Cleft Sentences
What Is It?
A cleft sentence splits information to foreground a specific part: It + be + focus + that/who + clause.
Why Use Cleft Sentences?
- Emphasis — highlights key detail.
- Clarification — resolves ambiguity (“It was the DB, not cache, that failed”).
- Contrast — stresses difference without bold print.
When to Choose Cleft Sentences
Incident write-ups, debates over root cause, UX copy stressing benefits.
Forming Cleft Sentences
| Type | Formula | Example |
|---|---|---|
| It‑cleft | It + be + focus + that/who + rest | “It was latency that hurt UX.” |
| What‑cleft | What + clause + be + focus | “What we need is faster I/O.” |
| All‑cleft | All + clause + be + focus | “All we want is zero downtime.” |
| Where‑/When‑ | Where/When + clause + be + focus | “Where we differ is test coverage.” |
Tips for Writing with Cleft Sentences
- Use simple present/past for be.
- Avoid piling multiple clefts in sequence.
- Pronounce stress on focus in speech.
- Rewrite if clarity suffers—clefts can bloat prose.
Exceptions & Nuances
Informal English drops that (“It was logs we needed”). Keep in formal docs.