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?

All sentences in English need a subject, but some sentences may seem to not have one. In these cases, we use special words like 'it' or 'there' to fill the place of the subject in the sentence.

English Dummy Pronouns

There are two dummy pronouns in English:

It
There

'It' as a Dummy Pronoun

The word 'it' can serve as a dummy subject in sentences discussing time, dates, or 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' has no real meaning in the sentence and is used only to fulfill a grammatical function, that is, providing a subject for the sentence.

Dummy Pronoun 'There'

The word 'there' is used as a dummy subject to indicate the existence of a particular situation. Although 'there' does not refer to anything specific, it serves to introduce the situation being discussed. 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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