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It

We commonly use the pronoun it as both a subject and an object pronoun:

  • Don’t drink the milk. It smells terrible.
  • Has anyone seen my phone? I can’t find it anywhere.

We often use it in question tags:

  • That furniture is lovely. It isn’t too expensive for us, is it?
  • You know the flat with three bedrooms by the supermarket? It’s the best one we’ve seen so far, isn’t it?
See also
  • Tags
  • It, this and that in paragraphs

It as an ‘empty’ or ‘dummy’ subject and object​

We can use it as an ‘empty’ subject or as an ‘empty’ object. It is ‘empty’ because it doesn’t refer to anything in particular:

  • I know it’s going to rain today!
  • It*’s getting a bit late now, so let’s watch a DVD at home, shall we?*
  • She doesn’t like it when you are so quiet.
  • How long will it be before he gives up smoking?

Anticipatory it​

We also use it to introduce or ‘anticipate’ the subject or object of a sentence, especially when the subject or object of the sentence is a clause. Most commonly, such clauses are to + infinitive and that clauses. We also call this use of it a ‘dummy’ subject, since the real subject is another part of the sentence (real subject underlined):

  • It’s good that she’s doing more exercise*.* (or, more formally: That she’s doing more exercise is good.)
  • It was nice to talk with them again*.* (or, more formally: To talk with them again was nice.)
  • It*’s quite likely* that we shall be late*, so please do start without us.*

I find it amazing that …​

With verbs such as find or consider, it + adjective + that clause or it + adjective + to infinitive, are commonly used to anticipate an object:

  • I find it amazing that they’ve never stopped arguing about football.
  • Not: I find amazing that they’ve …
  • I must say, local people will consider it to be an insult that they have not learned to speak a few words of the language.
  • I find it surprising to see so many people here.

We also use it when a clause is the subject of a verb such as appear, seem, look, occur, which hedge or soften the statement, making it less direct:

  • It seems they’ve all lost contact since they met at the wedding.
  • It occurred to me that we might visit them while we are in South Africa.
See also
  • Hedges (just)

It and cleft sentences (It was my friend who …)​

We use it in cleft sentences. It emphasises the subject or object of the main clause:

  • It was his sister who ran the marathon in New York, wasn’t it?
  • [talking about a computer problem]
  • Was it the printer that caused the problem?
  • It was Mary they promoted, not Laura.
See also
  • Cleft sentences (It was in June we got married.)

It with the passive voice​

It is common with the passive voice. It makes the sentence seem less personal and more objective:

  • It was decided that we should all swim across the lake before breakfast.
  • It is accepted that research into cancer has advanced considerably in the last few years.
See also
  • Passive: active and passive