Keyword: it
Grammatical Overview
It is arguably the most essential functional pronoun in the English language. While its primary role is to replace a singular inanimate noun to avoid repetition (Where is the book? I left it here), its true structural power lies in its use as a "dummy" or "empty" subject. Because English syntax strictly requires a subject, it steps in to fulfill this grammatical necessity when discussing weather, time, or distance (* It is raining*, * It is five miles away*). Furthermore, it frequently acts as an anticipatory pronoun, holding the subject or object position in a sentence until the true, longer clause (often an infinitive) is introduced later (* It is hard to say*, I find it difficult to sleep). Mastery of these structural uses is vital for sounding natural and fluent.
🗺️ Pattern Map (Colligation & Grammar)
Pattern 1: it-is-weather-time (Empty Subject)
- Structure:
it + is/was + Adjective / Noun / Verb-ing - Meaning: Uses "it" as a dummy subject to talk about weather conditions, time of day, days of the week, or distances, where there is no actual logical actor.
- Examples:
-
- It is raining very heavily right now.*
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- It was midnight by the time we finally arrived.*
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Pattern 2: it-is-adjective-to-verb (Anticipatory Subject)
- Structure:
it + is/was + Adjective + to + Base Verb - Meaning: Uses "it" to introduce an opinion or evaluation before stating the actual action (the infinitive phrase) that is being evaluated.
- Examples:
-
- It is important to study for the final exam.*
-
- It was great to see you after so many years.*
-
Pattern 3: it-takes-time-to-verb (Duration)
- Structure:
it + takes/took + (Person) + Time + to + Base Verb - Meaning: A highly frequent structure used to express how much time is required for someone or something to complete an action.
- Examples:
-
- It takes two hours to drive to the city.*
-
- It took her a long time to forgive him.*
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Pattern 4: find-it-adjective-to-verb (Anticipatory Object)
- Structure:
Subject + find/make + it + Adjective + to + Base Verb - Meaning: Uses "it" as a dummy object after verbs like find or make, allowing an adjective to describe the following infinitive action.
- Examples:
- I find it hard to believe that he quit his job.
- This software makes it easy to edit videos.
🧩 Key Lexical Chunks (Collocations & Idioms)
Spoken & Written Formulaic Units
- it-is-what-it-is: A phrase expressing resignation or acceptance of a situation that cannot be changed.
- is-that-it: A question asking if something is completely finished, or expressing disappointment that there isn't more.
- make-it: To succeed in arriving somewhere on time, to survive, or to be successful in life.
- take-it-easy: To relax, avoid working too hard, or calm down when angry.
🎴 Interactive Web Practice (10 Questions)
Practice 1: ______ is going to snow tomorrow morning.
Answer:
It
Practice 2: It ______ me three weeks to finish reading that book.
Answer:
took
Practice 3: I find ______ extremely difficult to wake up before 6 AM.
Answer:
it
Practice 4: We lost the game, but it is what it ______.
Answer:
is
Practice 5: If you leave now, you will definitely ______ it to the train station on time.
Answer:
make
Practice 6: It is very dangerous ______ walk alone in this neighborhood at night.
Answer:
to
Practice 7: You've been working all weekend; you need to take it ______.
Answer:
easy
Practice 8: The new highway makes it faster ______ commute to the office.
Answer:
to
Practice 9: "I only brought three chairs." — "Is that ______? We have ten guests!"
Answer:
it
Practice 10: It takes a lot of patience ______ train a puppy.
Answer:
to
🔗 Related Patterns & Chunks
- 🗺️ Pattern: it-is-weather-time — Empty Subject (Weather/Time)
- 🗺️ Pattern: it-is-adjective-to-verb — Anticipatory Subject
- 🗺️ Pattern: it-takes-time-to-verb — Duration of time
- 🗺️ Pattern: find-it-adjective-to-verb — Anticipatory Object
- 🧩 Chunk: it-is-what-it-is — Acceptance of reality
- 🧩 Chunk: is-that-it — Checking for completion
- 🧩 Chunk: make-it — Succeeding or arriving
- 🧩 Chunk: take-it-easy — Relaxing or calming down