A practical english grammar - Vyssaja skola 1978
Special uses of dummy IT
Sound symbols
We saw in Chapter 7 that dummy it is used as a temporary subject, in order to postpone a “heavy” logical subject to the end of the sentence.
It is important to cook this meat thoroughly.
It doesn’t matter when you come.
Some other uses of dummy it can be seen in these sentences.
It takes about three minutes to boil an egg.
It makes no difference when you come.
It’s about five miles from here to their house.
The use of dummy it also permits a heavy phrase or clause to be postponed to the end of the sentence, especially in Pattern 15 sentences (see Chapter 12).
I consider it unlikely that he will reach his destination before the middle of next week.
The new telescope will make it possible to obtain better measurements of the moons craters.
We think it a pity that this project was canceled.
Sometimes IT makes it possible to use a noun clause as the object of certain verbs.
I appreciate it that you didn't wake me up when you left this morning. (as an alternative to “appreciate the fact that . . .”)
Since noun clauses are not ordinarily permitted to be the objects of prepositions, it is sometimes used.
You can count on it that they won’t remember.
Occasionally, if is used to introduce a noun clause instead of that.
I’d appreciate it if you would do this at once.
You wouldn’t like it if people said things like that about you.
When that-clauses are the logical subjects of passive verbs, it is used to postpone them.
It was agreed that each member would invite a guest.
It has been known for centuries that brass is stronger than pure copper.
It is used in all kinds of time expressions, not only time of day (It’s noon, it’s 5:15):
It was almost sundown before we heard the signal to return. It has been months since we have heard from them.