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puzzle
Joined: 17 Oct 2005
Posts: 198
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 Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 11:17 pm Post subject: it |
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Dear teachers,
Sometimes it's confusing to distinguish "it, that", so could you please tell me why "it" is used in the following sentence?
I drink black coffee while he prefers it with cream.
black coffee in the sentence is of the same kind, but not the same one, right? Why "it" is used here?
Thank you very much! |
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ieltsonly
Joined: 22 Nov 2010
Posts: 22
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| Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 6:53 am Post subject: Re: it |
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| puzzle wrote: |
Dear teachers,
Sometimes it's confusing to distinguish "it, that", so could you please tell me why "it" is used in the following sentence?
I drink black coffee while he prefers it with cream.
black coffee in the sentence is of the same kind, but not the same one, right? Why "it" is used here?
Thank you very much! |
It refers to black coffee. Using it removes the need to repeat black coffee. The verb prefer is followed by a noun (object) - we can't just say "I prefer with cream."
Hope this helps.
Stephen
http://www.ieltsonly.co.uk
_________________
www.ieltsonly.co.uk
--getting the grade you need-- |
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puzzle
Joined: 17 Oct 2005
Posts: 198
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| Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 10:52 pm Post subject: |
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I mean why use "it", not "that" or other words here?
Thank you! |
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ieltsonly
Joined: 22 Nov 2010
Posts: 22
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| Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 5:05 am Post subject: |
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| puzzle wrote: |
I mean why use "it", not "that" or other words here?
Thank you! |
This and that are demonstratives -- imagine pointing at an object when you use them eg I like that car (you point at a particular car so that there is no confusion.) This pen is mine (you are clearly indicating a pen.)
In your example sentence, you are referring generally to coffee and there is no confusion so there is no use for a demonstrative. We use the object pronoun it as a replacement for black coffee.
I hope this is clearer?
Stephen
http://www.ieltsonly.co.uk
_________________
www.ieltsonly.co.uk
--getting the grade you need-- |
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puzzle
Joined: 17 Oct 2005
Posts: 198
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| Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 6:28 pm Post subject: |
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Please look at these sentences:
1. This is my pen, and it was bought three days ago. Here "it" refers to my pen, the same kind of thing and the same one ,so "it" is used here.
2. The weather here is colder than that in Beijing.
Here "that" refers to the weather , the same thing but not the same one,so "that" is used here.
So I am still a bit confused why that is not used here. Because the black coffee he drinks is not the same as I drinks.
Thank you anyway! |
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rice07
Joined: 26 Oct 2007
Posts: 385
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Mary W. Ng
Joined: 26 Jun 2006
Posts: 261
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| Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2011 9:01 am Post subject: it |
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Question:
"I drink black coffee while he prefers it with cream."
So I am still a bit confused why that is not used here. Because the black coffee he drinks is not the same as I drinks.
Answer:
As ieltsonly explained, "it" is used to refer back to "black coffee".
"That" is not used here because there is no comparison involved. You are not comparing two things.
In your example "The weather here is colder than that in Beijing", however, you are comparing the weather here with the weather in Beijing. Instead of repeating "the weather" in the second part of the sentence, the demonstrative pronoun "that" is used.
I hope this helps.
_________________
Mary W. Ng
Helping students learn grammar
http:www.aimpublishing.com |
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