Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[Barbirolli]

Hello, everyone!!
Could you give me some advice, please?

1 "I have several dictionaries on CD-ROM, so it is very convenient to look up words on the computer."

I think that "it" refers to "Having dictionaries on CD-ROM". Am I right?


2 "I have several dictionaries on CD-ROM. I find it much more convenient to look up words on the computer than in a regular dictionary."

I think that "it" refers to "to look up words on the computer " Am I right?

[Anuradha Chepur]

In the first sentence, "it" is an expletive, which is used to fill the subject position, in case the position is empty, because in English we are not allowed to have subjectless sentences. "It" here refers to "looking up words"

In the second sentence, "it" is in the object position, it is a pronoun and yes, it refers to "looking up words".

[Mister Micawber]

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Hello Anuradha. I am very glad to meet someone knowledgeable about Indian English as well as 'universal English', as my experience with that vast area of English is almost nil.

I see that we have some differences in terminology, which may cause minor communication problems along our way.

What you refer to as an expletive, I am used to calling a preparatory-'it', while the term expletive I usually associate with a 'profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger'!

I agree with your interpretation of the it in #1, but I feel that it serves the same function in #2 as well. I see no difference is its use between the dependent clause of #1 and the independent clause of #2, whether it appears as subject or ditransitive object-- in both cases it serves to fill the subject position (of its clause) and drive the stressed information (to look up words on the computer) toward the end of the sentence.

Generally, I find it an unrealistic task to search for a clear referent for this preparatory or expletive it, when its real existence is as a function word, which may or may not specifically refer onward.
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_________________
"I really do not know that anything has ever been more exciting than diagramming sentences." � Gertrude Stein
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Canadian-American who teaches English for a living at Mr Micawber's

[Anuradha Chepur]

Hello Mr. Micawber,

I am equally delighted to be interacting with learners and learned teachers from various countries. Thanks for your response. Yes, in the second sentence too, 'it' is the subject of the embedded clause, and not the object of the main clause.

Actually my specialization is in the area of Chomskyan Linguistics. In our Chomskyan camp, we use the term "expletive" to refer to 'it', as in:

It seems to be raining outside.
It is raining.