Unit 61: EMPTY SUBJECTS
Every sentence must have a subject (Unit 1), but sometimes the subject does not mean anything.
There
We do not usually put new information at the beginning of a sentence.So instead of [1]: the first sentence, we can write [2]: the second sentence.
[1] A man is at the door.
[2] There is a man at the door.
[1] Books were on the desk.
[2] There were books on the desk.
[1] An accident has happened.
[2] There has been an accident.
[1] A short break will now happen.
[2] There will now be a short break.
[1] Is a bank near here?
[2] Is there a bank near here?
[1] A lot of work is to be done.
[2] There is a lot of work to do.
[1] We were six there.
[2] There were six of us there.
NOTICE: After there, the verb is be.
It
If we want to describe an activity or an event, we often use it as an empty subject.So instead of [1]: the first sentence, we can write [2]: the second sentence.
[1] Leaning out of the window is dangerous.
[2] It is dangerous to lean out of the window.
[1] Meeting so many old friends was wonderful.
[2] It was wonderful to meet so many old friends.
[1] Seeing her so unhappy is terrible.
[2] It is terrible to see her so unhappy.
[1] Travelling to all those different places must be very interesting.
[2] It must be very interesting to travel to all those different places.
[1] Driving to work takes me twenty minutes.
[2] It takes me twenty minutes to drive to work.
