word meaning - Difference between "idiot" and "dummy"?
May 20, 2020 · The word "dummy" carries with it the connotation of the verb "dummy" (to trick by pretending to pass a ball), so the additional connotation of dummy, that idiot doesn't have, is …
grammar - why we need dummy subjects and it's usage? - English …
Oct 28, 2017 · I'm not sure I understand. I don't think it's necessarily a dummy subject; I think it's an inversion or, at least, in its original sense, it was probably an inversion: "There is the book!" …
It - Preparatory subject - English Language Learners Stack Exchange
May 3, 2024 · The "it" does not represent a semantic argument and cannot be replaced by any other noun phrase. There is no question of dummy "it" being a preparatory element, since the …
Using "they" in tag questions with everybody/nobody etc
Jun 9, 2021 · In English, existential clauses usually use the dummy subject construction (also known as expletive) with there, as in "There are boys in the yard"… In the OP's sentence, the …
grammar - formal subject & real subject in "It's obvious where our ...
Jul 13, 2014 · The grammatical subject is the dummy pronoun "It". The expression "where our interest lies" is a subordinate content clause, which is called by some grammars (e.g. CGEL) …
It's - English Language Learners Stack Exchange
Mar 30, 2021 · This is an extraposed construction, where the subject is the dummy pronoun “it” and the adjective “important” is predicative complement of “is”. The infinitival clause “to take a …
word meaning - "Hi there!" -- What does this 'there' mean?
Jan 5, 2016 · I don't think there refers to the position that the other person is in the same way as the dummy there doesn't refer to any position as in "There is a book on the table." Only on the …
"There is some" or "There are some"- which is correct?
Nov 5, 2022 · By the time the real subject comes along, plural or not, the listener will've forgotten how the sentence started. Since it didn't start with anything meaningful except the dummy …
sentence meaning - I guess that (it's) just you [left] - English ...
May 20, 2025 · You don't need to use dummy "it" to express "you're left", that is, "you remain", using "left" as an adjective (derived from the past participle of leave). You can say: I guess …
pronouns - Can 'it' be used to refer to a person? - English …
Oct 8, 2016 · The Wikipedia page on dummy pronouns expressly states: "Unlike a regular pronoun of English, it cannot be replaced by any noun phrase (except for, rhetorically …