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[rice07]

Hi

The following is a briefing from newspaper talking about a river restoration project.

"People are starting to come at odd times of the year, like now, to visit, but what we look forward to is it making a great deal of difference in the long term," said Kathleen New,...

Regarding but what we look forward to is it making a great deal of difference in the long term, my analysis is : what we look forward to -- subject ; is -- verb be ; it (= making a great deal of difference in the long term ) -- complement.

Here I'm having some questions as follows:

1. Can I leave out it in that sentence, and the meaning of the sentence having been left out (it) isn't different from the original ?
=> but what we look forward to is it making a great deal of difference in the long term, =(?) but what we look forward to is making a great deal of difference in the long term,


2. Can I drop it and rephrase that sentence with infinitive?

=> but what we look forward to is it making a great deal of difference in the long term ,=(?) but what we look forward to is to make a great deal of difference in the long term,

3. Can I invert what we look forward to and it their positions , which still makes sence ?

=>but it is what we look forward to making a great deal of difference in the long term,

Thanks for your help!

[buddhaheart]

The whole noun phrase �it making a great deal of difference in the long term� is the complement.

Without the pronoun �it� (whose antecedent being the �river restoration project�), you could change the meaning of �� what we look forward to is it making a great deal of difference in the long term. It could mean restricting the people from coming to the place at odd times of the year and endangering themselves and so on. I suppose if the context is clear, you could omit it. The clause may be expanded to read �� but what we look forward to is that the project will make (or makes) a great deal of difference in the long term.�

If �it� is to be retained, it wouldn�t be possible or easy to turn the gerund into infinitive.

�� (but) it making a great deal of difference in the long term is what we look forward to.� is possible, although I don�t like the �but� there.

[rice07]

Hi Buddhaheart

Thanks Teacher Buddhaheart for your time to help me with those questions ! your analysis is pretty understandable and useful ! Thanks once again !

Have a nice day!

Sincerely

Rice 07