
IT IS the ITEM that matters.
视觉联想
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
挑战
Write down three things you did today. Now, rewrite them as it-clefts to emphasize the most interesting object in each sentence.
文化笔记
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.
对话开场白
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?
日记主题
常见错误
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
练习题
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.
选择正确的句子：
翻译成英语：'Fue tu consejo lo que realmente me ayudó.' (正是你的建议真正帮到了我。)
将单词排序：
将强调的宾语与正确的连接词配对：
It was `the final decision` ___ everyone had been waiting for.
It was him that broke the vase.
哪个句子是正确的？
翻译成英语：'Es a ti a quien debo agradecer por la ayuda.' (我该感谢的人正是你。)
排序单词：
将原句与其对应的强调宾语形式配对：
Score: /12
常见问题 (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
Learn These First
Continue With
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