What I want is…

  • B2 · Upper-intermediate
  • Grammar lesson
  • 60 min
  • cleft sentences

Cleft sentences, to put the focus on the part that matters: What I want is a refund. It was your agent who told me the seat was free. The student hears a passenger's complaint to an airline, chooses the cleft that fits each situation, builds clefts and makes a complaint at a hotel where the manager gets the facts wrong.

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What I want is…It was … thatWhat he did was

What's in the lesson

  1. 1Warm-up
  2. 2In this lesson
  3. 3Listen: Lorena's messageListening comprehension
  4. 4What does it mean?Grammar exercise
  5. 5Find the cleft sentencesGrammar exercise
  6. 6What I want is…, It was… who…Grammar rule
  7. 7Where is the focus?Grammar exercise
  8. 8Make it clearGrammar exercise
  9. 9Build the sentencesGrammar exercise
  10. 10Say it naturallySpeaking practice
  11. 11The hotel roomSpeaking practice
  12. 12About youGrammar exercise
  13. 13Wrap-up

Homework

  1. 1Homework: which sentence is correct?Grammar exercise
  2. 2Homework: find the mistakeGrammar exercise
  3. 3Homework: build the sentencesGrammar exercise
  4. 4Homework: a complaint emailDiscussion

Two slides from the lesson

Warm-up

A few questions about you before we start.

  1. Have you ever had a problem with a flight, a hotel or an online order? What happened?
  2. When something goes wrong, do you prefer to call, write an email or talk to someone face to face?
  3. What matters most to you on a long flight: the seat, the food or the price of the ticket?

Grammar rule

What I want is…, It was… who…

A cleft sentence splits one sentence in two to put the focus on one part: to make your main point clear, or to correct someone.

What + clause + is / was + the focus

What + clauseis / wasthe focus
What the kids asked forwasa dog.
What surprised uswasthe size of the room.
What I wantisto speak to a manager.
What he didwaswalk out of the meeting. (do: the focus is the action, with a base verb)

It + is / was + the focus + who / that + the rest

It + is / wasthe focuswho / that + the rest
It wasthe driverwho found my wallet.
It'sthe noisethat I can't stand.
It wasafter midnightthat the bus finally came.

Notes

  • After a What… clause, use is (or was for the past), even before a plural: What the town needs is more parks. (are is also common in speech)
  • After It…, use who or that for a person, and that for a thing, a place or a time. Use It is / It was even with a plural: It was my cousins who planned the party. The verb after who / that agrees with the focus: It's the kids who need a break.
  • Negatives: What I don't understand is why… · It wasn't the price that bothered me.
  • In speech, stress the focus: It was the DRIVer who found it.

Watch out

  • No extra it: What they want it is a bigger room → What they want is a bigger room.
  • What, not That, at the start: That they want is… → What they want is…
  • No question order after What: What do they want is… → What they want is…
  • Not what after It is / was: It was the driver what found it → who / that.

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