CLEFT SENTENCE

The cleft sentence is a construction with intoductory it useful for fronting an element as topic, and for putting focus on one element of the sentence. It does it by splitting the sentence in two halves and high-lightening the topic by making it the complement of it+be:

Ex.: Would you like to borrow this book?

No,| it is the other book| that I want to read. |

TOPIC = OBJECT

Cf: I want to read the other book

It is the other book, not that book, that I want to read

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A nominal relative clause can be used instead of an it-cleft sentence. It can be either subject or complement of the verb to be:

We need more time >> It is more time that we need (it-type)

What we need is more time (wh-type)

More time is what we need. (wh-type)

 

Ex.:

• We do not need more money - what we need is more time.
• It was by train that we reached Istanbul
• it was in 1950 that he first achieved fame as a writer
• On this very spot is where I first met my wife. (the wh-type sounds better when the wh-clause comes last)

• It is in autumn that the country side is more beautiful
• Autumn is (the time) when the countryside is more beautiful. (adverbial + wh-type)

• It was at Waterloo that Napoleon was defeated
• Waterloo was (the place) where Napoleon was defeated. (adverbial + wh-type)

A wh-type using the wh-words who, whom, or whose is usually awkward or impossible

• It was the ambassador that met us
• but not: Who met us was the ambassador
• but we can say: The person who met us was the ambassador
  
• He is a genius
• What he is is a genius
• but not: It is a genius that he is

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wh-sentence and demonstratives

in Informal English a wh-clause is linked by the verb to be to a demonstrative pronoun (this, that)

• This is where I first met my wife
• This is how you start the engine

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Postponement

Introductory-it construction

The introductory-it construction is a means of postponing a subject clause to a later position in the sentence.

• That income tax will be reduced is unlikely
• It is unlikely that income tax will be reduced

Occasionally introductory-it displaces a clause in object position:

• You must find it enjoyable working here = You must find working here enjoyable = It is enjoyable working here

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Reflexive pronouns used for emphasis can be postponed:

• John himself told me >> John told me himself (He was John, and no one else, who told me)