Pronunciation

/ɪt/

Definitions

• Pronoun: Used to refer to a thing previously mentioned, known, or understood, or to a thing represented by a single letter (such as ‘it’ in ‘It’s raining.’), a personal pronoun with no gender or number distinction.
  • Example: “I love this car; it’s really fast.”
• Expletive Pronoun: Used without meaning as a grammatical subject, usually in impersonal expressions, such as “It’s hot today.”
  • Example: “It seems that he has already left.”
• Demonstrative Pronoun: Can be used to indicate time (“It’s ten o’clock”), weather conditions (“It’s snowing”), or distance (“It’s far from here”).
  • Example: “It’s about an hour’s drive to the airport.”

Phrases

• “It’s up to you” implies that the decision or responsibility lies with the person being addressed.
• “It’s not what it seems” suggests that something appears different than its true nature or reality.
• “It takes two to tango” is a proverbial expression meaning that both parties are involved or necessary for a situation to occur.

Example Sentences

• Pronoun referring to a previously mentioned object: “The book was heavy; I couldn’t lift it.”
• Expletive pronoun: “It’s important to be on time for appointments.”
• Demonstrative pronoun for time: “It’s half past midnight.”

Synonyms

• This (in certain contexts)
• That (in certain contexts)
• The thing (informal)
• The matter (formal)

Please note that “it” doesn’t have specific synonyms because its role and meaning can vary significantly depending on context. However, other pronouns like “this” or “that” might sometimes substitute for “it” in specific situations, but they do not fully capture the breadth of “it"’s usage.