In English, the word “it” is very small but powerful. It’s a pronoun that we use to replace noun words again and again in a sentence. For example, look at that car! It is blue. In this example, car is a noun word, and in the second part of the sentence, we used the English word “it.” Because we used it to replace the nouns with pronouns. Let’s explore the different ways we can use “it.”
Uses of it
We use “it” when:
| Usage | Example |
|---|---|
| Referring to Objects | I have a car. It is fast. |
| Referring to Animals | The dog is barking. It is loud. |
| Referring to Babies | The baby is crying. It is tired. |
| Talking About Weather/Time | It is cold today. It is 8 PM. |
| Placeholder Subject | It is important to read daily. |
| Referring to Situations/Ideas | We won the game. It was amazing! |
| Unknown Thing/Unspecified Subject | What’s it? |
| Emphatic Pronoun | It was Jane who helped me. |
| Cleft Sentences | It was the book that inspired me. |
| Abstract Ideas | Love is wonderful. Without it, life feels empty. |
| Introducing Information | It seems that we are late. |
| Exclamatory Sentences | It was an amazing concert! |
| Idiomatic Expressions | It takes two to tango. |
| Passive Voice | It is said that she is a great teacher. |
1. To refer to something non-human, e.g., a thing, a substance, an action, a feeling, an idea, or a statement. Below are the examples of these non-human things that help us to understand easily:
- I’ve lost my wallet. I can’t find it anywhere.
- Look at this water. It‘s a funny colour
- Going on all those long walks was hard work. It was exhausting.
- Love is a funny thing, isn’t it?
2. Identifying a person
We use the English word “it” to identify a person. For example:
- Who’s this photo of? Is it your sister?
3. As empty subject
We often use “it” when talking about the weather, time, or distance.
- It‘s raining. (Weather)
- It is 5 o’clock. (Time)
- It is 10 miles to the city. (Distance)
4. To give emphasis
- It was Matthew who told me.
By understanding these helpful uses, you can confidently use “it” in your conversation and writing. You can easily enhance your fluency and comprehension in English.
Use of it
