English Grammar: Using Dummy Subjects

Dummy Subjects in English Clauses

• English clauses always have a subject, except for the imperative.

Using 'there' as a Dummy Subject

• We use 'there' to talk about:
  • Where or when something is: e.g. "There's an interesting book on the shelf", "There'll be an eclipse of the moon tonight".
  • A number or amount: e.g. "There is plenty of bread left", "There were twenty people at the meeting".
  • Something existing or happening: e.g. "There's a small problem", "There was a nasty fight".

Using 'it' as a Dummy Subject

• We use 'it' to talk about:
  • Times and dates: e.g. "It's nearly one o'clock", "It's my birthday".
  • The weather: e.g. "It's raining", "It's a lovely day", "It was getting cold".
  • We use 'it' with the verb 'be' and an –ing form or to-infinitive to express opinions: e.g. "It's great living here", "It's nice to meet you".

Daily Life

• Kate interacts with a customer in a shop.
• John is an avid Internet user.

Travel and Places

• You can find monkeys at the zoo.
• Jamaica is an island in the Caribbean Sea.
• Jerry works in an office in central London.
• He lives in an apartment in the Bronx.
• Oxford Street has shops with employees like the woman mentioned.
• Larry goes to bed very late.
• Angela seeks a romantic holiday in the southern region.

Education

• In England, school attendance is mandatory until the age of 16.

Work and Jobs

• Jerry has an office job in central London.
• A woman has a job in a shop on Oxford Street.
• Zoe's friend is looking for work but lacks hope of getting a job.

Food and Drink

• There is a restaurant with unappreciated food.
• Italian food is preferred over Spanish food by the speaker's dad.
• The speaker likes coffee but dislikes the office coffee.

Miscellaneous

• People prefer writing emails to letters nowadays.
• Women are said to live longer than men according to statistics.
• A man went to prison for killing two women.