What does "it is" refer to in "... close to the time IT IS when you say ...
This time-related "it" resembles the weather-related "it". When I say "it is raining" or "it is 7:00", I'm using a dummy subject. The "it" doesn't refer to anything. I just need some word to fill that function in the …
grammar - Can the word "THIS" be a dummy subject? For example: …
Dec 4, 2022 · 5 I think the "dummy subject"you are talking about is that which is known as an expletive subject. A good example is It is raining. In the text you quote I don't believe this is used in quite the …
Using "they" in tag questions with everybody/nobody etc
Jun 9, 2021 · In English, existential clauses usually use the dummy subject construction (also known as expletive) with there, as in "There are boys in the yard"… In the OP's sentence, the subject is not …
word usage - Explanation of "does there exist"? - English Language ...
May 23, 2016 · Often in English, we do get clarity by combining multiple ways of suggesting the same thing, but combining dummy there with exist sounds overly wordy. I don't know if there is a principled …
The sentence structure "it is because of... that..."
Dec 6, 2020 · Indeed, precisely because of its futuristic storyline, Star Trek was able to address many of the contemporary social problems that other programs but the cleft structure makes that clause even …
sentence structure - How to use "What exactly" - English Language ...
Your first question is incorrectly phrased. The second is grammatical, but clumsy. You can remove the dummy "it", and place "exactly" right after "what", with What exactly don't you like about my clothes?
Is this pronoun a dummy-it or referring to something?
It's almost like is a fixed expression containing a dummy it. This expression is used to indicate that the following proposition seems like it's true without actually stating that it is true.
dummy pronouns - How many meters is it/are there/is there between ...
May 16, 2023 · Which one is correct? 1 How many meters is it between this tree and that car? 2 How many meters is there between this tree and that car? 3 How many meters are there between this tree …
Meaning of “it does not do (to do something)”
Aug 21, 2018 · "It" is a dummy pronoun, it doesn't really refer to something in particular. "doesn't do" is the usual negation of the verb "to do". There is a sense of "do" that means "to succeed" "to make …
Can I omit the subject of an adverbial clause "when..."?
Dec 6, 2023 · The grammatical subject of the whole sentence is the dummy pronoun "it". Within the infinitival clause is the further subordinate clause, "drinking", whose understood (semantic) subject is …