Commenting on an action, activity, or experience

using link verbs 10.39 A common way of commenting on what you are doing or experiencing is to use 'it' followed by a link verb and a complement. After the complement you use a present participle or a 'to'-infinitive clause.

It's fun working for him.

It was difficult trying to talk to her.

It's nice to see you with your books for a change.

It will be a stimulating experience to see Mrs Oliver.

lf you want to mention the person who performs the action or has the experience, you use a prepositional phrase beginning with 'for' and a 'to'-infinitive clause after the complement.

It becomes hard for a child to develop a sense of identity.

You can also use the structure with a 'to'-infinitive clause when you are recommending a course of action or saying that something is necessary.

It's important to know your own limitations.

It's a good idea to have a little notebook handy.

It is necessary to examine this claim before we proceed any further.

using other verbs 10.40 Similar structures can be used with verbs other than link verbs.

If you want to say what effect an experience has on someone, you can use 'it' with a verb such as 'please', 'surprise', or 'shock', followed by a noun group and a 'to'-infinitive clause. For a list of these verbs, see paragraph 10.44.

It always pleased him to think of his father.

It surprised him to realize that he hadn't thought about them until now.

It interests him to hear what you've been buying.

You can use 'it' with 'take' and a 'to'-infinitive clause to indicate what is used in a particular action or activity, or is needed for it, for example the amount of time or the type of person that is needed.

It takes an hour to get to Idlewild.

It takes an exceptional parent to cope with a child like that.

It took many wounds to kill them.

If there is also an indirect object, this can be placed immediately after the verb.

It look the a year to save up for a new hat.

If the indirect object is expressed by a prepositional phrase, usually beginning with 'for', it is placed after the direct object.

It took some time for him to realize what was required.

It takes a lot more guts for a woman to resign than for a man.

'Cost' can be used in similar structures when taking about the amount of something, usually money, that is used in an activity.

It costs about £150 a week to keep someone in prison.

With 'find' and 'think', you can use 'it' as the object, followed by an object complement and either a 'to'-infinitive clause or a 'that'-clause.

He found it hard to make friends.

He thought it right to resign immediately.

10.41 If you want to focus on a non-finite clause, you can use this clause as the subject of the main clause, instead of 'it'. For example, instead of saying 'It's fun working for him' you can say 'Working for him is fun'.

Measuring the water correctly is most important.

In formal English, 'to'-infinitive clauses are sometimes used.

To lose a son in the games was as honourable as losing him on a foreign battlefield.

Commenting on a fact that you are about to mention

10.42 When you want to comment on a fact, event, or situation, you can use 'it' followed by a link verb, a complement, and a 'that'-clause giving the fact.

It is strange that it hasn't been noticed before.

It's a shame he didn't come.

From the photographs it seems clear my mother was no beauty.

Here is a list of adjectives used in complements in this structure:

amazing apparent appropriate awful bad clear doubtful

essential evident extraordinary fair funny good important

inevitable interesting likely lucky natural obvious odd

plain possible probable queer sad strange surprising

true unlikely wonderful

Here is a list of nouns used in complements in this structure:

disgrace marvel

nuisance pity

shame surprise

wonder

USAGE NOTE 10.43 After adjectives like 'funny', 'odd', and 'strange', a clause beginning with 'how' is sometimes used instead of a 'that'-clause, with the same meaning.

It's funny how they don't get on.

It is really wonderful how the time has gone.

It's queer how you dig things up.

'What'-clauses can be used after similar adjectives when you want to comment on something that is the object of an action.

It's surprising what you can dig up.

It's amazing what some of them would do for a little publicity.

'Wh'-clauses can be used after adjectives such as 'obvious' and 'clear' when you want to comment on how clear the reason to something is.

Looking back on these cases, it is clear why the unions distrust the law.

'Whether'-clauses can be used after adjectives such as 'doubtful' and 'irrelevant' when you want to comment on something that may or may not be true.

It is doubtful whether supply could ever have kept up with consumption.

other verbs 10.44 If you want to say what someone thinks about a fact, you can use 'it' followed by a verb such as 'please' or 'surprise'. The verb is followed by a noun group and a 'that'-clause.

It won't surprise you that I stuck it in my pocket.

It grieved her that Ashok could not sleep there.

Here is a list of verbs that can be used in this way:

amaze amuse annoy appal

astonish astound bewilder bother

delight disgust distress grieve

horrify interest please shock

surprise upset worry

passives of reporting verbs 10.45 If you want to say what is said, thought, or discovered by a group of people, you can use 'it' as the subject of the passive form of a reporting verb, followed by a 'that'-clause.

It was agreed that the transaction should be kept secret.

It was felt that there had been some duplication of effort.

It was found that no cases of hypothermia had been recorded.

For a list of verbs that can be used in this way, see paragraph 7.65.