SUBJECT (Cont'd).
Date: 2015-10-07; view: 575.
“It” as Subject
1. 1. Notional “It”:
a) personalThe door opened. It opened slowly.(= the door)
b) demonstrative It was a large room.(= this, that)
2. 2. Formal “It”
a) impersonal It often rains. It's cold. It's five past six. It seems...
b) introductory (anticipatory) It is no usedenying the fact.
c) emphatic It was Winifred who went up to him.
Notice the difference between the formal “It” and “There” as subjects. “There” always introduces an indefinite or negative notional subject, and is used in EXISTENTIAL sentences (= in the meaning “there EXISTS...” or “there DOESN'T EXIST”, e.g. compare:
It's no good arguing. (= Arguing is no good.)
There's no good in arguing. (= No good exists in arguing.)
Exercise 2.1. Analyze the nature of “It”.
1. 1. It was dusky in the dining-room and quite chilly.
2. 2. The bell rang. It was lean, pale Eddie Warren in a state of acute distress.
3. 3. Oh! Oh! Oh! It was a little house. It was a little pink house.
4. 4. But in her bosom there was still that bright glowing place. It was almost unbearable.
5. 5. She sat up, but she felt quite dizzy, quite drunk. It must have been the spring.
6. 6. It was marvelous to be made love to like that.
7. 7. It is the moon that makes you talk to yourself in that silly way.
8. 8. It is very distressing to me, Sir, to give this information.
9. 9. He took the path through the fields: it was pleasanter than the road.
10. 10. If this is liberty, it isn't going to mean a thing.
11. 11. It was now almost four-thirty in the afternoon.
12. 12. I took a good room. It was very big and light and looked out on the lake.
Exercise 2.2. Change the non-anticipatory constructions into anticipatory ones and vice versa.
1. 1. Participating in the preliminary matches gives athletes the necessary confidence.
2. 2. It was next to impossible to overcome his stubbornness.
3. 3. Was it so very important having the script finished by the end of the month?
4. 4. Watching the performances of these great actors opened for me new truths of life.
5. 5. It's a joy to see you under our roof.
6. 6. It's no use quarreling about the matter.
7. 7. No seeing Cecil among the guests surprised me immensely.
8. 8. To apply the rule of the thumb won't do in this case.
9. 9. Losing the game was a great disappointment.
10. 10. Isn't it a great advantage to have so weak a memory?
11. 11. Pretending being older seems rather strange.
12. 12. To be an expert in one's field requires a lifetime of effort.
Exercise 2.3. Emphasize the highlighted words.
1. 1. Johnwore his best suit to the dance last night.
2. 2. John wore his best suitto the dance last night.
3. 3. John wore his best suit to the dancelast night.
4. 4. John wore his best suit to the dance last night.
5. 5. John washed his best suit last night.
6. 6. I asked Frankto go there.
7. 7. He is not allowed to go to the South because of his illness.
8. 8. Leaves do not fall in May.
9. 9. Orchards do not blossom in winter.
10. 10. He had never asked for books by Greene until he read The Quiet American.
11. 11. They hid the guns somewhere here.
12. 12. We decided to return because he was ill.
Exercise 2.4. Translate using the emphatic “It”.
1. 1. Ýòî ïèñüìî íàïèñàë ñîâñåì íå ìîé áðàò.
2. 2. ß âàñ ïðîñèë âçÿòü èç áèáëèîòåêè âîâñå íå ýòó êíèãó.
3. 3. Ïåðâûì ïðî÷èòàë ñòàòüþ èìåííî âàø ïðèÿòåëü.
4. 4. ß íà÷àë ãîòîâèòüñÿ ê ýêçàìåíàì åùå çàäîëãî äî âàøåãî ïðèåçäà.
5. 5. ß ïðîñèë èìåííî âàøó ïîäðóãó äàòü ìíå çàïèñè ïî ãðàììàòèêå.
6. 6. Îíè ñòàëè èçó÷àòü âòîðîé ÿçûê òîëüêî, êîãäà ïåðåøëè íà âòîðîé êóðñ.
7. 7. Èìåííî â äåðåâíå âû ñìîæåòå õîðîøî îòäîõíóòü.
8. 8. Òîëüêî ïîñëå òîãî, êîãäà áîëüíîé íà÷àë ïðèíèìàòü ýòî ëåêàðñòâî, îí íà÷àë ïîïðàâëÿòüñÿ.
9. 9. ×àøêó ðàçáèëà ñîâñåì íå îíà.
10. 10. Èç âñåõ ïðîèçâåäåíèé ýòîãî êîìïîçèòîðà ìíå íðàâèòñÿ áîëüøå âñåãî ñîâñåì íå Äâåíàäöàòàÿ ñèìôîíèÿ.
11. 11. Ìû óñëîâèëèñü ïðîâåñòè êàíèêóëû â Åâðîïå åùå äî ðàçãîâîðà ñ âàìè.
12. 12. Âïåðâûå ÿ óñëûøàë ýòîò àíåêäîò âîâñå íå îò âàøåãî ñóïðóãà.
Exercise 2.5. “It” or “There”
1. 1. … was no wind, but … was very cold, and … was no use going to the beach.
2. 2. … was day already, and … was a ride in the country to look forward to, and … was lucky that … was still another day to spare.
3. 3. Though … was light coming through the trees, … wasn't light enough and … was difficult to read.
4. 4. … was a great joy to get the news of our team's victory, … was joy written all over everyone's face, and … was a celebration ahead.
5. 5. … was somebody in the house - … could be no mistake about it. … could be anybody. … was difficult to see through the steamy windows.
6. 6. … is another letter from Polly, isn't … fine? … is her sixth letter, and … is a lot of bitterness.
7. 7. From now on, … will be no steady tendency for improvement. … should be another alternative still. … is always preferable to have more than one option to choose from.
8. 8. … is just one more thing to add. … is no telling what may happen, so … is not much sense in planning, and … is no use scheduling events before we know for sure.
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