language note: It is a third person singular pronoun. It is used as the subject or object of a verb, or as the object of a preposition.
1. pronoun
You use it to refer to an object, animal, or other thing that has already been mentioned.
He saw the grey Land-Rover down the by-pass. It was more than a hundred yards fromhim.
It's a wonderful city, really. I'll show it to you if you want.
My wife has become crippled by arthritis. She is embarrassed to ask the doctor aboutit.
I took a lot of convincing that parenthood was a good idea and I didn't think I'dbe much use at it.
2. pronoun
You use it to refer to a child or baby whose sex you do not know or whose sex is not relevant to what you are saying.
He promised to support the child after it was born.
3. pronoun
You use it to refer in a general way to a situation that you have just described.
He was through with sports, not because he had to be but because he wanted it thatway.
Antonia will not be jealous, or if she is, she will not show it.
4. pronoun
You use it before certain nouns, adjectives, and verbs to introduce your feelings or point of view about a situation.
It was nice to see Steve again.
It's a pity you never got married, Sarah.
It's funny how you remember things.
It's good of him to spare the time to visit at all.
Is it possible he'll phone you?
He found it hard to work with a microphone pointing at him.
I know it's a good idea to use dental floss.
It's up to us to change things we don't like.
It seems that you are letting things get you down.
5. pronoun
You use it in passive clauses which report a situation or event.
It has been said that stress causes cancer.
Yesterday it was reported that a number of people had been arrested in the capital.
It was noted that within a year the incidence of illness had increased quite significantly.
6. pronoun
You use it with some verbs that need a subject or object, although there is no noun that it refers to.
Of course, as it turned out, three-fourths of the people in the group were psychiatrists.
I like it here.
7. pronoun
You use it as the subject of 'be', to say what the time, day, or date is.
It's three o'clock in the morning.
It was a Monday, so she was at home.
It's December 1989, in Las Vegas.
8. pronoun
You use it as the subject of a link verb to describe the weather, the light, or the temperature.
It was very wet and windy the day I drove over the hill to Milland.
It's getting dark. Let's go inside.
It was warm in the kitchen.
9. pronoun
You use it when you are telling someone who you are, or asking them who they are, especially at the beginning of a phone call. You also use it in statements and questions about the identity of other people.
'Who is it?' he called.—'It's your neighbor.'
Hello Freddy, it's only me, Maxine.
10. pronoun
When you are emphasizing or drawing attention to something, you can put that thing immediately after it and a form of the verb 'be'.
[emphasis]
It's really these countries that have the worst environmental records.
It was the country's rulers who devised this system.
It was I who found him there.
It's my father they're accusing.
11.
See it's not simply/just that
12.
See think you're it
13. if it wasn't for
English Easy Learning GrammarPersonal pronounsPersonal pronouns are used as the subject, object, or complement in a clause. Theyare commonly found taking the place of a noun phrase when it is mentioned ... Read more
IT
(aɪ tiː)
IT is an abbreviation for information technology.
it in British English1
(ɪt)
pronoun(subjective or objective)
1.
refers to a nonhuman, animal, plant, or inanimate thing, or sometimes to a small baby
it looks dangerous
give it a bone
2.
refers to an unspecified or implied antecedent or to a previous or understood clause, phrase, etc
it is impossible
I knew it
3.
used to represent human life or experience either in totality or in respect of the present situation
how's it going?
I've had it
to brazen it out
4.
used as a formal subject (or object), referring to a following clause, phrase, or word
it helps to know the truth
I consider it dangerous to go on
5.
used in the nominative as the formal grammatical subject of impersonal verbs. When it functions absolutely in such sentences, not referring to any previous or following clause or phrase, the context is nearly always a description of the environment or of some physical sensation
it is raining
it hurts
6. (used as complement with be) informal
the crucial or ultimate point
the steering failed and I thought that was it
noun
7.
(in children's games) the player whose turn it is to try to touch another
Compare he1 (sense 5b)
8. informal
a.
sexual intercourse
b.
sex appeal
9. informal
a desirable quality or ability
he's really got it
Word origin
Old English hit
it in British English2
the internet domain name for
Italy
IT in British English
abbreviation for
information technology
information technology in British English
noun
the technology of the production, storage, and communication of information using computers and microelectronics
Abbreviation: IT
It. in British English
abbreviation for
1.
Italian
2.
Italy
IT in American English
information technology
It in American English
1.
Italian
2.
Italy
it in American English1
(ɪt)
pronoun
1. Word forms: pluralthey
the animal or thing previously mentioned or under discussion: neuter personal pronoun in the third person singular: it is the nominative and objective form, its the possessive, and itself the reflexive and intensive; its is the possessive pronominal adjective
2.
it is also used as:
a.
the subject of an impersonal verb without reference to agent
it is snowing
b.
the grammatical subject of a clause of which the actual subject is another clause or phrase following
it is clear that he wants to go
c.
an object of indefinite sense in certain idiomatic expressions [to lord it over someone]; often, specif., an unpleasant consequence
now you're in for it; let him have it
d.
the antecedent of a relative pronoun from which it is separated by a predicate
it is your support that we want
e.
a term of reference to something indefinite but understood, as the state of affairs
it's all right—I didn't hurt myself
f. US, Informal
an emphatic predicate pronoun referring to the person, thing, situation, etc. which is considered ultimate, final, or perfect
zero hour is here: this is it
noun
3.
the player in a game who must do some essential thing, as the one in a game of tag who must try to catch another
4. Informal
any of various attractive personal qualities, as charm, charisma, or sex appeal
Idioms:
with it
Word origin
ME hit, it < OE hit, akin to Du het, Goth hita, this: IE base as in he1: basic sense “this one”
it in American English2
italic(s)
Examples of 'it' in a sentence
it
On it had been painted a picture of a naked woman, in a primitive style.
Hugo Wilcken THE EXECUTION (2002)
I wondered whether the story Charlotte had just told me was true or whether it was a sort of party piece.
Hugo Wilcken THE EXECUTION (2002)
Despite the hot weather, the grass still had that Astroturf sheen the spring rain had given it.
Hugo Wilcken THE EXECUTION (2002)
I'd been trying not to worry about it, it happened in a relationship.
Lisa Scottoline RUNNING FROM THE LAW (2001)
Word lists with
it
internet
In other languages
it
British English: it /ɪt/ PRONOUN
You use it to talk about a thing or an animal.
This is a good book – have you read it?
American English: it
Arabic: هُو/هِي
Brazilian Portuguese: pronome que se refere a coisas inanimadas
Chinese: 它
Croatian: to
Czech: to
Danish: den
Dutch: het
European Spanish: lo
Finnish: se
French: il
German: es
Greek: αυτό
Italian: esso
Japanese: それは
Korean: 그것
Norwegian: den
Polish: to
European Portuguese: pronome que se refere a coisas inanimadas
Romanian: el
Russian: он, она, оно
Latin American Spanish: lo
Swedish: den
Thai: มัน
Turkish: o eşya/hayvan
Ukrainian: воно
Vietnamese: nó
British English: IT /aɪ tiː/ ABBREVIATION
IT is the theory and practice of using computers to store and analyse information. IT is an abbreviation for `information technology'.
...people with IT skills.
American English: IT
Arabic: تِكْنُولُوجْيَا الـمَعْلومَاتُ
Brazilian Portuguese: IT informática
Chinese: 信息技术
Croatian: IT
Czech: IT
Danish: it
Dutch: IT
European Spanish: informática
Finnish: tietotekniikka
French: informatique
German: Informationstechnik
Greek: τεχνολογία πληροφορικής
Italian: informatica
Japanese: 情報技術
Korean: 정보 기술
Norwegian: IT
Polish: technika informacyjna
European Portuguese: TI informática
Romanian: ITtehnologia informației
Russian: ИТ
Latin American Spanish: TI
Swedish: IT
Thai: ตัวย่อของเทคโนโลยีสารสนเทศ
Turkish: Enformasyon Teknolojisi
Ukrainian: інформаційні технології
Vietnamese: CNTT
Chinese translation of 'it'
it
(ɪt)
pron
(object or animal) 它 (tā)
⇒ "Where's my pen?" — "It's on the table.""我的钢笔在哪儿呢？" "在桌子上。" ("Wǒ de gāngbǐ zài nǎr ne? " "Zài zhuōzi shang.")
⇒ Give it to me.把它给我。 (Bǎ tā gěi wǒ.)
⇒ I spoke to him about it.我跟他说了这事儿。 (Wǒ gēn tā shuōle zhè shìr.)
(referring to baby) 他/她 (tā/tā)
⇒ Is it a boy or a girl?是男孩儿还是女孩儿？ (Shì nánháir hái shì nǚháir?)
(weather, date, time)
⇒ It's very cold in winter here.这里的冬天很冷。 (Zhèlǐ de dōngtiān hěn lěng.)
⇒ It's Friday.今天星期五。 (Jīntiān xīngqīwǔ.)
⇒ It's 6 o'clock.现在6点。 (Xiànzài liù diǎn.)
⇒ It's August 10th.今天是8月10日。 (Jīntiān shì bāyuè shí rì.)
it's raining正在下雨 (zhèngzài xiàyǔ)
(impersonal)
⇒ It's easy to see why you left.你离开的原因显而易见。 (Nǐ líkāi de yuányīn xiǎn ér yì jiàn.)
⇒ It was John who spoke to them.是约翰告诉他们的。 (Shì Yuēhàn gàosù tāmen de.)
it doesn't matter没(沒)关(關)系(係) (méi guānxi)
I can't find it我找不到 (wǒ zhǎo bù dào)
what is it? (thing) 是什么(麼)东(東)西？ (shì shénme dōngxi?) (= what's the matter?) 怎么(麼)了？ (zěnme le?)