THERE
We use there as
a dummy subject with part of the verb be followed
by a noun phrase.
- to introduce a new topic:
- There is a meeting this evening. It will start at seven.
- There has been an accident. I hope no one is hurt.
- with numbers or quantities:
- There was a lot of rain last night.
- There must have been more than five hundred in the audience.
- to say where something is:
- There used to be a playground at the end of the street.
- There are fairies at the bottom of the garden.
- I wonder if there will be anyone at home.
- with an indefinite pronoun or expressions of quantity and the to-infinitive:
- There is nothing to do in the village.
- There was plenty to read in the apartment
- There was nothing to watch on television.
- There is a lot of work to do
If we want to show the subject of the to-infinitive we use for:
- There is nothing for the children to do in the village.
- There was plenty for us to read in the apartment
- There was nothing for them to watch on television.
- There is a lot of work for you to do.
- with an indefinite pronoun or expressions of quantity and an -ing verb:
- There is someone waiting to see you.
- There were a lot of people shouting and waving.
- We use a singular verb if the noun phrase is singular:
- There is a meeting this evening. It will start at seven.
- There was a lot of rain last night.
- There is someone waiting to see you.
- We use a plural verb if the noun phrase is plural:
- There are more than twenty people waiting to see you.
- There were some biscuits in the cupboard.
- There were a lot of people shouting and waving.
IT
We use it to
talk about:
• Times and dates:
- It’s nearly one o’clock.
- It’s my birthday.
• Weather:
- It’s raining.
- It’s a lovely day.
- It was getting cold.
• To give an opinion about
a place:
- It’s very cold in here.
- It will be nice when we get home.
- It’s very comfortable in my new apartment.
• To give an opinion followed
by to-infinitive:
- It’s nice to meet you.
- It will be great to go on holiday.
- It was interesting to meet your brother at last.
• To give an opinion followed
by an -ing verb:
- It’s great living in Spain.
- It’s awful driving in this heavy traffic.
- It can be hard work looking after young children.
Using
"it" to talk about people
We use it to
talk about ourselves:
• On the telephone:
- Hello. It’s George.
• When people cannot
see us:
- [Mary knocks on door] It’s me. It’s Mary.
• When we point them
out for the first time:
- Look. It’s Sir Paul McCartney.
- Who’s that? I think it’s John’s brother.
• When we cannot see them
and we ask them for their name:
- [Telephone rings, we pick it up] Hello. Who is it?
- [Someone knocks on door. We say:] who is it?
