使用 'It' 和 'There'(时间、天气和存在)
It 说天气/时间,用 There 说存在,英语表达更地道!
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'It' for weather, time, and distance; use 'There' to say something exists or is in a specific place.
- Use 'It' for weather: 'It is raining today.'
- Use 'It' for time: 'It is five o'clock.'
- Use 'There' for existence: 'There is a book on the table.'
Overview
Raining,但你的英语老师大概会送你一个“耐人寻味”的眼神。在英语里,句子就像一场尴尬的晚宴——每个人都得有个座位。每个句子都必须有一个主语。但要是没有人在做动作,或者没有具体的东西在发出动作呢?比如你只想聊聊天气、时间,或者桌上正摆着一个巨大的披萨?这时候,我们的救星 it 和 there 就登场啦。它们通常被称为“形式主语”或“虚位主语”。它们并不真的指代某个特定的人,只是在那儿占个位子,好让句子不至于“塌掉”。想象一下你最喜欢的 App 在加载真实内容之前的占位符。我们用 it 来表达天气、时间和距离;用 there 来告诉别人某样东西的存在。只要掌握了这两个词,你的英语听起来就会自然得多。要是没它们,你听起来就像个坏掉的机器人。"Is 5 o'clock«? 不对。»It is 5 o'clock." 这样就好多了。毕竟,就算是机器人偶尔也需要一个像样的占位符嘛。Word Order Rules
it 和 there 时,它们占据的是“主语”的位置。- 对于
it:句式是It+is(或was) + [形容词/名词/时间]。 - 对于
there:句式是There+is(单数) 或are(复数) + [名词]。
it 几乎总是和单数的 is 搭配。你永远不会说 it are。那就像是把方榫强行塞进圆孔里——既费劲又错误。不过,there 就灵活一点,它会根据你谈论的对象而变化。如果只有一个墨西哥塔可,那就是 there is;如果有十个塔可(那你可真走运!),那就是 there are。在现在的短信聊天里,大家经常缩写这些词。It is 变成 It's,There is 变成 There's。在口语中,哪怕是复数,有些人也会说 There's,但考试的时候还是老老实实用 There are 吧。你手机的自动纠错功能可能不在乎,但你的老师肯定很在乎。How This Grammar Works
it 想象成指向宏观状况的指示器。它描述的是那一刻世界的“氛围”。出太阳了吗?It is sunny。太晚了吗?It is 11 PM。去健身房远吗?It is 3 miles。你不是在说天空很晴朗,你是在说事物的整体状态是晴朗的。这就像你手机的后台设置一样。另一方面,there 就像个聚光灯。它指向一个物体并喊道:“嘿!看!这玩意儿存在呢!”当你打开冰箱,发现里面除了一罐孤零零的酸菜啥也没有,你会说:There is a jar of pickles.你不是在描述冰箱,而是在宣告那罐酸菜的存在。
It:描述情况(时间、天气、距离、身份)。There:宣告存在(人、物、地点)。
It is a fly in my soup,这听起来就像那只苍蝇是你整个人生的现状。虽然挺有戏剧性的,但语法上很怪。还是老老实实用
There is a fly in my soup吧。
Formation Pattern
it;表达存在用 there。
to be 动词形式:通常是 is 或 are。
there,确保用 are 来匹配多个项目。
not (It is not raining)。
Pattern Variations
- 过去时:
It wascold.There wasa mistake.There weremany people. - 否定式:
It isn't(It's not) early.There aren'tany cookies left. (难过脸)。 - 疑问式:
Is itfar?Are thereany seats in the cinema? - 距离:
It is10 kilometers to the airport. - 身份确认:当有人敲门时,你会说 "It's me!« 或者 »Who is it?"
It's giving...(现代俚语)或者 There's literally no way...。这些都遵循同样的基础规则。即便俚语在变,it 和 there 依然坚挺。它们可是英语里的“常青树”。Real Conversations
Scenario 1: Texting a friend about a meeting
Sam
is it 5:00 了吗?我忘带表了。Alex
It's 4:55。Sam
Is there 车站附近有咖啡店吗?我饿了。Alex
there's 星巴克。Scenario 2: Talking about the weekend
Jordan
Casey
It was 太糟糕了。Jordan
Was it 太冷了吗?Casey
it was 其实挺热的,但是 there were 水母太多了。Jordan
There's 总是有点什么坑人的地方!Scenario 3: Checking into a hostel
Guest
Is there 这里有免费 WiFi 吗?Staff
there is。密码在桌子上。Guest
Is it 网速够看 Netflix 吗?Staff
It's 还行,但现在 there are 用的人挺多的。Common Mistakes
- 1漏掉主语:很多学习者会说
Is raining或Is hot today。记住:没有主语,就没有句子!一定要说It is raining。 - 2混用
It和There:别说It is a cat on the bed
。要用There is a cat on the bed。只有当你已经提到了那只猫,才用it(比如I see a cat. It is black
)。 - 3复数形式用
There's:在正式写作中,不要在复数前用There's。"There's three books" 在 WhatsApp 聊个天还可以,但在学校里你得用There are three books。 - 4混淆
It's和Its:It's的意思是It is。Its表示所属关系(比如the dog wagged its tail
)。如果你能用It is替换掉它,那就加个撇号! - 5用
There is描述天气:There is sunny是个经典错误。太阳不是你指着的一个物体,它是这一天的状态。要说It is sunny。
Quick FAQ
我可以用 it 来指人吗?
只有在确认身份的时候可以!比如 Who is it? "It's the delivery guy.« 你不会把 »It is a tall man" 当作一般的描述。
There's 和 There is 有什么区别?
There's 是缩写。在口语和非正式写作(比如 Instagram 配文)中更常用。
there 只能用于我看得见的东西吗?
不!它是为了表达存在。
There is a problem或者
There is a chance。你看不见“机会”,但它确实存在!
说天气总是需要 it 吗?
是的,通常需要。除非你用具体的名词当主语,比如
The sun is shining。但
It is sunny 才是标准说法。
为什么英语要这么搞?
因为英语对结构有种执念。把它想象成一个非常有条理的衣橱吧。每样东西都必须放在该放的地方,尤其是主语!
How to use 'It' and 'There'
| Topic | Correct Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Weather
|
It is + adj
|
It is sunny.
|
|
Time
|
It is + time
|
It is 10:00.
|
|
1 Thing
|
There is + noun
|
There is a car.
|
|
2+ Things
|
There are + nouns
|
There are two cars.
|
Common Contractions
| Full Form | Short Form | Usage |
|---|---|---|
|
It is
|
It's
|
Very common in speech
|
|
There is
|
There's
|
Very common in speech
|
|
It was
|
N/A
|
Rarely contracted
|
|
There are
|
There're
|
Informal speech only
|
|
It is not
|
It isn't / It's not
|
Both common
|
|
There is not
|
There isn't / There's not
|
Both common
|
Meanings
In English, we use 'It' and 'There' to start sentences when we talk about general things like the weather, time, or when something is present in a room.
1. Talking about Weather
Use 'It is' to describe what you see outside.
“It is raining.”
“It is very cold.”
2. Talking about Time
Use 'It is' to say the time or the day.
“It is 9 AM.”
“It is late.”
3. Saying something exists
Use 'There is' for one thing and 'There are' for two or more things.
“There is a dog in the park.”
“There are three books on the table.”
Reference Table
| 代词 | 作用 | 基本结构 | 例子 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
It
|
天气、时间、距离、一般情况的虚拟主语
|
It + is/isn't + 形容词/名词
|
It is cold. It is 3 PM.
|
|
There
|
引入某物或某人的存在
|
There + is/are + 名词/名词短语
|
There is a cat. There are books.
|
|
It
|
询问一般情况
|
Is + it + 形容词/名词?
|
Is it difficult?
|
|
There
|
询问是否存在
|
Is/Are + there + 名词/名词短语?
|
Is there coffee? Are there chairs?
|
|
It
|
否定句(天气/时间)
|
It + isn't + 形容词/名词
|
It isn't raining. It isn't late.
|
|
There
|
否定句(存在)
|
There + isn't/aren't + 名词/名词短语
|
There isn't a problem. There aren't any.
|
正式程度
There appears to be a significant issue. (Workplace)
There is a problem. (Workplace)
There's a problem. (Workplace)
There's a glitch in the system. (Workplace)
It vs. There: 你的句子开头
It
- 天气 It is sunny.
- 时间 It is 9 AM.
- 距离 It is far.
- 一般情况 It is interesting.
There
- 存在(单数) There is a cat.
- 存在(复数) There are two cats.
- 不可数名词 There is some water.
- 疑问句 Is there...?
It vs. There: 快速参考
如何选择 It 和 There
你想谈论天气、时间、距离,还是一般情况?
你想说某个东西存在或出现在某个地方吗?
It 和 There 用法地图
It is...
- • It is sunny.
- • It is 3 PM.
- • It is far away.
- • It is difficult.
There is...
- • There is a pen.
- • There is some water.
- • There is a problem.
- • There is one student.
There are...
- • There are many people.
- • There are two books.
- • There are no chairs.
- • There are questions.
按水平分级的例句
It is hot today.
Hace calor hoy.
There is a dog in the park.
Hay un perro en el parque.
It is 4 o'clock.
Son las 4.
There are two apples.
Hay dos manzanas.
It was very rainy yesterday.
Estuvo muy lluvioso ayer.
There weren't any people at the station.
No había nadie en la estación.
Is it far to the museum?
¿Está lejos el museo?
There is a lot of noise here.
Hay mucho ruido aquí.
It is difficult to learn English.
Es difícil aprender inglés.
There might be a storm later.
Podría haber una tormenta más tarde.
It seems that it's going to snow.
Parece que va a nevar.
There has been an accident on the road.
Ha habido un accidente en la carretera.
It was my brother who called you.
Fue mi hermano quien te llamó.
There appears to be a misunderstanding.
Parece haber un malentendido.
It is worth noting that the price has changed.
Vale la pena señalar que el precio ha cambiado.
There is no point in arguing.
No tiene sentido discutir.
It is widely believed that the economy will recover.
Se cree ampliamente que la economía se recuperará.
There remains a significant gap in the research.
Sigue habiendo una brecha significativa en la investigación.
It is of the utmost importance that we arrive on time.
Es de suma importancia que lleguemos a tiempo.
There is little to be gained from this approach.
Hay poco que ganar con este enfoque.
It is not so much that he failed, but that he didn't try.
No es tanto que fallara, sino que no lo intentó.
There exists a profound sense of unease among the populace.
Existe una profunda sensación de malestar entre la población.
Should there be any further delays, please notify us.
En caso de que haya más retrasos, por favor notifíquenos.
It behooves us to consider the long-term consequences.
Nos corresponde considerar las consecuencias a largo plazo.
容易混淆
Learners use 'This' for weather or 'It' to point at things.
They sound similar and both refer to groups.
Using 'It' to describe location.
常见错误
句型
It is ___ today.
There is a ___ in the ___.
There are ___ ___ on the ___.
Is there any ___ in the ___?
Real World Usage
Is there a hairdryer in the room?
It's freezing today, isn't it?
Are there any nuts in this dish?
There's a leak in the ceiling.
It's about ten minutes from here.
It's finally Friday!
Looking Outside
“It” 的妙用:天气、时间、距离、泛指
It is raining.“There” 的动词要跟好
There is two apples;要说
There are two apples!
多听母语人士怎么说
轻松开启日常聊天
Smart Tips
Start with 'There is/are' to list the objects and 'It is' to describe the time of day or weather.
Look for the 's' at the end of the word. If there is an 's', use 'There are'.
Use the same words in your answer: 'Yes, there is' or 'No, there isn't'.
Always use 'It's' + [distance] + 'to' + [place].
发音
Contraction of 'It is'
In natural speech, 'It is' almost always becomes 'It's'. The 's' sounds like /s/.
Contraction of 'There is'
In natural speech, 'There is' becomes 'There's'. The 's' sounds like /z/.
Existence Questions
Is there a ↗️ dog?
Rising intonation at the end of 'Is there' questions.
记住它
记忆技巧
IT is for the Atmosphere (Weather/Time); THERE is for what is HERE (Existence).
视觉联想
Imagine 'It' as a giant cloud covering the whole scene (weather/time) and 'There' as a finger pointing at a specific object on a table.
Rhyme
When the sky is gray or the clock says ten, use 'It' to start your sentence then. If a cat is sitting on a chair, start your sentence with a 'There'.
Story
A traveler wakes up. He looks out the window: 'It is early' and 'It is foggy.' He looks at his bag: 'There is my passport' and 'There are my keys.'
Word Web
挑战
Look around your room. Say 3 sentences starting with 'There is/are' about objects you see, and 3 sentences starting with 'It is' about the time and weather.
文化笔记
Talking about the weather using 'It is...' is a very common social 'icebreaker' in English-speaking cultures. It is considered polite and neutral.
In informal texting, 'There's' is often used even for plural nouns (e.g., 'There's two cars'), though this is technically incorrect in formal writing.
In formal essays, avoid 'It's' and 'There's'. Always use the full 'It is' and 'There is'.
The use of 'It' and 'There' as dummy subjects dates back to Old English.
对话开场白
What is the weather like today?
Is there a good restaurant near your house?
How many people are there in your family?
Is it far from your home to your school?
日记主题
常见错误
Mistake #1: Skipping the subject
Is raining.
It is raining.
In English, every sentence needs a subject. We use "It" as a helper.
Mistake #2: Is vs Are
There is many people.
There are many people.
Use "is" for 1 thing. Use "are" for 2 or more things.
Mistake #3: Using "Have" for existence
In the room has a chair.
There is a chair in the room.
Don't use "have" to say something is in a place. Use "There is".
Test Yourself
___ is raining outside.
Find and fix the mistake:
There is two students in the classroom.
选择正确的句子:
翻译成英语:'Hay un libro en la mesa.'
Answer starts with: ["T...
Score: /4
练习题
8 exercises___ is a new student in our class.
There ___ many trees in the park.
Find and fix the mistake:
Is very cold today.
milk / is / fridge / there / the / in / some
1. Time, 2. Existence, 3. Weather
___ any water in the bottle.
___ is 10 miles to the next city.
___ any cookies left?
Score: /8
Practice Bank
12 exercises___ is very cold in winter here.
Is many cars in the parking lot.
哪个句子是正确的?
翻译成英语:'Es la una de la tarde.'
把这些词排列成一个句子:
匹配句子成分:
___ are many stars in the sky tonight.
It is a lot of noise outside.
哪个句子是正确的?
翻译成英语:'¿Hay un gimnasio cerca de aquí?'
把这些词排列成一个句子:
将情境与 'It' 或 'There' 匹配:
Score: /12
常见问题 (8)
No. Weather always uses `It`. You should say `It is raining`.
Use `There are` when the noun that follows is plural (e.g., `There are two dogs`). Use `There is` for singular nouns or things you can't count.
In very informal speaking, people often say `There's many people`. However, in writing and exams, you must use `There are` for plural nouns.
It is a word like `It` or `There` that doesn't have a real meaning but is needed to make the sentence grammatically correct.
Just swap the words: `Is there...?` For example, `Is there a bathroom here?`.
Yes, but only to identify them when you can't see them or are introducing them, like on the phone: `It's me, John`.
`It is` is for general states or weather. `This is` is for pointing at a specific object near you.
Yes, because 'money' is an uncountable noun in English. Say `There is some money on the table`.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Hay / Hace / Es
English must have a subject; Spanish often does not.
Il y a / Il fait
French 'Il y a' is invariable; English 'There is/are' changes.
Es gibt / Es ist
German uses 'gives' (gibt) while English uses 'be' (is/are).
Arimasu / Imasu / Desu
Japanese focuses on animacy; English focuses on number.
Hunaka / Innahu
Arabic does not use a dummy 'It' for weather.
Yǒu / Tiānqì
Chinese uses 'Have' for existence; English uses 'Be'.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Continue With
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English grammar tutorial - Word order - Gramática inglesa
Your English Web: Weekly English video lessons
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