GRAMMAR: IT vs. THERE (the existential use)

GRAMMAR: IT vs. THERE (the existential use)

One of the perpetual puzzles that students of English have is the use of dummy subjects, i.e. there and it. They are called empty or dummy subjects, because they have no semantic content and are placed in the sentence only to fill the subject position, a sine qua non requirement of this language. Why are there and it so difficult to use? When do we use one and when do we use the other? These are the questions we will be happy to answer in this section.

Now, consider the examples:

(1) Not that there is any suggestion it is rape.

(2) There is, of course, the one really disgusting scene

(3) How enjoyable it is!

(4) It is, of course, Rhett Butlers kneecaps that seem ripest for the treatment

(5) It is high time for Scarletts come-uppance.

The more one looks at these examples, the more puzzled one seems to become. This is because there seems to be no rhyme or reason in the use of there and it. Indeed, there seems to be no apparent pattern of usage in this set of examples. Let us try and establish a few rules and then go back to our sentences.

It is muddy on the street. / There is mud on the street.

The first rule students should remember in connection with dummy subjects is that normally existential it is combined with an adjective whereas there is followed by an (indefinite) noun. Consider the examples below and remember this rule:

So, remember never to use a noun after it with an existential meaning:

This rule practically tells us something very important about the examples we have listed at the beginning of this section. It tells us that all those sentences where it is followed by a noun are not in fact existential it sentences. For instance, example (4) contains the so-called emphatic it. What is the difference between existential it and emphatic it? Translation is a good test: only the existential it sentence can be translated by a sentence beginning with the verb a fi:

(7) It is muddy on the street = este noroi pe strada

(8) It is Rhett who needs to be kissed = Rhett este cel care are nevoie sa fie sarutat.

The translation for (8) shows you that this sentence lays emphasis on a certain element, in this case Rhett. On the other hand, the example under (7) introduces a new object/ property in the world of our discourse, and thus has an existential meaning.

It is high time / There is enough time

How do we account for these two constructions? We have just stated that existential it should never be followed by a noun. Well, then, how about the sentence under (5)? This is an instance of idiomatic use. There is practically no accounting for it. Students are advised to learn these examples by heart:

As you can notice, the theres no pattern is very productive.

There is a cat on the mat. / Oh, theres the cat next door, we can use it in our movie.

There is one last remark to be made. This concerns the so called indefiniteness effect rule. What is this rule about? It states that dummy there should be followed by an indefinite noun only. Consider the following table for this rule:

However, there are cases when this rule is not observed, as you could see in example (2). This example is possible when we want to introduce a new object in our discourse about which there exists some previous knowledge. Generally the definite noun must be followed by further modification for the sentence to be correct. Consider also the examples under (9) and (10) and notice the underlined modifiers attached to the definite noun:

(9) Alternatively, there is the choice to vote against the planned changes.

(10) And then there is the question of who is going to pay.

Nota bene!

Dont forget that dummy there is not combined only with the indicative. It can appear in the vicinity of participles or infinitives in formal English:

(11) There being nothing left to say, Susan left the room enraged.

(12) It is desirable for there to be at least two sets of examples in your dissertation.

EXERCISES:

1. Use the most logical form of the verbs between brackets:

a)       It (be) just this that gave me my perspective for finding her there.

b)       There (be) two men and one dog in that room.

c)       There (be) one dog and two men in that room.

d)       What you need and what you get (be) your problem.

e)       What you need and what you get (be) two different things.

f)        He liked her. There (be) some talk of her marrying William Banks once, but nothing had come of it.

2. Translate into English:

a)       Pana la casa unde locuia Florin erau cel mult doua sute de metri. Cei doi mergeau incet, tacuti. Prea incet si prea tacuti pentru o distanta atat de mica. Ion se temea sa nu vorbeasca, fiindca, mergand alaturi, ar fi trebuit sa se intoarca mai mult decat ar fi fost normal, ca sa-i vada si sa-si arate fata. Ca si cum i-ar fi ghicit gandurile, Florin se opri si se intoarse spre el, care imita brusc miscarea, asa incat se puteau privi. Ea rosti: multumesc, cred ca am ajuns. Vazand ca tanarul nu spunea nimic si o privea numai, adauga: se spune ca veti mai sta pe la noi un timp.

b)       Era usor sa fie centrul atentiei. Ori de cate ori era solicitat, se ducea pe scena si recita o poezie. Oamenii il rugau mereu sa se produca.

c)       Nu imi e greu sa fac niste calcule. E greu insa sa trag concluziile si sa iti ofer solutii.

d)       S-ar putea ca maine sa ploua. Totusi nu se aude nici o veste despre acest lucru la radio. Poate ca s-au plictisit sa anunte ploaie si apoi sa nu ploua.

e)       De-abia intrara in sala, ca unul din spectatori se apuca sa strige la ei si sa-i faca in toate felurile.

f)        N-are nici o importanta cand a spus profesorul lui Tom ca poate parasi clasa. Important e ca a facut-o.

g)       Ajunsi acasa, se apucara sa faca de mancare.

h)       Ce ma deranjeaza cel mai mult sunt ideile lui fixe.

i)        Cand o sa inceapa sa bata vantul, ar fi bine sa ne intoarcem din parc acasa si sa dam drumul la caldura.

j)        Diplomatul stia bine englezeste si nu acest lucru il supara pe Tom. Iritant era ce spunea si modul in care inghitea cuvintele.

Fill in the gaps with a suitable variant of it is/are or there is/are

a)       ____ a man at the door, waiting to see you.

b)       ____ a good idea to sleep after a heavy meal.

c)       ____ every reason to believe that he is a thief.

d)       ____ a fact that most men are larger and heavier than most women.

e)       ____ a concert at the Festival Hall tomorrow evening.

f)        ____ no sense in waiting for her; shes always late.

g)       ____ often believed that the English are reserved.

h)       ____ I who cannot bear these hateful words.

i)        ____ time you left this place.

j)        ____ enough time for you to wash your hair.

k)       ____ fog outside; dont go out.

l)        ____ windy outside; please, stay indoors.

m)     ____ time you confessed your crime, you know!

n) ____ a lot of smoke in this place, I cant stay here.

o)       ____ a long way to London!

p)       ____ sunny outside and the birds are chirping.

q)       ____ two books and one chair in the room upstairs.

r)        ____ so much mud outside that we wont be able to walk to church.

s)        ____ a while since we last met.

t)        ____ a cat that ate our canary, despite what you might think.

u)       ____ so stuffy in here! How can you bear it?

v)       ____ no room for you in my plans, Im sorry!

4. Fill in the blanks with either it or there:

Toni thought _____ was probably better to be a little vague about the interview until ______ was over. _____ was no guarantee that she would get that job, anyway. Miss Black had been careful to point out that _____ would be other applicants; and then ______was this Managing Director, Mr. Lawrence, who sounded rather a brute. Not an easy man to satisfy, Miss Black had said, and Toni knew from experience what that meant. ______ meant that he was a perfectionist and _______ was hardly any doubt that he was a slavedriver as well. But she didnt suppose _______ was him she would be working for. _______ was doubtless that he had his own personal secretary, with years of faithful service behind her. _______ being no choice in the matter, she would try to make the best of it.