it as a dummy subject

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zorro (3)
Posts: 45
Joined: Wed Jan 17, 2007 3:33 pm

it as a dummy subject

Post by zorro (3) » Fri Aug 29, 2008 1:51 pm

Please have a look at this from the general discussion forum.

My account is inactive on that forum because I tried to change my e-mail.

I want to reply but can't.

What do you think?

http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=65421

Thanks.

woodcutter
Posts: 1303
Joined: Sat Jun 19, 2004 6:14 am
Location: London

Post by woodcutter » Mon Sep 01, 2008 12:04 am

I would say that "it" as a dummy subject before "important to" somehow doesn't sound like everyday English, but wouldn't be classed as wrong. If you started out saying "It is important to John that everything be in the right place" it would sound like the beginning of a narrative or something. I always regard that dummy "it" as referring somehow to the general situation, and we are much more likely to wish to talk in an abstract way about what is generally "important for" people to do, rather than what they consider to be important.

Stephen Jones
Posts: 1421
Joined: Sun May 18, 2003 5:25 pm

Post by Stephen Jones » Mon Sep 01, 2008 8:18 am

'It' is a dummy subject. What's the debate?

JuanTwoThree
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Location: Spain

Post by JuanTwoThree » Mon Sep 01, 2008 8:53 am

The only criticism I can see is aesthetic. "It's important to him to....." isn't very elegant with those two to's but the "it" is indubitably a dummy subject and there's nothing actually wrong with "It's important to him to...." at all. In fact there's a useful potential subtlety:

It's important for him to be rich (We need him to be rich. It's mportant to us but not to him)

It's important to him to be rich. (He feels the need to be rich)

zorro (3)
Posts: 45
Joined: Wed Jan 17, 2007 3:33 pm

Post by zorro (3) » Mon Sep 15, 2008 3:21 am

'It' isn't a dummy subject in this sentence.
:)

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