“It” and “There”
Introduction
It and there are used as subjects when there is no natural subject in a sentence.
Using “it”
“It” is used to identify something or someone.
| Example Question | Example Answer |
|---|---|
| “Who is it?” | “It's me.” |
| “What is it?” | “It's a cat.” |
“It” is also used to talk about the weather, about time, and about distance.
| When to use “it” | Example Question | Example Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Talking about weather | “What's it like outside?” | “It's sunny.” |
| Talking about time | “What time is it?” | “It's two o'clock.” |
| Talking about distances | “How far is it to Banff?” | “It's 900 kilometers?” |
Using “there”
“There” is used to say that something exists in a particular place.
| When to use “there” | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| Singular | There is a party tonight. |
| Plural | There are lots of people at the party. |
| Singular question | Is there a party tonight? |
| Plural question | Are there many people at the party? |
When you are sure that you understand the lesson, you can continue with the exercise.