Level 07 – Step 08: Cleft Sentences (It is ～ that …) (It is Tom that I met. It was kindness that helped her.)
/Level 07 – Step 08: Cleft Sentences (It is ～ that …) (It is Tom that I met. It was kindness that helped her.)
🚪 Let’s Begin
/🚪 Let’s Begin
🦉Professor Owl: Today we will learn how to put special focus on one part of a sentence so listeners notice it first.
/🦉Professor Owl: Today we will learn how to put special focus on one part of a sentence so listeners notice it first.
🐧Igupen: How can we show the most important word clearly?
/🐧Igupen: How can we show the most important word clearly?
🦉Professor Owl: Ho ho.
/🦉Professor Owl: Ho ho.
🦉Professor Owl: We use a cleft structure — starting with “It is” or “It was” — to emphasize the person, thing, time, or reason.
/🦉Professor Owl: We use a cleft structure — starting with “It is” or “It was” — to emphasize the person, thing, time, or reason.
🦉Professor Owl: Listen and try the examples.
/🦉Professor Owl: Listen and try the examples.
📚 Lesson
/📚 Lesson
What is a cleft sentence?
/What is a cleft sentence?
A cleft sentence splits a normal sentence into two parts to highlight one piece of information.
/A cleft sentence splits a normal sentence into two parts to highlight one piece of information.
Common pattern: It + be + emphasized element + that/who + rest of sentence.
/Common pattern: It + be + emphasized element + that/who + rest of sentence.
Example: It is Tom that I met.
/Example: It is Tom that I met.
Example: It was kindness that helped her.
/Example: It was kindness that helped her.
Use clefts when you want the listener to pay attention to one specific word or phrase.
/Use clefts when you want the listener to pay attention to one specific word or phrase.
Tenses follow the normal verb: It is / It was / It will be + emphasized element + that/who + clause.
/Tenses follow the normal verb: It is / It was / It will be + emphasized element + that/who + clause.
We often use “that” for things and “who” for people, but “that” is common and natural with both in spoken English.
/We often use “that” for things and “who” for people, but “that” is common and natural with both in spoken English.
Clefts are useful for correcting, confirming, or giving surprise: “It was Tom I met” can correct “I thought it was John.”
/Clefts are useful for correcting, confirming, or giving surprise: “It was Tom I met” can correct “I thought it was John.”
🦉Professor Owl’s one-point tip
/🦉Professor Owl’s one-point tip
Ask yourself: Which part do I want the listener to notice most?
/Ask yourself: Which part do I want the listener to notice most?
Put that part after “It is/was” and then add “that/who” plus the rest.
/Put that part after “It is/was” and then add “that/who” plus the rest.
Quick checks inside the lesson
/Quick checks inside the lesson
Normal: I met Tom yesterday. → Cleft: It is Tom that I met yesterday.
/Normal: I met Tom yesterday. → Cleft: It is Tom that I met yesterday.
Normal: Kindness helped her. → Cleft: It was kindness that helped her.
/Normal: Kindness helped her. → Cleft: It was kindness that helped her.
🌼 Sample Sentences
/🌼 Sample Sentences
No.01 It is Tom that I met.
/No.01 It is Tom that I met.
No.02 It was kindness that helped her.
/No.02 It was kindness that helped her.
No.03 It is the blue book that I want.
/No.03 It is the blue book that I want.
No.04 It was yesterday that she arrived.
/No.04 It was yesterday that she arrived.
No.05 It is his voice that I recognize.
/No.05 It is his voice that I recognize.
No.06 It was a small mistake that caused the problem.
/No.06 It was a small mistake that caused the problem.
No.07 It is the teacher who gives the project.
/No.07 It is the teacher who gives the project.
No.08 It was the music that made them dance.
/No.08 It was the music that made them dance.
No.09 It is your help that matters most.
/No.09 It is your help that matters most.
No.10 It was on Monday that we decided to go.
/No.10 It was on Monday that we decided to go.
🎓 Practice exercises
/🎓 Practice exercises
Note: Think first, then check the answers.
/Note: Think first, then check the answers.
Q1: Make a cleft sentence to emphasize “Anna”: I saw Anna at the market.
/Q1: Make a cleft sentence to emphasize “Anna”: I saw Anna at the market.
Q2: Make a cleft sentence to emphasize “the red car”: The red car hit the post.
/Q2: Make a cleft sentence to emphasize “the red car”: The red car hit the post.
Q3: Choose the correct cleft: A) It is the cake that she baked. B) It the cake that she baked.
/Q3: Choose the correct cleft: A) It is the cake that she baked. B) It the cake that she baked.
Q4: Change to cleft to emphasize time: We met them last night.
/Q4: Change to cleft to emphasize time: We met them last night.
Q5: True or False: Use “It was” to emphasize a past event.
/Q5: True or False: Use “It was” to emphasize a past event.
Q6: Make a cleft sentence to emphasize “your answer”: Your answer surprised the teacher.
/Q6: Make a cleft sentence to emphasize “your answer”: Your answer surprised the teacher.
Q7: Fill in the blank: It ___ the noise that woke me up. (was / is)
/Q7: Fill in the blank: It ___ the noise that woke me up. (was / is)
Q8: Choose the best cleft for a person: A) It is the mayor that signed the paper. B) It is the mayor which signed the paper.
/Q8: Choose the best cleft for a person: A) It is the mayor that signed the paper. B) It is the mayor which signed the paper.
Q9: Convert to cleft to emphasize reason: Her courage saved the day.
/Q9: Convert to cleft to emphasize reason: Her courage saved the day.
Q10: Correct the sentence if needed: It is a cat that was rescued by the boy.
/Q10: Correct the sentence if needed: It is a cat that was rescued by the boy.
◆ Answers
/◆ Answers
A1: It is Anna that I saw at the market.
/A1: It is Anna that I saw at the market.
A2: It is the red car that hit the post.
/A2: It is the red car that hit the post.
A3: A is correct: It is the cake that she baked.
/A3: A is correct: It is the cake that she baked.
A4: It was last night that we met them.
/A4: It was last night that we met them.
A5: True.
/A5: True.
A6: It is your answer that surprised the teacher.
/A6: It is your answer that surprised the teacher.
A7: was → It was the noise that woke me up.
/A7: was → It was the noise that woke me up.
A8: A is correct: It is the mayor that signed the paper.
/A8: A is correct: It is the mayor that signed the paper.
A9: It was her courage that saved the day.
/A9: It was her courage that saved the day.
A10: Correct as is: It is a cat that was rescued by the boy.
/A10: Correct as is: It is a cat that was rescued by the boy.
🦉 Closing
/🦉 Closing
🦉Professor Owl: Well done.
/🦉Professor Owl: Well done.
🦉Professor Owl: Use cleft sentences when you want to make one part of your message stand out clearly.
/🦉Professor Owl: Use cleft sentences when you want to make one part of your message stand out clearly.
🐧Igupen: I’ll practice making sentences that highlight the most important word.
/🐧Igupen: I’ll practice making sentences that highlight the most important word.
🦉Professor Owl: Excellent.
/🦉Professor Owl: Excellent.
🦉Professor Owl: Try using clefts to correct, confirm, or show surprise — they make your meaning much stronger.
/🦉Professor Owl: Try using clefts to correct, confirm, or show surprise — they make your meaning much stronger.
