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.)
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