Examples like the following can no longer be expanded to a pseudo-cleft sentence and can therefore not be explained by suppression of relative-clause formatives.

At the same time, shows that even in this focus-marking function, the copula may agree in tense/aspect with the lexical verb of the clause.

At this point, the copula has developed into a thematic structure articulator (tsa). In Brazilian Portuguese, it can even cooccur with the copula in a copula clause ().

Thus, this thematic structure articulation originates in an identificational pseudo-cleft sentence. The Spanish copula is, nevertheless, not yet completely grammaticalized to a thematic structure articulator. For instance, neutralization of TAM distinctions in favor of the form es is underway, but not yet completed. Also, the TSA has to follow the verb, so that only postverbal clause components can be highlighted. This is a trait which is persistent from its origin in the copula of a pseudo-cleft construction.