# it

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/it
Updated: 2026-07-09

## Senses

### 1. referring to a thing

pronoun · CEFR A1

you use this to talk about an object, an animal, or an idea that you have already mentioned.

For teachers: the third-person singular neuter pronoun used to refer to an inanimate object, abstract entity, or non-human organism.

- I found a great book and I can't stop reading it.
- The committee reviewed the proposal thoroughly before deciding to reject it on the grounds of insufficient funding.

Usage: Functions as either a subject or an object pronoun.

### 2. weather and time

pronoun · CEFR A1

you use this as a 'dummy' subject when talking about the weather, time, or distance.

For teachers: an impersonal or 'dummy' pronoun used as a syntactic filler for the subject position in statements about environmental conditions or temporal states.

- It is raining outside, so you should take an umbrella.
- It is nearly ten miles to the nearest service station, so we should check the fuel levels now.

Usage: Known as the 'dummy it' because it has no real semantic referent in the sentence.

### 3. identifying a person

pronoun · CEFR A1

you use this to identify who someone is, especially when you cannot see them or on the phone.

For teachers: used to identify a person whose identity is being established or revealed in the discourse.

- There is someone at the door. I think it is the postman.
- When the phone rang at midnight, she answered tentatively, only to find it was her brother calling from abroad.

Usage: Commonly used with the verb 'to be' for identification.

### 4. placeholder for a clause

pronoun · CEFR B1

you use this at the start of a sentence to introduce a longer idea that comes later.

For teachers: an anticipatory pronoun acting as a placeholder for a delayed subject, such as an infinitive phrase or a noun clause.

- It is important to sleep well before a big exam.
- It remains to be seen whether the new policy will actually improve the economic situation in the long term.

Usage: Often used in the pattern 'It is [adjective] to [verb]'.

### 7. very fashionable

adjective · CEFR C1 · Informal · Slang

used to describe something or someone that is currently the most popular or fashionable.

For teachers: denoting a person or thing that is currently highly fashionable or trendy.

- She is the new 'it' girl of the fashion world this year.
- That specific shade of green has become the it colour for interior designers this season.

Teaching tip: Often used in the phrase 'it girl' or 'it bag' to denote peak popularity.

## Examples

- I found a lost dog and took it to the vet.
- The new software is very efficient, but it requires a lot of memory to run smoothly.
- Although the committee reviewed the proposal thoroughly, it ultimately decided that the projected costs outweighed the potential benefits to the local community.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.