INTRODUCTORY "IT"

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ITasanEmptyObject

WeuseITasan“empty”objectaftercertainverbs andinsomephrasestointroduceafollowingclause Wesayitisemptybecauseitdoesn’treferto anythinginparticular

ThefairlyfixedphrasesbelowhaveintroductoryIT asObject.

BREAKITTOSOMEONETHAT:Informsomeoneaboutsomethingunpleasantorupsetting.

Thedoctorfinallybrokeittomethattherewasnocure.

DRUMITINTOSOMEONETHAT:toteachsomethingtosomeonebyfrequentrepeating.

Theydrummeditintomethatyouwerenottoknow.

HAVEITINMIND+toinf/thatclause(formal):tointendtodosomething

ForalongtimeIhaditinmindtowriteabookaboutmyexperiences.

IhaditinmindthatonedayImightmovetoSpain.

IWOULDN’TPUTITPASTSOMEONETODOSOMETHING: tonotbesurprisedifsomeonedoessomethingbad,becauseitisatypicalthingforthatpersontodo:

PerhapsHelenatoldhim-Iwouldn'tputitpasther.y/yIwouldn'tputitpasthimtolie.

LEAVEITTOOLATETODOSOMETHING:towaittoolongtodosomething

IhopeIhaven'tleftittoolatetoapply.y/yYou’veleftittoolatetochangeyourticket.

LETITBEKNOWN(formal):togiveinformationtootherpeople,especiallyinanindirectway

Heletitbeknown,duringdinner,thathewasonthelookoutforawife.

IletitbeknownthatIwasnothappyaboutthedecisionthathadbeenmade.

MAKEITAPOINTTODOSOMETHING:todosthdeliberately,oftenwithextraeffort.

Shemakesitapointtotreatheremployeesfairly.

MAKEITYOURBUSINESSTODOSOMETHING:tomakeaspecialefforttodosomething

Ruthmadeitherbusinesstogettoknowthecustomers.

MAKEITAHABITTODOSOMETHING:tobegintodosomethingregularlyoroften.

Ihavemadeitahabittolistentoaudiobooksonmywaytoandfromwork.

MAKEITARULETODOSOMETHING:toactaccordingtoaprinciple.

Imakeitarulenottoeatfattyfoods.

PUTITABOUTTHAT:totellalotofpeoplesomething,especiallysomethingthatisnottrue

Someone'sbeenputtingitaboutthatDanisleaving.

PUTITTOSOMEONETHAT:totellsomeoneyourexplanationofsomething.

Iputittohimthatwhatweneededwassomeindependentadvice.

RUMOUR/LEGEND/WORDHASITTHAT:usedtoreportwhatpeoplesayorwhatastorysays

RumourhasitthatJimisnothischild.y/yWordhasitthattheymayseparate.

SEETOITTHAT:tomakesurethatsomethingisdone

Canyouseetoitthateveryonegetsacopyofthismemo?

TAKEITASAGIVENTHAT:toacceptthatsomethingistrueandnotexpectittochange

Youcantakeitasagiventhattherewillbechampagneatthewedding.

TAKEITASREADTHAT:tofeelcertainthatsthistruealthoughnoonehastoldyouitistrue

Youcantakeitasreadthatwewillsupporttheproject.y/yItookitasreadthatyouwerecoming.

TAKEITFORGRANTEDTHAT:tobelievethatsomethingistruewithoutmakingsure

Hejusttookitforgrantedthathewouldpasstheexam.

TAKEITTHAT:saidifyouthinkthatwhatyousayislikelytobetrue,althoughitisnotproved

Itakeityou’veheardaboutBenandCarolsplittingup.

TAKEITINTURNSTODOSOMETHING:todosomethingonatatime.

Theytookitinturnstodrinkfromthewaterbottle.y/yWetookitinturnstokeepwatch.

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