小“it”，大用法

龔磊　陳慈明

在我們英語學(xué)習(xí)與考試當(dāng)中，經(jīng)常會(huì)遇到包含it的句子及短語，不了解相應(yīng)的用法會(huì)導(dǎo)致理解錯(cuò)誤并最終出現(xiàn)失分的嚴(yán)重后果。那么這個(gè)小小的it都有哪些用法呢？筆者在此結(jié)合高考題為同學(xué)們做了一個(gè)歸納。

一、it作非人稱代詞，可以指代天氣、距離、日期、時(shí)間、環(huán)境等

It is raining. （天氣） It is Tuesday today. （日期）

It is quiet here. （環(huán)境）

It is two miles to the beach. （距離）

該用法在高考聽力對(duì)話當(dāng)中出現(xiàn)頻繁，如2015年全國卷第二題：

2. What does the woman think of the weather？

A. Its nice B. Its warm C. Its cold

M： Nice weather were having， dont you think？

W： No. It is too cold.

M： I think it is just right.

W： Id prefer it a few degrees warmer.

對(duì)話中的it指代的是天氣。

二、it作人稱代詞，指剛提到的物或事，也可以指動(dòng)物或嬰兒（未知性別的嬰兒），或者未知的人

1. I bought a pen three days ago， but I cant find it anywhere. （物）

2. His son entered college. It made him very glad. （事）

3. The baby is crying， for its hungry. （嬰兒）

4. —Who is knocking at the door？

—It must be my brother. （未知的人）

在高考試卷中，該用法普遍見于閱讀理解、完形填空、語法填空、短文改錯(cuò)等題型。如：

You cannot choose what you are given，but you can choose how you make use of it. （2012年湖北卷作文題）

句中it指代what you are given。如不能理解it指代的是什么，會(huì)直接影響審題的準(zhǔn)確性，甚至?xí)霈F(xiàn)偏題的嚴(yán)重后果。

再看一道閱讀理解猜詞題：

例1 （2015年高考浙江卷·閱讀理解C） If humans were truly at home under the light of the moon and stars， we would go in darkness happily， the midnight world as visible to us as it is to the vast number of nocturnal （夜間活動(dòng)的） species on this planet. Instead，we are diurnal creatures， with eyes adapted to living in the suns light. This is a basic evolutionary fact， even though most of us dont think of ourselves as diurnal beings. Yet its the only way to explain what weve done to the night： Weve engineered it to receive us by filling it with light.

51. What does “it” （Paragraph 1） most probably refer to？

A. The night. B. The moon

C. The sky D. The planet

解析 A。根據(jù)文中倒數(shù)第二句Yet its the only way to explain what weve done to the night可知最后一句中的it指代前文中的the night。

三、it作形式主語，指代v-ing、不定式以及主語從句

1. 指代不定式

①it +be+adj./n. for/of sb. to do sth.

It is never too old to learn.

It is easy to open a shop but hard to keep it always open.

②it takes sb. sometime to do sth.

It took me five fays to finish the tough task.

③it takes sth. to do sth. 做某事需要某物

It takes three generations to make a gentleman.

2. 指代v-ing

①It+be+fun/a waste of time/ no good/no use/useless doing sth.

Its no use crying over split milk.

3. 指代主語從句

①it+be+形容詞（natural/strange/important/clear ...）+that從句

Its natural that they should have different views.

②it+be+過去分詞+that從句

Its said that the professor has performed the experiment.

It was suggested that they （should） start at once.

③it+be+名詞/名詞詞組（a pity/a shame/a fact/no wonder ...）+that從句

It is no wonder that he looks so sleepy， he stayed up too late last night.

④it strikes/hits/occurs to sb. that 某人突然想起……

It suddenly occurred that he had an important conference to attend the next morning.

此外，還有不少用it做形式主語指代主語從句的固定句式結(jié)構(gòu)還有：

It seems/appears that he has known everything.

How did it come about that the dairy products were harmful to children？

接下來讓我們看一道高考完形填空的片段：

例2 （2013年高考遼寧卷） 2 she loved her parents and her family， she desired to live in such a house and 3 all day about how wonderful and exciting 4 must feel to live there.

2. A. unless B. Although

C. Since D. But

3. A. dreamed B. worried

C. asked D. shouted

4. A. this B. that

C. it D. which

解析 4.D。根據(jù)文章內(nèi)容，第4空所在句子意思為：小女孩幻想生活在那樣的房子里會(huì)是多么的美好和興奮。it是介詞about之后的賓語從句中的形式主語，真正的主語是to live there。

四、it作形式賓語，指代v-ing、不定式以及各種賓語從句

①He found to learn English not easy.

=He found it not easy to learn English.

②Jim makes to get up early a rule.

=He makes it a rule to get up early.

以下是一些it做形式賓語指代賓語從句的固定句式結(jié)構(gòu)：

I took it for granted that you would be coming.

He hasnt made it clear when he is coming back.

I hate it when they talk with their mouths full of food.

Please see to it that the door is closed.

請(qǐng)同學(xué)們看下面一道單選題：

例3 （2015年高考浙江卷）How would you like if you were watching your favorite TV program and someone came into the room and just shut it off without asking you？

A. them B. one C. those D. it

解析 D。分析句子結(jié)構(gòu)可知，if引導(dǎo)的賓語從句是本句真正的賓語，空格處應(yīng)該是形式賓語，只有it可充當(dāng)形式賓語，故答案選D。

在短文改錯(cuò)當(dāng)中，出題人經(jīng)常會(huì)利用同學(xué)們對(duì)it的用法的掌握不全面、不透徹，去掉it或用其他詞語代替以擾亂判斷。我們看幾個(gè)從短文改錯(cuò)選出的單句，同學(xué)們可以看出句中的錯(cuò)誤出在哪里嗎？

1. You wont find difficult to get to the city center. （find后加it）

2. I know there is not easy to be a teacher. （there→it）

3. This is not surprising that the Silver Ghost was regarded as “the best car in the world”. （This→It）

4. As is known to all my classmates that I can speak English as if I were a native speaker. （As→It）

5. A disabled person who wants to go shopping in this city will find difficult to do so. （find后加it）

6. I have to warn you that would take quite a while to force managers to replace the old machine. （that后加it）

五、用于固定短語搭配

英語中，有不少與it有關(guān)的固定短語，如：

as it is 事實(shí)上；照原樣

put it （to sb.） that ... 向某人清楚地表明……

as it were 可以說，好比是……

（it/that） all depends 視情況而定

its up to sb. 取決于某人

take it easy 放輕松

make it 成功，趕上

believe it or not 信不信由你

to put it briefly 簡(jiǎn)言之

so it is with sb.=it is the same with sb. 某人也是如此

when it comes to ... 當(dāng)談到……

請(qǐng)同學(xué)們看以下這篇短文：

Believe it or not， my deskmate has been suffering from sleeplessness recently. Gaokao approaching， he is so worried that I often comfort him， “Its never too old to learn， just take it easy. Having studied hard for so long， you will make it eventually.”

To put it briefly， he is indeed anxious and exhausted. What can I do to help him？

書面表達(dá)時(shí)適當(dāng)將包含it的短語與長(zhǎng)句子搭配使用，可以使文章顯得層次分明。此外，在語法填空、短文改錯(cuò)當(dāng)中，也經(jīng)常能夠見到針對(duì)這類短語設(shè)置的題目。如：

例4 I was 54 because of the invitation from someone who barely knew me. So I 55 an excuse to avoid. Regina 56 her head. “Darling， Im a very straightforward person. I invited you， so I 57 it.”

54. A. happy B. desperate

C. ashamed D. shocked

55. A. depended on B. paid for

C. looked for D. got to

56. A. raised B. held

C. used D. shook

57. A. make B. mean

C. accept D. claim

解析 57. B。其中，第57題考查mean it這一短語的用法。有相當(dāng)多同學(xué)因?yàn)椴恢續(xù)ean it表示”當(dāng)真的”這一含義丟分。

六、用于特殊句式結(jié)構(gòu)

另外，英語中還有包含it的特殊句式，現(xiàn)歸納如下：

①it is （was/has been） +時(shí)間+since ... 自從……以來已經(jīng)有多長(zhǎng)時(shí)間了

It was three days since he had fallen ill.

②it is （high/about） time that ... 是做……的時(shí)候了

It is high time that I gave/should give you some advice.

③It is/was+the first/second ... time+that… 是某人第……次做某事

It was the second time that he had been nominated but gone home empty-handed.

④It was/took/will be/take+時(shí)間+before ... 過了（要過）……之后才……

It will not be long before we see each other again.

⑤it is/was+具體時(shí)間+when ... 某事發(fā)生時(shí)，時(shí)間是……

It was 10 oclock sharp when they arrived at the village.

⑥it is/was+被強(qiáng)調(diào)部分+that/who ... 正是/就是/是……

It is your efforts， not your intelligence that determine your success.

it is/was not until +被強(qiáng)調(diào)部分+that ... 正是直到……時(shí)才……

It was not until he removed his sun glasses that I recognized him.