It and There

English clauses always have a subject:

Her father has just retired. Was a teacher → He was a teacher.

I’m waiting for my friend. Is late → She is late.

Look at the time! Is half past two → It’s half past two.

Except for the imperative:

Go to the market.

Play it again, please.

If we have no other subject, we use there or it.

There

We use there as a dummy subject with part of the verb be followed by a noun phrase:

• To introduce a new topic:

There is a meeting this evening. It will start at seven.

There has been an accident. I hope no one is hurt.

• With numbers or quantities:

There was a lot of rain last night.

There must have been more than fifty people in the room.

• To say where something is:

There used to be a playground near the temple.

There are mango trees in the garden.

I wonder if there will be anyone at home.

• With an indefinite pronoun or expressions of quantity and the to-infinitive:

There is nothing to do in the village.

There was plenty to read in the library.

There was nothing to watch on television.

There is a lot of work to do.

If we want to show the subject of the to-infinitive we use for:

There is nothing for the children to do in the village.

There was plenty for us to read in the library.

There was nothing for them to watch on television.

There is a lot of work for you to do.

• With an indefinite pronoun or expressions of quantity and an -ing verb:

There is someone waiting to see you.

There were a lot of people shouting and cheering at the festival.

We use a singular verb if the noun phrase is singular:

There is a meeting this evening. It will start at seven.

There was a lot of rain last night.

There is someone waiting to see you.

We use a plural verb if the noun phrase is plural:

There are more than twenty people waiting to see you.

There were some sweets in the cupboard.

There were a lot of people shouting and cheering at the festival.

It

We use it to talk about:

• Times and dates:

It’s nearly one o’clock.

It’s Diwali tomorrow.

• Weather:

It’s raining.

It’s a beautiful day.

It was getting hot.

• To give an opinion about a place:

It’s very hot in here.

It will be nice when we get to the beach.

It’s very comfortable in my new house.

• To give an opinion followed by to-infinitive:

It’s nice to meet you.

It will be great to go on holiday.

It was interesting to meet your cousin at last.

• To give an opinion followed by an -ing verb:

It’s great living in India.

It’s awful driving in this heavy traffic.

It can be hard work looking after young children.

Using "it" for Emphasis

We use it for emphasis in a sentence. For example:

It is important to finish your homework before the weekend.

It was wonderful to see the Taj Mahal during our trip to Agra.

It will be beneficial to practice speaking English daily.

Using "There" in Existence

When discussing the existence or presence of something, we use there. Examples include:

There is a beautiful temple near my house.

There were many stalls at the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai.

There will be a cricket match at the stadium next week.

There are several street food vendors in Delhi's Connaught Place.

Using "It" in Everyday Situations

We frequently use it in everyday situations to refer to time, weather, and other general matters. For instance:

It’s very hot today in Chennai.

It’s Diwali next week, and preparations are in full swing.

It’s really cold in Shimla during winter.

It’s getting late; we should start heading home.

Common Expressions with "It" and "There"

Here are some common expressions using it and there:

It’s a pleasure to meet you.

There is a lot to learn from Indian culture.

It’s great to enjoy traditional Indian sweets like jalebi and gulab jamun.

There will be a grand celebration for the Republic Day in New Delhi.

Summary

To sum up:

• Use there to introduce new topics, discuss quantities, or indicate location.
• Use it to talk about time, weather, and general opinions.
• Both it and there can help provide clarity and focus in communication.

Understanding how to use it and there effectively can greatly enhance your English communication skills. Keep practising, and soon it will become second nature!