és...que / és...qui

Cleft Focus Constructions

Level 5

A cleft construction highlights one part of a statement with ser and a relative structure.

How It Works

Ha estat la Maria qui ho ha resolt highlights Maria as the person responsible. The cleft divides the information into a focused element and a relative clause describing the event. A simpler la Maria ho ha resolt reports the same event without that explicit focus structure.

A fronted causal explanation can use és perquè... que..., but bare és que often introduces an explanation or justification in conversation. Do not treat every és que as an identical cleft construction.

The focused element determines the suitable relative form and preposition. Highlighting a person commonly permits qui; highlighting a place or time requires a structure that preserves the intended location or temporal relation.

Examples (3)

  1. Ha estat la Maria qui ho ha resolt.

    It was Maria who solved it.

  2. Ets tu qui ha de decidir.

    You are the one who must decide.

  3. És per això que protestem.

    That is why we are protesting.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

és...que / és...quiLevel 5Cleft Focus Constructions

Learn This First

Identify the relative’s subject or object role and its clause boundary. Build a personal free or prepositional relative with qui.

Words in This Pattern

qui