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The opening sentence of a literary narrative carries an almost impossible burden : it must establish voice , delineate atmosphere , and orient the reader within seconds . While conventional writers often rely on chronological exposition or physical description , master prose stylists frequently turn to cleft constructions to generate immediate narrative tension . In a cleft sentence , a single clause is fractured into two distinct components , typically introduced by an expletive " it " or a relative pronoun such as " what . " By splitting the predicate , the author forces the reader to pay undivided attention to the highlighted element , creating an immediate sense of intrigue and thematic urgency . Consider the distinctive rhetorical effect produced when Charles Dickens structures an opening through cleft emphasis . Rather than stating plainly that circumstances dictated a family's misfortune , the text asserts that it was their pride that doomed them from the outset . This syntactic division achieves two subtle psychological goals simultaneously . First , it introduces an implicit contrast , signaling to the reader that pride , rather than external calamity , constitutes the primary engine of tragedy . Second , it endows the prose with an authoritative , almost biblical cadence , positioning the narrator as an omniscient observer who perceives truths hidden beneath mundane appearances . Wh - cleft sentences operate with equal dramatic potency in modern expository and narrative prose . When an essayist writes , " What surprised the investigators was not the scale of the embezzlement , but the simplicity of the method , " the syntax manipulates narrative pacing . The introductory relative clause awakens curiosity , delaying the revelation until the final stressed position in the sentence . This syntactic suspense mirrors the detective's own process of discovery , drawing the reader directly into the cognitive rhythm of investigation . The cleft structure transforms a dry factual report into a compelling narrative revelation . Nevertheless , syntactic clefting demands disciplined editorial control . Because cleft sentences exert such intense focal pressure , their overuse quickly exhausts the reader , rendering prose theatrical and overwrought . In professional and academic editing , clefts should be reserved for decisive moments of contrast , intellectual breakthroughs , or critical thesis declarations . When deployed sparingly , a well - placed cleft sentence electrifies a paragraph , cutting through narrative clutter to deliver an indelible impression . Examining how clefts function in narrative openings provides you with powerful tools for shaping reader engagement . How do you decide whether an opening idea merits the dramatic emphasis of an it - cleft or a wh - cleft ? Could revising a routine introductory sentence into a cleft structure sharpen the central focus of your current writing ? When might simpler declarative syntax serve your rhetorical purpose more effectively than an elaborate cleft ?
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