Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'It-Clefts' to shine a spotlight on one specific part of your sentence for maximum emphasis.
- Start with 'It' followed by the verb 'be' in the correct tense: 'It was...'
- Place the information you want to emphasize immediately after 'be': 'It was the manager...'
- Connect the rest of the sentence using 'that' or 'who': '...who called me.'
Overview
It-Cleft（It-分裂句）。cleave（劈开、分裂）。顾名思义，It-Cleft 就是将一个简单的句子“劈”成两半，通过 It is/was... 这个结构，把你想让听众关注的焦点（Focus）推到最前面。这就像是在舞台上打了一束追光灯，让观众一眼就看到主角。It-Cleft 都是你必不可少的进阶武器。本篇讲解将带你深度剖析这一结构的精髓，并对比中文思维，帮你避开常见的“中式英语”陷阱。Subject-Verb-Object (SVO)，即“主-谓-宾”。这种语序虽然清晰，但有时显得过于平淡。It-Cleft 的核心逻辑是“前置强调”。它利用一个没有实际意义的 It 作为“形式主语”（Dummy Subject），强行占据句首，然后紧跟 be 动词，最后引出你真正想强调的部分。It-Cleft 看作一个公式：It + be (is/was) + [被强调的部分] + that/who + [句子的其余部分]It: 这里的 It 只是一个占位符，没有“它”的意思，不需要翻译。be: 必须根据原句的时态来决定用 is 还是 was。注意，它永远是单数形式，因为它的主语是 It。that/who: 引导词，用来连接后面的背景信息。It-Cleft 的巨大优势。It-Cleft 强调句 | 中文对应结构 |Li Hua won the prize. | It was Li Hua who won the prize. | 是李华赢得了奖项的。 |We met in Shanghai. | It was in Shanghai that we met. | 我们是在上海见面的。 |I need your help. | It is your help that I need. | 我需要的（正是）你的帮助。 |It was... that 把重点架起来。逻辑几乎是一模一样的！It-Cleft 就像玩拼图，你需要从原句中拆出一个零件，放进强调位，再把剩下的零件拼好。让我们以这个句子为例：The marketing team launched the new campaign on WeChat yesterday.- 强调主语 (The marketing team):
It was the marketing team that/who launched the new campaign on WeChat yesterday.- 强调宾语 (The new campaign):
It was the new campaign that the marketing team launched on WeChat yesterday.- 强调地点状语 (On WeChat):
It was on WeChat that the marketing team launched the new campaign yesterday.- 强调时间状语 (Yesterday):
It was yesterday that the marketing team launched the new campaign on WeChat.- 1时态一致性: 如果原句是过去时（如
launched），be动词必须用was；如果是现在时，则用is。B2 级别的学习者经常在这里丢分，一定要小心。 - 2引导词的选择:
who 或 that。在正式写作中，who 更常见；在口语中，that 也很通用。that。虽然有时可以看到 when 或 where，但 that 是最标准、最稳妥的选择。- 1代词的格: 这是一个高级考点。当强调的部分是代词（我、他、她）时：
It was I who... (使用主格，听起来很教授范儿)It was me that... (使用宾格，日常生活中 99% 的情况都这么说)It-Cleft 呢？在实际生活中，它主要用于以下五种场景：- Boss:
Did Manager Wang sign the contract?
- You:
No, it was Manager Zhang who signed it.
It was my boyfriend who bought it for me.
It-Cleft 可以用来引出核心原因或关键因素，增强说服力。While many factors contributed to the success of the project, it was the innovative technology that played the most crucial role.
The party was loud and crowded. It was only then that she realized her phone was gone.
It-Cleft 时，通常会因为受汉语思维影响或对英语语法细节的忽视而犯以下错误：It 后面的 be 动词永远是单数；但后面 that/who 从句里的动词，要根据被强调的对象来决定单复数。It is the new policies that is causing confusion. (❌)It is the new policies that are causing confusion. (✅)It is，但因为强调的是 policies（复数），所以后面的动词要用 are。很多同学会习惯性地跟着前面的 is 走，导致语法错误。It-Cleft 结构中，你不能直接放动词或形容词。It was run that he did. (❌)It is beautiful that she is. (❌)What-Cleft（如 What he did was run.）；如果想强调形容词，请使用程度副词（如 She is truly beautiful.）。that/whothat 或 who。It was my sister bought the flowers. (❌)It was my sister who/that bought the flowers. (✅)It-Cleft 本质上是一个包含从句的复杂句，连接词绝对不能省。It is。It is the 19th century that the industrial revolution began. (❌)It was the 19th century that the industrial revolution began. (✅)It-Cleft 与其他类似的强调或结构性句式。下表展示了它们之间的细微差别：It is/was [X] that... | 聚焦特定成员。假设对方已经知道发生了某事，你只是指明是谁/什么时候做的。 | It was the coffee that spilled. (我们知道有东西洒了，强调是咖啡洒了) |What [clause] is/was [Y] | 聚焦动作或整个结果。通常用来引出新的重要信息。 | What happened was the coffee spilled. (你想告诉对方发生了什么事：咖啡洒了) |It is [adj] to do [Z] | 结构平衡。没有强调作用，只是为了避免句子“头重脚轻”，把长主语放后面。 | It is difficult to clean the coffee. (这里的 It 只是形式主语，没有强调意义) |- 如果你想说“就是这个东西”，用
It-Cleft。 - 如果你想说“我想表达的是……”，用
What-Cleft。 - 如果你只是觉得主语太长，用 Anticipatory 'It'。
which 来代替 that 吗？which。强调事物请统一使用 that。这与定语从句的规则略有不同，请务必记牢。It was me who... 之后，动词是用第一人称还是第三人称？It's me who is responsible.。但在正式考试或写作中，如果你用了主格 I，动词必须匹配：It is I who am responsible.。由于后者听起来非常别扭，建议 B2 阶段的学生在口语中使用宾格，在写作中尽量避免强调第一人称代词，或者改用 I am the one who is responsible.。It-Cleft 可以用在否定句中吗？It wasn't the price that I was worried about; it was the quality.（我担心的不是价格，而是质量。）这种“Not A but B”的对比结构是高分作文的常客。It-Cleft 就像调味料，撒一点能提鲜，撒多了就咸了。如果每一句话都用强调句，读者会感到疲劳，重点反而不突出了。建议在一个段落中最多只使用一次，放在最关键的论点或转折处。Structure of an It-Cleft
| Dummy Subject | Verb 'Be' (Tense) | Focused Element | Relative Pronoun | Rest of Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
It
|
is
|
the price
|
that
|
matters.
|
|
It
|
was
|
my sister
|
who
|
won.
|
|
It
|
isn't
|
the money
|
that
|
I want.
|
|
It
|
wasn't
|
in May
|
that
|
we met.
|
|
It
|
will be
|
the voters
|
who
|
decide.
|
|
It
|
has been
|
his health
|
that
|
suffered.
|
Contractions in Clefts
| Full Form | Contracted Form | Usage |
|---|---|---|
|
It is...
|
It's...
|
Very common in speech
|
|
It was...
|
n/a
|
Rarely contracted
|
|
It is not...
|
It isn't... / It's not...
|
Common for denial
|
|
It was not...
|
It wasn't...
|
Common for denial
|
Meanings
A cleft sentence is a complex sentence in which a simple sentence is divided into two clauses to give focus to one part of the information.
Subject Focus
Emphasizing the person or thing performing the action.
“It was Sarah who won the race.”
“It is the sun that provides energy.”
Object Focus
Emphasizing the person or thing receiving the action.
“It was the blue car that he bought.”
“It is the truth that I am seeking.”
Adverbial Focus
Emphasizing when, where, or how something happened.
“It was in 1969 that man first walked on the moon.”
“It is only through hard work that we succeed.”
Reference Table
| 强调类型 | 结构 | 例子 | 语气差异 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
主语 (人)
|
It is/was + 名词/代词 + who/that + 动词短语
|
It was Sarah who aced the exam.
|
突出特定的人。
|
|
主语 (物)
|
It is/was + 名词 + that/which + 动词短语
|
It was the strong wind that blew down the fence.
|
突出原因或施动者。
|
|
宾语
|
It is/was + 名词/代词 + that/which + 主语 + 动词
|
It was the coffee that I spilled, not the tea.
|
澄清受动作影响的对象。
|
|
时间
|
It is/was + 时间状语 + that/when + 从句
|
It was yesterday that I found my keys.
|
锁定确切的时间点。
|
|
地点
|
It is/was + 地点状语 + that/where + 从句
|
It was in the kitchen that we left the groceries.
|
明确具体的方位。
|
|
纠正信息
|
It is/was + 正确信息 + that/who + 错误归属的从句
|
It wasn't me who broke the vase; it was the cat.
|
拨乱反正，澄清事实。
|
|
强烈情感
|
It is/was + 名词 + that + 从句
|
It's your positivity that brightens my day!
|
传达情感冲击力。
|
正式程度
It was Mr. Smith who initiated the telephone correspondence. (reporting a call)
It was John who called. (reporting a call)
It was John who rang. (reporting a call)
It was John who hit me up. (reporting a call)
按水平分级的例句
It is my mom who cooks dinner.
Es mi mamá quien cocina la cena.
It is the red pen that I want.
Es el bolígrafo rojo el que quiero.
It was a cat that I saw.
Fue un gato lo que vi.
It is London that is the capital.
Es Londres la que es la capital.
It was my brother who took the keys.
Fue mi hermano quien tomó las llaves.
It wasn't me who broke the vase.
No fui yo quien rompió el jarrón.
It is this book that I need for class.
Es este libro el que necesito para clase.
Was it you who called me?
¿Fuiste tú quien me llamó?
It was in 2010 that we moved to Spain.
Fue en 2010 cuando nos mudamos a España.
It is the lack of time that worries me.
Es la falta de tiempo lo que me preocupa.
It was because of the rain that we stayed home.
Fue por la lluvia que nos quedamos en casa.
It is her talent that makes her famous.
Es su talento lo que la hace famosa.
It was the CEO himself who addressed the staff.
Fue el propio CEO quien se dirigió al personal.
It is not what he said, but how he said it.
No es lo que dijo, sino cómo lo dijo.
It was only after the meeting that I realized the error.
Fue solo después de la reunión que me di cuenta del error.
It is the environment that we must protect for future generations.
Es el medio ambiente lo que debemos proteger para las generaciones futuras.
It is with great regret that we announce the closure.
Es con gran pesar que anunciamos el cierre.
It was through sheer persistence that she achieved her goals.
Fue a través de pura persistencia que logró sus metas.
It is the underlying assumptions that need to be challenged.
Son los supuestos subyacentes los que deben ser cuestionados.
It was not until much later that the truth emerged.
No fue hasta mucho más tarde que surgió la verdad.
It is the very fabric of our society that is at stake.
Es el tejido mismo de nuestra sociedad lo que está en juego.
It was by no means certain that the plan would succeed.
No era en absoluto seguro que el plan tuviera éxito.
It is her uncanny ability to predict trends that sets her apart.
Es su extraña habilidad para predecir tendencias lo que la distingue.
It was against this backdrop of economic instability that the revolution began.
Fue contra este telón de fondo de inestabilidad económica que comenzó la revolución.
容易混淆
Learners mix up 'It was...' and 'What I want is...'.
Learners think 'It is raining' is a cleft sentence.
Learners forget that clefts are just a special type of relative clause.
常见错误
Is my mom who cooks.
It is my mom who cooks.
It is my mom cooks.
It is my mom who cooks.
It my mom who cooks.
It is my mom who cooks.
It are my parents who cook.
It is my parents who cook.
It was the dog which barked.
It was the dog that barked.
It is yesterday that I saw him.
It was yesterday that I saw him.
It was me who did it.
It was I who did it. (Formal) / It was me who did it. (Informal)
It was in London where I met her.
It was in London that I met her.
It was because the rain we stayed.
It was because of the rain that we stayed.
It was my friends who they helped me.
It was my friends who helped me.
It is the results which are surprising.
It is the results that are surprising.
It was him that I gave the book.
It was him that I gave the book to.
It is only then when we understand.
It is only then that we understand.
句型
It was ___ who ___.
It is ___ that ___.
It was only when ___ that ___.
It is not ___ but ___ that ___.
Real World Usage
It was my previous role that prepared me for this challenge.
It's the traffic that's making me late!
It is this specific chemical reaction that causes the change.
It's the fans who make this all worth it.
It was the defendant who was seen at the scene.
It is our policy that prevents us from giving a refund.
捕捉强调重心
It was Sarah who won.
不要过度使用
It was the cat that did it.
万能的 'That'
It was the keys that I lost.
正式程度的抉择
It was I who...在语法上更严谨，但在现代口语中听起来太死板。日常交流用
It was me who...会让你听起来更亲切、更地道。比如：
It was me who called you.
优雅地纠正他人
Actually, it was Tom who sent the email.这比直接说你错了要礼貌得多。
Smart Tips
Use a negative it-cleft followed by a positive one.
Use an it-cleft to define your main thesis or cause.
Try removing 'It is' and 'that' to find the simple core of the sentence.
Use 'who' to sound more natural and 'that' to sound slightly more formal.
发音
Stress on the Focus
The word immediately following 'is' or 'was' receives the strongest stress in the sentence.
Reduction of 'that'
The word 'that' is usually reduced to a schwa sound /ðət/.
Rising-Falling on Focus
It was the ↗DOG↘ that barked.
Conveys certainty and emphasis on the subject.
记住它
记忆技巧
Remember 'IT IS THE...' — It (Subject), Is (Verb), The (Focus).
视觉联想
Imagine a theater stage. The whole stage is dark except for one bright spotlight hitting a single actor. That actor is the 'Focus' of your It-cleft.
Rhyme
If you want to make it clear, put 'It was' right in their ear!
Story
A detective is at a crime scene. Everyone is guessing who did it. He points his finger and says, 'It was the butler who stole the diamond!' The 'It-cleft' is his way of being 100% certain and dramatic.
Word Web
挑战
Look around your room. Pick three objects and describe them using an It-cleft (e.g., 'It is my laptop that is on the desk').
文化笔记
It-clefts are very common in British political debates to precisely attribute policies or failures to specific parties.
In scientific writing, it-clefts are used to avoid 'I' while still emphasizing the cause of a result.
Hiberno-English often uses cleft-like structures more frequently than other dialects for added flavor.
Cleft sentences have existed in English since the Old English period, but became much more frequent in Middle English.
对话开场白
Was it your parents who chose your name?
Is it the weather that affects your mood the most?
Was it a specific book that changed your life?
Is it the government or the individuals who should be responsible for the environment?
日记主题
常见错误
Test Yourself
It was my laptop ___ crashed during the presentation.
Find and fix the mistake:
It are the small details that make a big difference.
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
Score: /3
练习题
8 exercisesJohn broke the window.
It ___ in 1945 that the war ended.
It was the rain ___ caused the flood.
Find and fix the mistake:
It is my parents who they helped me.
1. I love you. 2. I met her in Paris. 3. He needs a rest.
was / it / that / her / me / kindness / touched
In an it-cleft, you can use 'It are' if the focus is plural (e.g., 'It are my friends').
A: Did Sarah win the prize? B: No, ___.
Score: /8
Practice Bank
12 exercisesIt ___ his dedication that led to his promotion.
It was the new manager who they hired her.
选择正确的句子：
将这句话翻译成英语：'正是那寂静吓到了我。'
将单词排序：
匹配被强调的元素与正确的引导词。
It is the small gestures ___ truly matter in a relationship.
It was because of her talent that she got the scholarship.
选择正确的句子：
翻译成英语：'正是耐心才是他们的特征。'
将单词排序：
将原句与其对应的强调句版本匹配。
Score: /12
常见问题 (8)
Technically yes, but it sounds very formal or slightly dated. In modern English, `that` or `who` is much more common in clefts.
In formal writing, `It is I` is grammatically 'correct', but in 99% of real-life situations, everyone says `It is me`.
In informal speech, yes: 'It was John called me.' But in writing, you should always include `that` or `who`.
Because the word 'cleft' means 'split'. You are splitting one simple sentence into two parts.
Yes! You can say, 'It will be the manager who makes the final decision.'
They are very similar. 'It-clefts' are slightly more emphatic and common in writing.
No, it-clefts usually focus on a noun or a prepositional phrase. For whole clauses, use a `Wh-cleft` (e.g., 'What happened was...').
Yes, it is equally common in all major dialects of English.
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 'qui' for subjects and 'que' for objects; English often uses 'that' for both.
Es ist... der/die/das
German relative pronouns change based on gender (der/die/das).
...no wa ...da
Japanese puts the focus at the end of the sentence.
Innama / Word order
Arabic doesn't use a dummy 'It' structure.
Shi... de (是...的)
The 'de' comes at the very end of the sentence in Chinese.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Learn These First
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