What is a Wh-cleft Sentence?
A wh-cleft sentence is a special structure that emphasizes or highlights a particular part of your message. It starts with a wh-word (what, where, who, when, why, how) followed by a verb, then the thing you want to emphasize. The most common type uses 'what' to focus on actions or things. For example, instead of saying 'She studied hard for the exam,' you can say 'What she did was study hard for the exam.' This structure makes your message stronger and more dramatic.
Wh-cleft with Actions and Things
You can use wh-cleft sentences to emphasize both actions (verbs) and things (nouns). When you focus on an action, use the structure 'What + subject + verb (base form) + is/was + main clause.' For things, the structure is similar: 'What + subject + need/want/like + is/was + the thing.' These sentences are useful when you want to make something stand out or surprise your listener. They are common in storytelling, explanations, and emphatic statements.
Why Use Wh-cleft Sentences?
Wh-cleft sentences add emphasis and interest to your communication. They help you organize your ideas clearly by separating what is happening from what the result or focus is. In writing and speaking, they make your message more memorable and dramatic. Use them when you want listeners or readers to pay special attention to a particular point or when you want to clarify something important.
Wh-cleft with Actions vs. Things: Side-by-Side Comparison
| Category | Wh-Cleft Emphasising Actions | Wh-Cleft Emphasising Things |
|---|---|---|
| Form |
What + subject + do/does/did + is/was + infinitive (bare) e.g. What she did was (to) call the manager. |
What + subject + verb + is/was + noun phrase e.g. What she needed was a strong coffee. |
| When to Use | Use when you want to highlight a specific action or activity that someone performs or performed. The focus is on the doing. | Use when you want to highlight a specific object, concept, idea, or entity that someone has, needs, wants, or experiences. The focus is on the thing itself. |
| Typical Verbs Used |
do, did, does — the auxiliary verb do is the key marker in the wh-clause. e.g. What he did, What they do, What she does |
want, need, like, love, have, get, find, prefer, enjoy, know, mean e.g. What she wanted, What they needed, What he got |
| Positive Example |
What John did was resign from his job. What they did was apologise immediately. |
What John needed was a long holiday. What they wanted was an honest explanation. |
| Negative Example |
What she did not do was inform her team. What he didn't do was check the report. |
What she didn't want was more pressure. What he didn't need was another excuse. |
| Question Example |
Is what she did really quit without notice? Was what he did really ignore the warning? |
Is what she needs really more time? Was what they wanted really a refund? |
| Key Signal Words |
do / did / does in the wh-clause signals an action cleft. The complement after is/was is always a bare infinitive (sometimes preceded by to). |
A stative or transitive verb (want, need, like) in the wh-clause signals a things cleft. The complement after is/was is always a noun phrase. |
| Key Difference: The central distinction lies in what follows "What + subject" in the wh-clause and what appears after is/was. When the wh-clause contains the auxiliary do/did/does, the structure emphasises an action, and the focused element is a bare infinitive verb phrase (e.g. What she did was leave early). When the wh-clause contains a content verb such as want, need, or like, the structure emphasises a thing, and the focused element is a noun phrase (e.g. What she needed was a break). In both cases the cleft construction moves the most important information to the end of the sentence for emphasis. | ||
Formula
✔ Positive
What
+
subject
+
verb (base form)
+
is/was
+
emphasis
What I love is traveling to new countries.
✖ Negative
What
+
subject
+
need
+
is not
+
the thing
What we need is not more money, but more time.
Examples
What she wants is a new job with better pay.
Emphasizing a thing (noun) · B1 · Common
What he did was apologize to everyone at the meeting.
Emphasizing an action (verb) · B1 · Spoken English
What they need is better communication between departments.
Emphasizing a solution · B1 · Business context
What surprised me most was how quickly they finished the project.
Emphasizing the surprising element · B1 · Narrative
What I really enjoy is reading books in the evening.
Emphasizing a hobby or preference · B1 · Personal
What the team achieved was remarkable given the time constraints.
Emphasizing an achievement · B1 · Formal
When to use it
Storytelling
Use wh-cleft sentences to highlight the most important moment or action in a story. This makes your narrative more engaging.
"What happened next was completely unexpected—the door suddenly opened."
Professional Writing
Emphasize key points in business emails, reports, or presentations. It makes your main idea stand out clearly.
"What we propose is a 20% increase in marketing budget for Q3."
Spoken Emphasis
Make your point memorable in conversations by emphasizing what you really mean or want.
"What I'm trying to say is that we need to work together on this."
Clarification
Use wh-cleft to clarify or correct a misunderstanding about what something or someone is.
"What you need is patience, not more effort."
Opinion & Preference
Express strong feelings about what you like, want, or believe is important.
"What matters most to me is my family's happiness."
Signal words
What
Where
When
Who
How
Why
is
was
did
Common Mistakes
✕
Wrong
What she wants is going home early.
✓
Correct
What she wants is to go home early.
After 'what' in a wh-cleft expressing desire or intention, use the infinitive 'to go' rather than the gerund 'going'.
✕
Wrong
What I really love is that watching movies.
✓
Correct
What I really love is watching movies.
Remove 'that' before the gerund or noun phrase in wh-cleft sentences.
✕
Wrong
What he do was call his friend.
✓
Correct
What he did was call his friend.
Use 'did' as an auxiliary; the main verb stays in base form.
✕
Wrong
What we need is more people, more equipment, and better training.
✓
Correct
What we need are more people, more equipment, and better training.
When the emphasis part is plural, use 'are' instead of 'is' in modern standard English.
✕
Wrong
What makes her happy is reading and write poetry.
✓
Correct
What makes her happy is reading and writing poetry.
Keep parallel structure: both gerunds (reading and writing) or both base forms.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
What to Remember
- A wh-cleft sentence starts with a wh-word (what, where, who, when, why, how) followed by a verb.
- The structure emphasizes one part of your message: wh-word + verb + focus word + rest of sentence.
- Use 'what' most commonly to highlight actions or things in your message.
- The emphasized part comes after the main verb, creating a dramatic effect in your writing.
- Remember that wh-cleft sentences are more formal and emphatic than regular sentences.