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Introductory It

It is common to begin sentences with "it" when the subject is an infinitive phrase, gerund, or clause. Some examples include "It is easy to learn English" and "It was no good your trying to deceive us." When the infinitive phrase is short, it can be placed at the beginning for emphasis, like "To err is human." Similarly, sentences containing a clause subject often start with "it", such as "It is true that she was once a famous artist."

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373 views1 page

Introductory It

It is common to begin sentences with "it" when the subject is an infinitive phrase, gerund, or clause. Some examples include "It is easy to learn English" and "It was no good your trying to deceive us." When the infinitive phrase is short, it can be placed at the beginning for emphasis, like "To err is human." Similarly, sentences containing a clause subject often start with "it", such as "It is true that she was once a famous artist."

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U Saung
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Introductory it

When the subject is an infinitive phrase, the sentence often begins with it. Instead of saying ‘To find fault with
others is easy’, we say, ‘It is easy to find fault with others’. More examples are given below.

It is easy to learn English. (More natural than ‘To learn English is easy’.)
It was not easy to understand his motive.
It may be advisable to consult a specialist.
It could be dangerous to drive so fast.
It was pleasant to sit on the beach.

However, when we want to emphasize the infinitive phrase, it may be put at the beginning especially if it is short.

To err is human.
To withdraw now will be sheer folly.

When the subject is a phrase that includes a gerund, it is used as a provisional subject to begin the sentence.
Instead of saying ‘Your trying to deceive us is no good’, we may say ‘It is no good your trying to deceive us’.

Will it be any good my talking to him about it?


It is no use arguing with him.
It won’t be much good complaining to the officer about it.

Note that the gerund can be changed into the infinitive.

Will it be any good for me to talk to him about it?

When the subject is a clause, the sentence usually begins with it. Instead of saying ‘That she was once a famous
artist is true’, we may say, ‘It is true that she was once a famous artist’.

It does not matter whether he comes or not. (= Whether he comes or not does not matter.)
It is doubtful whether he can pay the dues. (= Whether he can pay the dues is doubtful.)
It cannot be denied that the doctors did their best to save his life. (= That the doctors did their best to save
his life cannot be denied.)

Stay on top of your writing! Download our grammar guide from www.englishgrammar.org to stay up-to-date.

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