A1 Sentence Structure 4 min read 简单

使用 'It' 和 'There'(时间、天气和存在)

用好 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.'
☁️/⏰ It + is + [Adjective/Time] | 📍 There + is/are + [Noun]

Overview

你有没有过这种经历:望向窗外,看到正在下雨,然后纳闷用英语该怎么说?你可能想说 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 itthere 就登场啦。它们通常被称为“形式主语(xíng shì zhǔ yǔ)”或“虚位主语(xū wèi zhǔ yǔ)”。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

英语对词序的要求非常严格,遵循“主语(zhǔ yǔ)-谓语(wèi yǔ)-宾语(bīn yǔ)”(SVO)模式。当我们使用 itthere 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]。
注意,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(mò xī gē tǎ kě),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'sThere 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)。
如果你把它们搞混了,你可能会说
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

1
写出这些句子就像在 App 上点咖啡一样简单。只需要跟着这些步骤走:
2
选择你的“虚位词”:表达天气/时间/距离用 it;表达存在用 there
3
选择正确的 to be 动词形式:通常是 isare
4
加入“信息”:形容词 (cold)、时间 (noon) 或者名词 (a party)。
5
检查是否为复数:如果用 there,确保用 are 来匹配多个项目。
6
(可选)变为否定句:在动词后面加 not (It is not raining)。
7
(可选)变为疑问句:交换前两个词的位置 (Is it raining? Is there a park?)。
8
这就像搭乐高。一旦有了底座,你就可以更换零件,想说什么就说什么。

Pattern Variations

我们并不总是用现在时。有时候你需要聊聊昨天那场冒雨的徒步,或者明天的派对。
  • 过去时It was cold. There was a mistake. There were many people.
  • 否定式It isn't (It's not) early. There aren't any cookies left. (难过脸)。
  • 疑问式Is it far? Are there any seats in the cinema?
  • 距离It is 10 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?"
在社交媒体的配文里,你会看到很多 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,itthere 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

S

Sam

嘿,is it 5:00 了吗?我忘带表了。
A

Alex

快了。It's 4:55。
S

Sam

Is there 车站附近有咖啡店吗?我饿了。
A

Alex

有啊,外面就有一家 there's 星巴克。

Scenario 2: Talking about the weekend

J

Jordan

海滩怎么样?
C

Casey

说实话?It was 太糟糕了。
J

Jordan

怎么了?Was it 太冷了吗?
C

Casey

不,it was 其实挺热的,但是 there were 水母太多了。
J

Jordan

哎呀。那个海滩 There's 总是有点什么坑人的地方!

Scenario 3: Checking into a hostel

G

Guest

Is there 这里有免费 WiFi 吗?
S

Staff

有的,there is。密码在桌子上。
G

Guest

太好了。Is it 网速够看 Netflix 吗?
S

Staff

It's 还行,但现在 there are 用的人挺多的。

Common Mistakes

  1. 1漏掉主语:很多学习者会说 Is rainingIs hot today。记住:没有主语,就没有句子!一定要说 It is raining
  2. 2混用 ItThere: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. 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. 4混淆 It'sItsIt's 的意思是 It isIts 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. 5There 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

Q

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。

Q

There'sThere 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。

Q

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!

Q

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。

Q

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

1. Talking about Weather

Use 'It is' to describe what you see outside.

“It is raining.”

“It is very cold.”

2

2. Talking about Time

Use 'It is' to say the time or the day.

“It is 9 AM.”

“It is late.”

3

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

Reference table for 使用 'It' 和 'There'(时间、天气和存在)
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

正式
There appears to be a significant issue.

There appears to be a significant issue. (Workplace)

中性
There is a problem.

There is a problem. (Workplace)

非正式
There's a problem.

There's a problem. (Workplace)

俚语
There's a glitch in the system.

There's a glitch in the system. (Workplace)

It vs. There: 你的句子开头

虚拟主语

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

“It” 的用法...
天气 It's cold.
时间 It's 6 o'clock.
距离 It's 5 miles.
一般性陈述 It's important.
“There” 的用法...
存在(单数) There is a book.
存在(复数) There are books.
不可数名词 There is milk.
询问存在 Is there a problem?

如何选择 It 和 There

1

你想谈论天气、时间、距离,还是一般情况?

YES
使用 'It' (例如:"It is rainy.")
NO
进入下一步。
2

你想说某个东西存在或出现在某个地方吗?

YES
使用 'There' (例如:"There is a park.")
NO
考虑使用具体主语或其它句式结构。

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

1

It is hot today.

Hace calor hoy.

2

There is a dog in the park.

Hay un perro en el parque.

3

It is 4 o'clock.

Son las 4.

4

There are two apples.

Hay dos manzanas.

1

It was very rainy yesterday.

Estuvo muy lluvioso ayer.

2

There weren't any people at the station.

No había nadie en la estación.

3

Is it far to the museum?

¿Está lejos el museo?

4

There is a lot of noise here.

Hay mucho ruido aquí.

1

It is difficult to learn English.

Es difícil aprender inglés.

2

There might be a storm later.

Podría haber una tormenta más tarde.

3

It seems that it's going to snow.

Parece que va a nevar.

4

There has been an accident on the road.

Ha habido un accidente en la carretera.

1

It was my brother who called you.

Fue mi hermano quien te llamó.

2

There appears to be a misunderstanding.

Parece haber un malentendido.

3

It is worth noting that the price has changed.

Vale la pena señalar que el precio ha cambiado.

4

There is no point in arguing.

No tiene sentido discutir.

1

It is widely believed that the economy will recover.

Se cree ampliamente que la economía se recuperará.

2

There remains a significant gap in the research.

Sigue habiendo una brecha significativa en la investigación.

3

It is of the utmost importance that we arrive on time.

Es de suma importancia que lleguemos a tiempo.

4

There is little to be gained from this approach.

Hay poco que ganar con este enfoque.

1

It is not so much that he failed, but that he didn't try.

No es tanto que fallara, sino que no lo intentó.

2

There exists a profound sense of unease among the populace.

Existe una profunda sensación de malestar entre la población.

3

Should there be any further delays, please notify us.

En caso de que haya más retrasos, por favor notifíquenos.

4

It behooves us to consider the long-term consequences.

Nos corresponde considerar las consecuencias a largo plazo.

容易混淆

Using 'It' and 'There' (Time, Weather, & Existence) 对比 It vs. This

Learners use 'This' for weather or 'It' to point at things.

Using 'It' and 'There' (Time, Weather, & Existence) 对比 There vs. They

They sound similar and both refer to groups.

Using 'It' and 'There' (Time, Weather, & Existence) 对比 It vs. There for existence

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

Checking into a hotel very common

Is there a hairdryer in the room?

Small talk at a bus stop constant

It's freezing today, isn't it?

Ordering food common

Are there any nuts in this dish?

Reporting a problem occasional

There's a leak in the ceiling.

Giving directions common

It's about ten minutes from here.

Social Media very common

It's finally Friday!

Looking Outside

A
A
Good morning! Is it sunny today?
B
B
No, it is very cloudy.
A
A
Oh no. Is there any rain?
B
B
Yes, it is raining a little bit.
A
A
What time is it?
B
B
It is 8:30. Why?
A
A
There is a bus at 8:45. I need to run!
B
B
Wait! There is an umbrella near the door.
A
A
Thank you! You are right, there it is.
B
B
Have a good day!
💡

“It” 的妙用:天气、时间、距离、泛指

如果你想聊天气、报时间、说距离有多远,或者表达一个笼统的感觉,“it” 就是你的好帮手。把它想成是抽象概念的默认主语,比如:It is raining.
⚠️

“There” 的动词要跟好

用 “there is” 或 “there are” 时,动词(is 或 are)一定要和它后面的名词数量一致。不要说
There is two apples
;要说
There are two apples
🎯

多听母语人士怎么说

多留意英语母语者在电影、播客或日常对话中如何使用 “it” 和 “there”。你会慢慢地掌握它们的规律,知道什么听起来才自然,比如:"It's cold, isn't it?"
🌍

轻松开启日常聊天

在英语国家,聊天气("It's cold, isn't it?«)和询问有没有什么东西(»Is there a good coffee shop nearby?")是非常常见的聊天话题。掌握它们,让你的交流更顺畅!

Smart Tips

Start with 'There is/are' to list the objects and 'It is' to describe the time of day or weather.

A sun is in the sky. A tree is here. It is sunny. There is a tree.

Look for the 's' at the end of the word. If there is an 's', use 'There are'.

There is three cars. There are three cars.

Use the same words in your answer: 'Yes, there is' or 'No, there isn't'.

Yes, it is. Yes, there is.

Always use 'It's' + [distance] + 'to' + [place].

There is 5km to the city. It is 5km to the city.

发音

/ɪts/

Contraction of 'It is'

In natural speech, 'It is' almost always becomes 'It's'. The 's' sounds like /s/.

/ðɛərz/

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

It'sThere'sWeatherExistencePlaceholderSubjectAgreement

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

Describe your bedroom. What objects are in it?
Write about the weather in your city during the four seasons.
Describe a busy street in your town.
Imagine you are at a party. Describe the scene.

常见错误

Mistake #1: Skipping the subject

Incorrect

Is raining.

正确

It is raining.

In English, every sentence needs a subject. We use "It" as a helper.


Mistake #2: Is vs Are

Incorrect

There is many people.

正确

There are many people.

Use "is" for 1 thing. Use "are" for 2 or more things.


Mistake #3: Using "Have" for existence

Incorrect

In the room has a chair.

正确

There is a chair in the room.

Don't use "have" to say something is in a place. Use "There is".

Test Yourself

选择正确的 “it” 或 “there” 形式。

___ is raining outside.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: It
'It' 用于表达天气状况,如 'raining'。
找出并改正错误。 Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

There is two students in the classroom.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: There are two students in the classroom.
动词 'are' 必须与复数名词 'students' 一致。
哪个句子是正确的? 多项选择

选择正确的句子:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: It is 5 PM.
'It' 用于谈论时间。
输入正确的英语句子 翻译

翻译成英语:'Hay un libro en la mesa.'

Answer starts with: ["T...

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ["There is a book on the table.","There's a book on the table."]
要表达一个单一物品的存在,使用 'There is'。

Score: /4

练习题

8 exercises
Fill in the blank with 'It' or 'There'.

___ is a new student in our class.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: There
We use 'There' to introduce the existence of a person.
Choose the correct verb form. 多项选择

There ___ many trees in the park.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: are
'Many trees' is plural, so we must use 'are'.
Correct the mistake in the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Is very cold today.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: It is very cold today.
Weather sentences need the subject 'It'.
Put the words in the correct order. Sentence Building

milk / is / fridge / there / the / in / some

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: There is some milk in the fridge.
The standard order is There + is + noun + location.
Match the situation to the correct start. Match Pairs

1. Time, 2. Existence, 3. Weather

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 1-It, 2-There, 3-It
Time and Weather use 'It'; Existence uses 'There'.
Choose the correct negative form. 多项选择

___ any water in the bottle.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: There isn't
'Water' is uncountable, so use singular 'isn't'.
Fill in the blank.

___ is 10 miles to the next city.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: It
We use 'It' for distance.
Choose the correct question form. 多项选择

___ any cookies left?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Are there
'Cookies' is plural, so use 'Are there'.

Score: /8

Practice Bank

12 exercises
选择正确的词来完成句子。 填空

___ is very cold in winter here.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: It
找出并改正句子中的错误。 Error Correction

Is many cars in the parking lot.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: There are many cars in the parking lot.
选择语法正确的句子。 多项选择

哪个句子是正确的?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: It is difficult to learn a new language.
将句子翻译成英语。 翻译

翻译成英语:'Es la una de la tarde.'

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ["It is one o'clock in the afternoon.","It's one o'clock in the afternoon."]
将单词按正确顺序排列,组成一个句子。 Sentence Reorder

把这些词排列成一个句子:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: There is a problem
将句子的开头与正确的结尾匹配起来。 Match Pairs

匹配句子成分:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: matched
用 'It' 或 'There' 完成句子。 填空

___ are many stars in the sky tonight.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: There
找出并改正语法错误。 Error Correction

It is a lot of noise outside.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: There is a lot of noise outside.
选择正确使用 'it' 或 'there' 的句子。 多项选择

哪个句子是正确的?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: It's 10 kilometers to the beach.
将句子翻译成英语。 翻译

翻译成英语:'¿Hay un gimnasio cerca de aquí?'

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ["Is there a gym near here?","Is there a gym close by?"]
将单词打乱重新排列,组成一个语法正确的句子。 Sentence Reorder

把这些词排列成一个句子:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: It is important to practice
将情境与正确的引导词匹配起来。 Match Pairs

将情境与 'It' 或 'There' 匹配:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: matched

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

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

In Other Languages

Spanish low

Hay / Hace / Es

English must have a subject; Spanish often does not.

French moderate

Il y a / Il fait

French 'Il y a' is invariable; English 'There is/are' changes.

German high

Es gibt / Es ist

German uses 'gives' (gibt) while English uses 'be' (is/are).

Japanese low

Arimasu / Imasu / Desu

Japanese focuses on animacy; English focuses on number.

Arabic partial

Hunaka / Innahu

Arabic does not use a dummy 'It' for weather.

Chinese low

Yǒu / Tiānqì

Chinese uses 'Have' for existence; English uses 'Be'.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

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