Dummy Pronouns for beginners

dummy pronouns it there

Dummy pronouns function grammatically the same as other pronouns, except they do not refer to a person or thing like normal pronouns do.

intermediate advanced

What Are Dummy Pronouns?

Sentences must have subjects. Some sentences in English practically do not have subjects. In this case, we use the dummy pronouns 'it' or 'there' to fill the place of subject in these sentences.

English Dummy Pronouns

We have two dummy pronouns in the English language:

It
There

Dummy Pronoun 'It'

The word 'it' can be a dummy subject in sentences about times, dates, and the weather. Look at these examples:

It's 5 o'clock in the morning.

It's January 3rd today.

It's raining.

Using the Dummy Pronoun 'It' as the Subject

Tip!

Dummy 'it' refers to nothing at all (it has no meaning); it only serves a grammatical function; so that our sentence has a subject.

Dummy Pronoun 'There'

The word 'there' is used as a dummy subject to say that a situation exists. 'There' does not refer to anything specific, but simply introduces the situation. Look at these examples:

There are two chairs in the kitchen.

There is some milk in the fridge.

There must be a way!

Interrogative Pronouns

There are five interrogative pronouns in English. Each is used to ask a specific question. In this lesson, we will learn more about these pronouns.

Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns show ownership and indicate that something belongs to someone particular. With their help, we can make a possessive phrase shorter.

Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns refer to people or things without saying exactly who or what they are. In this lesson, we will learn more about these pronouns.

Reciprocal Pronouns

When two or more people are doing the same thing and receiving the consequences of that action at the same time we use reciprocal pronouns.

Relative Pronouns

Relative pronouns are matchmakers of English grammar. They come in the beginning of relative clauses and join two clauses together. Ready to learn about them?

Impersonal Pronouns

An impersonal pronoun does not refer to a specific person or thing. These pronouns help us talk about a thing or person without mentioning what or who.

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