CLEFTING: IT-CLEFTS AND WH-CLEFTS
In clefting, we re-organize the content of a single clause into two related parts. The effect of the resulting structures is to focus on one element, the New, which always follows a form of the verb be. There are two kinds of cleft: the it-cleft and the wh-cleft. Here is an example of each. Compare these with the plain version: They need money.
It’s MONEY (that) they need (it-cleft)
What they need is MONEY (wh-cleft)
Both types of cleft have MONEY in strong focus; the it-cleft brings the focus (marked by tonic stress) near the front of the first unit; the wh-cleft has the focus at the end of the second unit. There is a lesser stress, here underlined, on need, the last word of the unit containing Given or presupposed information. Presupposed information is that which is assumed by the speaker, without being asserted. Here what is assumed is ‘they need something’.
If spoken, then, the devices of intonational prominence and syntactic structure rein force each other to single out money in these examples. Let’s look first at the it-cleft. This consists of the pronoun it, + a form of the verb be, + the strongly focused item + a clause starting with a relative pronoun such as who, that or which:
It was last TUESDAY that I met Richard (compare: I met Richard last TUESDAY) It was the WOMEN that did the bartering. It was the WOMEN that actually got enough to feed the family. [F71] Who must register for VAT? It’s the PERSON, not the BUSINESS, who is registered for VAT. [FAU]
In such examples, it is a dummy element with no other function but to provide a subject for the verb be. The item in focus can be a noun group, a prepositional group, a pronoun or a clause.
