胡瑞明
it的用法不僅是高中語(yǔ)法中的重點(diǎn)和難點(diǎn),也是高考考查的熱點(diǎn)。本文就it的用法作一歸類分析以幫助同學(xué)們掌握這一知識(shí)。
一、it用作人稱代詞
it作人稱代詞,常用來(lái)代替一個(gè)具體的事物,或前面提到過(guò)的某件事物或某個(gè)句子,以免重復(fù)。例如:
Please go and get my dictionary; it is right on the desk; have you seen it? 請(qǐng)去把我的字典拿來(lái),它就在書桌上,你看見(jiàn)它了嗎?
The Chinese teacher was ill. Have you heard about it? 語(yǔ)文老師病了,你聽(tīng)說(shuō)過(guò)這件事沒(méi)有?
it還可用于指代不知性別的動(dòng)物或嬰兒。例如:
I threw the dog to him and he caught it. 我把小狗扔向他,他把它接住了。
Is it a boy or a girl? 是男孩還是女孩?
注意it,that和one都表示“一個(gè)”,指代前文提到的事物,但it指“同一個(gè)”,one泛指“同一類”,而that用來(lái)代替前面特指的單數(shù)名詞或不可數(shù)名詞,相當(dāng)于the+單數(shù)名詞單數(shù)/不可數(shù)名詞,有時(shí)候可與the one互換。
二、it用作無(wú)人稱代詞
it還可用作無(wú)人稱代詞,用以指代時(shí)間、天氣、日期、距離、價(jià)值、度量、地點(diǎn)、自然現(xiàn)象和環(huán)境等,在這種語(yǔ)境下常不翻譯出來(lái)。例如:
Its the third of May. 今天是五月三日。
Its damp and cold, I think its going to rain. 天氣既潮濕又寒冷,我看馬上要下雨了。
Theyre sure to see you: its bright moonlight. 他們肯定看見(jiàn)你了:當(dāng)時(shí)月光明亮。
Will you come with me? Its only an hour and a half on the train. 你愿意和我一起去嗎?坐火車只有一個(gè)半小時(shí)的里程。
三、it用作引導(dǎo)詞
1. it用作形式主語(yǔ)
當(dāng)不定式(短語(yǔ))、動(dòng)詞-ing形式或從句在句中作主語(yǔ)時(shí),為避免句子頭重腳輕,常用it作形式主語(yǔ)置于句首,而將真正的主語(yǔ)放在句尾。此時(shí)it只起先行引導(dǎo)作用,本身無(wú)實(shí)義。其構(gòu)成的句型常有:
1)it作形式主語(yǔ)替代不定式(短語(yǔ))
①it is+adj./n.+(for/of sb)+to do sth
該句型中的不定式短語(yǔ)是真正主語(yǔ),如果表示“對(duì)某人的贊揚(yáng)或指責(zé)”,不定式的邏輯主語(yǔ)是由of引起;其他情況下的不定式的邏輯主語(yǔ)由for引起。
It is illegal for a teenager to drive a car without a license. 青少年無(wú)證駕駛是不合法的。
Its kind of you to help me with the problem. 你真好來(lái)幫我解決這個(gè)問(wèn)題。
②it takes sb... to do sth
該句型中it是形式主語(yǔ),不定式短語(yǔ)是真正的主語(yǔ),表示“做某事要花費(fèi)某人……”。
It took me half an hour to finish the homework. 做作業(yè)花了我半個(gè)小時(shí)。
2)it作形式主語(yǔ)替代動(dòng)詞-ing形式,常用于句型it is+no use/no good/useless+doing sth中。
As far as Im concerned, its no use arguing with him, he wont change his mind. 同他爭(zhēng)論沒(méi)用,他不會(huì)改變主意。
Its useless complaining without taking action. 只抱怨而不采取行動(dòng)是無(wú)用的。
3)it作形式主語(yǔ)替代主語(yǔ)從句
常用于句型“it is+形容詞/名詞/過(guò)去分詞+主語(yǔ)從句”。此句型中常用的形容詞有clear, obvious, true, certain, natural, right, good, curious, surprising等;常用的名詞有fun, pity, shame, surprise, wonder等;常用的過(guò)去分詞有said, reported, believed, thought, known, told, hoped, agreed等。
He went over all his notes completely before the exam. It is no wonder that he should have achieved such a high grade in it. 他在考試之前徹底復(fù)習(xí)了筆記,難怪他獲得這么高的分?jǐn)?shù)。
It is believed that taking a walk every day does good to our health. 大家都認(rèn)為每天散步有益于身體健康。
注意 在“it is necessary/important/essential/strange/unusual/natural/surprising/suggested/required/ordered/a pity/a shame/a surprise/+that從句”結(jié)構(gòu)中,主語(yǔ)從句中的謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞要用“(should+)動(dòng)詞原形”。這一句型可轉(zhuǎn)換為:it is + adj.(for sb) to do/to be done...。如:endprint
Its important that we should learn a foreign language.=Its important for us to learn a foreign language. 學(xué)習(xí)一門外語(yǔ)對(duì)我們很重要。
四、it作形式賓語(yǔ),代替不定式、動(dòng)詞-ing形式或賓語(yǔ)從句
像it作形式主語(yǔ)一樣,當(dāng)賓語(yǔ)是不定式(短語(yǔ))、動(dòng)詞-ing形式或從句時(shí),常用it作形式賓語(yǔ),而將真正的賓語(yǔ)后置。例如:
New technologies have made it possible to turn out new products faster and at a lower cost. 新的科技使高效低成本地生產(chǎn)出新的產(chǎn)品變?yōu)榭赡堋?/p>
She thinks it no point practicing so much. 她認(rèn)為練習(xí)這么多沒(méi)有意義。
No matter where he is, he makes it a rule to go for a walk before breakfast. 不管他去哪里,早餐前都要去散步,這是他的慣例。
五、it用于強(qiáng)調(diào)句型
為了強(qiáng)調(diào)句子的某一成分(通常是主語(yǔ)、賓語(yǔ)或狀語(yǔ)),常用it來(lái)改變句子結(jié)構(gòu),即用強(qiáng)調(diào)句型“it is (was)+被強(qiáng)調(diào)部分+that+其他”。被強(qiáng)調(diào)部分是人時(shí),可用who替代that;當(dāng)被強(qiáng)調(diào)的部分不是人而是時(shí)間、地點(diǎn)或原因狀語(yǔ)時(shí),用that連接,不可以用when, where等。
It was after the war was over that Einstein was able to come back to his research work again. 戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)結(jié)束后愛(ài)因斯坦才能重新進(jìn)行他的研究工作。
Was it in the house where his grandfather once lived that they found the old picture? 他們是在他祖父曾經(jīng)住過(guò)的房子里找到那張舊照片的嗎?
“it is(was)not until+被強(qiáng)調(diào)部分+that...”也是強(qiáng)調(diào)句型,強(qiáng)調(diào)時(shí)間狀語(yǔ),可譯為“直到……才……”。它用來(lái)強(qiáng)調(diào)由not...until引導(dǎo)的狀語(yǔ)或狀語(yǔ)從句,這時(shí)注意要把not放在until從句前。
It was not until I came here that I realized this place was famous for not only its beauty but also its weather. 直到我來(lái)到這兒才意識(shí)到,這個(gè)地方不僅以它的美而且以它的天氣出名。
強(qiáng)調(diào)句型與主語(yǔ)從句的區(qū)別: 強(qiáng)調(diào)句型可以還原為正常語(yǔ)序,也就是說(shuō),強(qiáng)調(diào)句型中去掉it is/ was和that后,句子仍然通順,意思也依然完整。而含主語(yǔ)從句的復(fù)合句中的it是指示代詞,后面多為系表結(jié)構(gòu)或被動(dòng)語(yǔ)態(tài),去掉it is/was和that句子就不通順了。
六、由it引起的易混淆表示時(shí)間的句型
1. it is+時(shí)間段+since從句,表示“自從……以來(lái)已有多長(zhǎng)時(shí)間了”。
在這個(gè)句型中,主句的謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞時(shí)態(tài)常是一般現(xiàn)在時(shí)或現(xiàn)在完成時(shí),since引導(dǎo)的從句的謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞通常是一般過(guò)去時(shí)態(tài)。例如:
It is ten years since he came back. 自從他回來(lái)已有十年的時(shí)間了。
2. “it is+時(shí)段+before...”表示“要過(guò)多久才……”,其否定形式“it is not+時(shí)間段+before...”表示“沒(méi)過(guò)多久(多長(zhǎng)時(shí)間)就……”。
在這個(gè)句型中,主句謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞的時(shí)態(tài)一般是一般將來(lái)時(shí)或一般過(guò)去時(shí)。主句的表語(yǔ)(時(shí)間段)多是long,not long,two days,three weeks等表示時(shí)間段的詞或短語(yǔ)。例如:
It will be an hour before you see Mr Li. 過(guò)一個(gè)小時(shí)你就會(huì)見(jiàn)到李先生的。
3. it is+具體時(shí)間+when從句,表示“某事發(fā)生的時(shí)間是……”。
在這個(gè)句型中,when引導(dǎo)時(shí)間狀語(yǔ)從句,主句中的it指時(shí)間,表語(yǔ)由表示具體時(shí)間點(diǎn)的詞語(yǔ)來(lái)充當(dāng)。例如:
It was five oclock when he came here. 他是在五點(diǎn)鐘來(lái)到這里的。
4. “it is time (high time)+that...”表示“(正)是……做某事的時(shí)候了”。
在這個(gè)句型中,that從句常用一般過(guò)去時(shí),有時(shí)也用“should+動(dòng)詞原形”,但should不能省略。例如:
It is high time that you went to school. 是你上學(xué)的時(shí)候了。
5. “it is the first(second)time+that...”表示“這是某人首次(第二次)做某事”。
在這個(gè)句型中,如果主句的謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞是一般現(xiàn)在時(shí),則從句中的謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞用現(xiàn)在完成時(shí);若主句的謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞是一般過(guò)去時(shí),則從句中的謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞要用過(guò)去完成時(shí)。例如:
It is the second time that I have come here. 這是我第二次來(lái)到這里。
七、一些it常用的固定搭配
it還有一些固定的搭配,如:take it easy“放輕松,別緊張”;believe it or not“信不信由你”;cant help it“沒(méi)有辦法”;got it“懂了,明白了”;make it“及時(shí)趕到,成功,辦成”;catch it“被責(zé)罵,受處罰”;put it“表達(dá)”;I mean it.“我是認(rèn)真的,說(shuō)到做到”;Thats it.“這就對(duì)了,就這樣”;it/that all depends...“……得看情況而定”;when it comes to“當(dāng)談到……”。endprint
You may depend on it that we shall always help you. 你可以相信,我們會(huì)永遠(yuǎn)幫助你的。
Shell answer for it that he passes the exam. 她保證他會(huì)通過(guò)這次考試。
I dont like it when my mother asks me to eat eggs. 媽媽讓我吃雞蛋,我不喜歡。
1. As a new graduate, he doesnt know
to start a business here. (take)
作為一名新畢業(yè)生,他不知道需要什么才能在這里開(kāi)始經(jīng)營(yíng)。
2. It was only after he had read the papers the task before him was extremely difficult to complete. (realize)
看到那些文件后,他才意識(shí)到他面前的任務(wù)完成起來(lái)是極其困難的。
3. him that he had left his keys in the office. (occur)
他突然想起他把鑰匙忘在辦公室里了。
4. Jack is a great talker. Its high time that he instead of just talking. (do)
杰克總愛(ài)夸夸其談,他該做點(diǎn)事了,而不只是空談。
5. They told us it was the fourth time that they the East Lake. (visit)
這對(duì)外國(guó)夫婦告訴我們這是他們第四次游覽東湖。
6. that Bell sent his first telephone message to his assistant Watson. (until)
直到5天后貝爾才給他的助手沃森發(fā)送了第一份信息。
7. No matter how bright a talker you are, there are times . (remain)
不管你多么能言善辯,但有時(shí)候保持沉默更好。
1. what it takes
2. that he realized
3. It (suddenly) occurred to him
4. did something/should do something
5. had visited
6. It was not until 5 days later/It was not until after 5 days
7. when its better to remain silent