it
it — pronoun
1. points back to a thing, an animal, a situation, or an idea that was already ment
points back to a thing, an animal, a situation, or an idea that was already mentioned — used as the doer or the receiver of an action in a sentence.
Zola found her phone under the sofa — it was still working after the fall.
subject pronoun referring to a thing
The package arrived yesterday, but I haven't opened it yet.
object pronoun referring to a thing
Apinya adopted a stray cat and takes it to the vet every month.
Esteban lost his job last month, but he does not like to talk about it.
The new policy sounds good on paper, but putting it into practice is hard.
文法句型
it + verb (subject)
verb + it (object)
preposition + it
用法筆記
Only sense where 'it' has a clear antecedent — the person, thing, or idea it refers back to is named earlier in the conversation or text.
常見錯誤
2. placed at the front of a sentence as a dummy subject while the real subject — a
placed at the front of a sentence as a dummy subject while the real subject — a to-infinitive phrase, a that-clause, or a for-phrase — comes later; also used in cleft sentences to highlight one part of the sentence.
It is important for children to drink enough water during summer.
it + be + adjective + for + someone + to-infinitive
It takes the bus about forty minutes to reach the airport from here.
it + take + time + to-infinitive
It was Nila who noticed the fire first and called for help.
It seems that the flight has been delayed because of the storm.
It is a shame that nobody told Alessia about the meeting.
文法句型
it + be + adjective + to-infinitive
it + be + noun + that-clause
it + take + time + to-infinitive
it + seem/appear + that-clause
it + be + noun + who/that (cleft)
用法筆記
The real subject (the phrase after 'it') can usually be moved to the front: 'To drink enough water is important' — but the 'it' version sounds more natural in everyday English.
3. used as a sentence subject when talking about the time of day, the date, weather
used as a sentence subject when talking about the time of day, the date, weather conditions, how far away a place is, or how dark or light it is — without referring to any earlier person or thing.
It is already half past ten — the library will close soon.
time of day
It was raining hard when Cyrus stepped off the train.
weather condition
It is about three miles from Wren's apartment to the beach.
It gets dark very early in December, even before five o'clock.
It is Monday tomorrow, so the museum will be closed.
文法句型
it + be + time
it + weather verb (rain, snow)
it + be + adjective (cold, dark)
it + be + distance (far, five miles)
用法筆記
Unlike senses 1 and 2, this 'it' does not stand for anything — it simply fills the subject position because English sentences need a subject. Other languages often leave this out (e.g. Spanish 'Llueve' = 'It rains').
常見錯誤
it — adjective
1. put immediately in front of a noun to label a person or thing as exceptionally p
put immediately in front of a noun to label a person or thing as exceptionally popular or fashionable at a given moment — suggesting that everyone desires it.
Every fashion blogger wanted that it bag, but it sold out in hours.
'it' before a noun (fashionable item)
The restaurant became the it place for young couples after the magazine review.
Henrik was the it boy of the music scene for about two years.
Short videos are the it format right now among teenagers.
- outdated
no longer fashionable
文法句型
the it + noun
it + noun with hyphen
用法筆記
Almost always used before a noun ('attributive position') in informal or media contexts. A hyphen is common when the combination acts as a compound: 'it-boy', 'it-girl', 'it-bag'.
常見錯誤
it — noun
1. the short form of information technology, meaning the professional field that us
the short form of information technology, meaning the professional field that uses computers, networks, and software to handle and share digital data.
Eri studied IT at university and now works for a software firm.
uncountable noun, field of study
The company's IT department fixed the server problem within an hour.
IT as a modifier in noun phrase
More schools are adding IT classes to prepare students for digital jobs.
Christopher decided to switch careers and study IT at a local college.
- computing
more common in British English; 'IT' is more about application in business contexts
- computer science
more academic and theoretical; 'IT' is more practical and industry-focused
文法句型
work in IT
IT department
IT company
用法筆記
Usually written in capital letters (IT) but pronounced as two separate letters ['aɪ tiː]. When used as a modifier before another noun, it describes a role or service related to technology: 'IT manager', 'IT support'.
2. a written abbreviation used in forms, labels, and lists to mean Italy or Italian
a written abbreviation used in forms, labels, and lists to mean Italy or Italian.
The package was sent from IT (Italy) and arrived in three days.
ISO country code abbreviation
On the language selection screen, choose 'IT' for Italian.
The shipping label clearly shows 'IT' in the country field.
The customs declaration form asked for the country of origin, so Lin wrote 'IT' for Italy.
用法筆記
Found mainly on official documents, product labels, website language menus, and shipping forms. Not used in everyday conversation.