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DummyPronouns
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DummyPronouns
Definition
Dummypronounsarewordsthatfunctiongrammaticallyaspronouns,butwhichdonothaveantecedentslike
normalpronounsdo.Thismeansthat,unlikenormalpronouns,dummypronounsdonotreplaceanoun,phrase,or
clause.Theyrefertonothinginparticular,butinsteadhelpthesentencetofunctionproperlyinagrammatical
context.Dummypronounsarealsocommonlyreferredtoasexpletivepronouns.
Therearetwodummypronouns,thereandit.
Thereasadummypronoun
Thereisprimarilyusedasadummypronounincircumstanceswherethesentenceisexplainingthataperson,
place,orthingexists.Whenthewordthereisbeingusedinthismanner,itisoftenreferredtoasexistentialthere.
Forexample,thefollowingsentencescontainthedummypronountheretoexplaintheexistenceofpeople,places,
orthings:
Thereisashipintheharbor.
Thereisabowlonthetable.
Therewereflowersinthemeadow.
Thereisariverthatpassesthroughthemountain.
TherearemanyreasonstogotoJamaica.
Singularvs.Pluraluseofthere
Thedummypronountherecanbeusedineitherasingularorpluralcontext.Whenitisusedinasingularcontext,
thecorrelatingnounsandverbshavesingularendingswhenitisusedinapluralcontext,thecorrespondingnouns
andverbshavepluralendings.
Singular
Thereisafencearoundtheyard.
Inthiscase,theexistenceofonlyonething,afence,isbeingdiscussed.Therefore,thesingularverbisandthe
singularnounfenceareused.Hereisanotherexampleoftherebeingusedinasingularcontext:
Thereisacanoeonthelake.
Again,theexistenceofonlyonecanoeisbeingdiscussed,sothesingularverbisandthesingularnouncanoeare
used.
Plural
Therearetwofencesaroundtheyard.
Thissentencediscussestheexistenceoftwofences,andthusthepluralformisused.Thisisdemonstratedbythe
useofthepluralverbareandthepluralnounfences.Hereisanotherexample:
Therearemanycanoesonthelake.
Thissentencediscussestheexistenceoftwoormorecanoes.Becauseofthisfact,thepluralverbareandthe
pluralnouncanoesareused.
Differencefromadverbialthere
Althoughthewordtherecanbeusedasadummypronoun,itcanalsobeusedasanadverbitisimportanttoknow
thedifferencebetweenthetwo.
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Whenthereisbeingusedasanadverb,itistakingtheplaceofanadverbialphrase,oftentimesanadverbial
prepositionalphrase.Forexample,considerthefollowingsentences:
Theyswaminthewater.
Theyswamthere.
Imgoingtohidethecookiesupabovethefridge.
Imgoingtohidethecookiesupthere.
Inthesecases,thewordthereactsasanadverbialthatgivesfurtherinformationaboutwheretheactiontakes
place.But,ifthewordtherewereuseddifferentlyinasimilarsentence,itcouldfunctionasadummypronoun.For
example:
Therewerefishwheretheyswam.
Therearecookiesupabovethefridge.
Bothofthesesentencesusetheexistentialtheretoexplainthatcertainthingsnamely,thefishandthecookies
exist.Therealsodoesnothaveanyantecedentsinthesesentences,soitisclearlyfunctioningasadummy
pronouninboth.
Itasadummypronoun
Justlikethedummypronounthere,itisalsousedasapronounwithoutanantecedentinsentences.Itiscommonly
usedinsituationswhenweather,distance,ortimeisbeingdiscussed.
Weather
Thefollowingareexamplesofsentencesthatuseitasadummypronounrelatedtoweather.
Itlookslikeitmaysnowtonight.
Isitraining?
Itwasverysunnyatthebeachlastweekend.
Italwaysseemstosleetwhenhedrivesonthehighway.
Distance
Thefollowingexamplesuseitasadummypronouninsentencesinvolvingdistance.
ItisveryfarfromNorthAmericatoEurope.
Isitalongdrivetogettothemountain?
Itisashortwalkonceyougetoutoftheforest.
ItisfartherthanyouthinktodrivetoCalifornia.
Time
Thefollowingexamplesuseitasadummypronouninsentencesinvolvingtime.
Itis4:30.
Itwasearlierthanheexpected.
Couldyoutellmewhattimeitis?
ShetoldhimtocomebackwhenItwaslaterintheday.
Otheruses
Thereareanumberofothersituationswhereitcanbeusedasadummypronoun,withoutpertainingtoweather,
distance,ortime.
Whenitfunctionsasanemptysubjecttointroduceoranticipatesomethingthatappearslaterinthesentence,itis
sometimesreferredtoasanticipatoryit.Forexample:
Itwasassumedthatthetourguideknewexactlyhowtogetthere.
Itseemsthatfourpeopleshowedupinsteadoftheexpectedtwo.
Itcanalsofunctionasanobjectwhenitisadummypronoun:
Theteacherseemedabitoutofityesterday.
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Watchit,pal!
Singularvs.Plural
Noticethatinalloftheexamplesabove,itisonlyfunctioningasasingulardummypronoun.Thisisbecauseitcant
beplural.Thismeansthattheverbsandobjectsinsentenceswiththedummypronounithavetobesingularas
well.
Subjectvs.object
Asubjectisanounorpronounthatperformstheactionoftheverb.Anobjectisanounorpronounthatreceives
theactionoftheverb,
Thedummypronounitcaneitherfunctionasthesubjectofasentenceorastheobject,althoughitismore
commonlyusedasthesubject.Existentialthere,ontheotherhand,canonlybeasubject.
(Thewordtherecanfunctionastheobjectofapreposition,asinWeleftfromthere.However,itisconsidereda
nouninthiscase,notapronoun.)
Herearesomeexamplesofsentenceswheredummypronounsareusedassubjects:
Therearemanyducksinthepond.
Thereisatreeinthemiddleofthefield.
Itis12:30.
Itissunnyoutsidetoday.
Herearesomeexamplesofsentenceswheredummypronounsareusedasobjects:
Willhemakeittothegame?
Youhavetocoolitdown.
Watchit!
Quiz
1.Whichofthefollowingwordsisadummypronoun?
a)and
b)the
b)it
d)when
2.Whichdummypronouncouldbeusedtocompletethefollowingsentence?
_____were12colorsinthepainting.
a)It
b)There
c)BothA&B
d)Noneoftheabove
3.Dummypronounsarealsoreferredtoaswhat?
a)Roundaboutpronouns
b)Concretepronouns
c)Ghostpronouns
d)Expletivepronouns
4.Thefollowingsentenceincludeswhattypeofdummypronoun?
Itwaswarmoutsidewhentheywenttothepool.
a)Subject
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b)Object
c)Hyphenated
d)Noneoftheabove
5.Dummypronounsaredifferentfromregularpronounsbecausetheydon'thavewhichofthefollowing?
a)Clauses
b)Periods
c)Antecedents
d)Adverbs
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