Anna reviews Nok's presentation draft. One line reads: 'The new pricing strategy surprised the clients.' Anna underlines it. 'This is fine, but flat. What exactly surprised them — the strategy, or something about it?' Nok thinks. 'The speed of the change, actually.' 'Then say that,' Anna suggests. 'It was the speed of the change that surprised the clients.'

'That's a cleft sentence,' Anna explains. 'We split — or cleave — one idea into two clauses to spotlight the most important part. The pattern It was X that... puts X in the spotlight.' Nok tries another: 'What surprised the clients was the speed of the change.' 'Also correct,' Anna nods, 'that's a different cleft pattern: What + clause + is/was + the important information.'

Somsak, writing his report, asks for help too. 'I want to emphasize that the drainage system, not the foundation, needs repair.' Anna suggests: 'It is the drainage system that needs repair, not the foundation.' Somsak nods slowly. 'So instead of just stating a fact, I'm pointing at exactly the part that matters.'

'Precisely,' says Anna. 'Cleft sentences don't add new information — they redirect the listener's attention to what matters most, which is invaluable in presentations and reports alike.' 🔊