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小小 It 用法多 

毛里林

文源：《教学考试》 

 

从外表上来看，英语中的“it”是一个很小而且十分简单的词。然而，说到其被使用的频率，it却是一个高频词，活跃于英语书籍报刊文中的字里行间。It貌似小而简单, 但是其用法却神通广大。笔者拟在本文中对it的用法进行一番梳理归类，希望能对广大读者有所帮助。

1. it表示时间等

it用作“虚意”主语，本身没有具体的意义，常常出现于表示气候、天气、温度、时间、距离、地点、金钱等意义的句子里。例如：

When winter comes，it gets colder and colder in Northern China. 当冬天来临的时候，中国北方的天气变得越来越冷。(句中it表示天气)

It seemed quite a long time before my turn came. 似乎经历了好长一段时间才轮到我。(句中it表示时间概念)

It is an 8-minute walk to the nearest mall from our company. 从我们公司到最近的商场是8分钟的步行距离。(句中it指代距离)

2.it 充当形式主语

在it充当形式主语的句式里，it所处的位置在先(被称之为“先行”)，其后才出现正真的主语。真正的主语常常以动词不定式结构，-ing分词结构和名词性从句等形式出现。例如：

It is not wise for parents to give their children whatever they want. 父母让自己的孩子为所欲为的作法是不明智的。(it替代句中不定式部分：to give their children whatever they want)

It was pleasant meeting you and your girlfriend in Paris last month. 上月，在巴黎遇见你和你的女友令人愉快。(it替代句中-ing分词部分：meeting you and your girlfriend)

It is said that Professor Wang has come back from West Africa. 据说王教授已经从西非回来了。 (it替代句中名词性从句：that Professor Wang has come back from West Africa)

3.it 充当形式宾语

与it充当形式主语一样， it充当形式宾语时也是先行，其后才出现正真的宾语。真正的宾语也常以动词不定式结构、-ing分词结构、名词性从句等形式出现。例如：

The newly-developed medicine makes it possible to treat the terrible disease: Ebola. 这种新研发的药物使得治疗可怕的疾病埃博拉成为可能。(it替代句中不定式部分：to treat the terrible disease: Ebola)

Our English teacher thinks it no good learning Grammar without practicing it. 我们的英语老师认为只学语法不练是没用的(句中的第一个it替代句中-ing分词部分：learning Grammar without practicing it)

The newly-elected president made it clear that he wanted his country to strengthen cultural exchanges with all the neighboring countries. 新当选的总统明确表示，他希望和所有的邻国加强文化交流 (it替代句中名词性从句：that he wanted his country to strengthen cultural exchanges with all the neighboring countries.)

3. it 作实意代词

it作有实际意义的代词，可以指代下列情况：前文中提及的事物或内容；性别不明的小孩或者未知的人；未指明但谈话人都知道的那件事等。例如：

Yesterday the lady living next to me gave a birth to a baby and it was pretty lovely. 昨天住隔壁的那位女士生了一个婴儿；小宝宝真可爱。( it指代句中性别不明的小孩：baby)

While his mother keeps telling him not to waste much time in playing computer games, it doesn’t work. 虽然他的妈妈总是告诉他不要浪费太多时间玩电脑游戏，但是这不起作用。( it指代句中前文提及的事情：his mother keeps telling him not to waste much time in playing computer games)

The doctor has gave me a second life. Never shall I forget it.(it指代句中未指明但谈话双方都知道的那件事：The doctor has gave me a second life)

4. it 用于强调结构

it用在强调句式里，其通常的结构是：It+ be+ 被强调的部分+that/who…。It在这一结构里起引导词的作用，被强调的部分可以是主语、宾语、状语等成分。例如：

Was it because Jack came late for work that the boss got angry? 是不是就是因为杰克上班迟到的原因，老板生气了呢？(句中被强调的是状语：because Jack came late for work)

It was his father that/who helped you much last year. 就是他的父亲去年给予你很多的帮助。(句中被强调的是主语：his father)

It is this novel that I take a great interest in；that is why I have read it for forty times. 我对这部小说万分感兴趣。这就是我为什么已经多次读过这部小说的原因。(句中被强调的是宾语：this novel) 

5. it与表示爱憎之类动词连用

it与表示爱憎、喜好等情感色彩的动词连用，构成一种特别的结构。能用于此结构的动词有appreciate, dislike，enjoy，hate, like, love, prefer。此外，动词短语depend on, rely on, see to等也适合于这一结构。此结构的表现形式为：sb + verb/ + it + if/when…和sb + verb phrase + it + that…。it用来指代从句里所提及的事情。例如：

I would appreciate it if you can help me look after my grandma when I am not at home.如果在我外出时你能帮我照顾我的奶奶的话, 我将不胜感激，(it指代if从句里所提及的事情：you can help me look after my grandma)

The little girl dislikes it when her mother scolds her in public. 这位小女孩不喜欢她妈妈在大庭广众之下责备她。(it指代when从句里所提及的事情：her mother scolds her in public)

You may depend on it that your father will help you with your French. 你放心，你爸会帮助你学习法语的。(it指代that从句里所提及的事情：your father will help you with your French)

6. it用在if和when引导的结构里

在if/when引导的结构里，it没有实际上的意义。此类结构的表现形式一般是：when it comes to…，if it comes to that 和if it is + 形容词。例如：

When it comes to the Chinese culture including classical Chinese nobody knows more than Guy S. Alitto in the United States. 说起包括古汉语在内的中国文化，在美国没有人能胜过艾恺。

I don’t really trust him — nor his wife, if it comes to that. 我不太信任他 — 说起信任，我也不信任他的妻子。

If it is convenient to you, I want to ask you to help me repair the roof of the kitchen next weekend. 如果你方便的话，我想让你下周末帮我修一修厨房的屋顶。

7. it用在that/this is和think sb. is句式里

That is it, This is it 和Think you are it都是习惯用语。That is it翻译成“这/那是要点”或者“这/那是重要原因”。 This is it表示(期待的事情)就要发生了。Think you are it意为“自以为了不起”。例如：

That’s just it — I can not focus on my study when you are smoking so heavily here. 原因就是这样 — 你在这里一口接一口地猛吸烟，我没法专心学习。

Well，this is it！Wish us good luck! 好的，要来的已经来啦！祝我们走运吧！

Just because he is much more better at mathematics than me, he really thinks he is it. 就因为他数学比我强得多，他自以为了不起。

8. 动宾结构中的it

make it 是包含it动宾结构的典型习语。无论在口语中，还是在书面语言里，make it都十分流行有用。make it主要涉及以下用法：表示事业获得成功；表示做成某事；表示设法做到某事等。例如：

You will make it to the Olympic Games some day if you keep playing table tennis. 如果你坚持不断地练乒乓球，总有一天你可以参加奥运会比赛。(表示事业获得成功)

I thought she would be too old to get to the top of the mountain, but she made it at last. 我原以为她年纪大爬不到山顶，但最后她还是爬上去了。(表示做成某事)

I’ve been having Chinese violin lessons twice a month, but I think I’ll make it trice a month from now on. 我一直以来都是每月上两次二胡课，但是我想从现在起每个月都上三次课。（表示设法做到某事）

此外，类似的常用说法还有catch it(意思是“受罚，受责备”)，rough it(意为“吃苦头，过的不舒服”), get away from it all(是“躲清静，脱离尘世”的意思)等等。例如：

If your class teacher finds out you’ll really catch it! 要是你的班主任知道了，你非受责备不可！

If we go mountaineering in such bad weather, we’ll have to rough it. 如果我们在如此坏的天气下去登山，我们肯定得吃尽苦头。

This is why the small town is the ideal place to get away from it all. 这就是为什么这座小城是个能让人躲躲清静的理想之地。

9. it用在虚拟语气里

it用于虚拟语气，主要有以下表达形式：I t is + 形容词+ that…，只有important，necessary, strange和natural等少数形容词用于此结构；It is+ -ed分词+ that…，advise，suggest，order，require等表示建议、命令、请求类的动词用于此结构，常译为“据建议…… ; 有命令……”。这两类结构中的that从句均用虚拟语气(should) + 动词原形的句式，should 可以省略。例如：

It is necessary that we (should) remember these rules when we swim in the sea.我们在海里游泳时应该记住这些规则是必要的。

It was ordered that we (should) arrive at the Capital Airport in two hours. 有命令：我们应该在两小时内到达首都机场。

    it还用在表示虚拟的if it weren’t for/if it hadn’t been for…结构中，相当于介词without，翻译成“要不是，要是没有......的话 ”, 前者表达对现在的虚拟，后者表达对过去的虚拟。此外， i t is (high) time that…结构的that从句可以是should + do句式，也可以直接用过去时表示对现在的虚拟，用过去完成时则表示对过去的虚拟，常译为“是(正是)……的时候”。例如：

    They could have reached the stadium 30 minutes ahead of time if it hadn’t been for the heavy rain. 要不是下大雨，他们就能提早半个小时到达体育馆。(句中if it hadn’t been for the heavy rain表达对过去的虚拟)

    It is (high) time that our children should go to bed. 也可写成It is time that our children went to bed. 是咱们的孩子们睡觉的时候了。

 

【强化训练】

1. Let the secretary take all the luggage out of my room and put ______

in front of the hotel.

　A.  it              B. they          C. them           D. its

2. In yesterday’s news conference, the Ministry of Education announced that ______ intends to  make two important changes in next year’s budget.

   A. he             B. it              C. she             D. they

3. If you devote yourself to playing basketball, you are likely to make ______ to the Summer Olympics one day.

   A. one            B. it              C. that            D. another

4．As Rogers put  ______ ，“One can always be surprised.”

 A．it                   B．that            C．this             D．them

5. ______ was the little boy who broke the glass of your schoolroom.

A. This            B. That           C. He             D. It

6. While ______ is a long way from here, I’ll do everything I can to reach there in less than two hours.

A. there           B. it            C. its            D. itself

7. We consider ______ impossible for them to move into the house outside the city in such a short time.

A. that             B. this           C. it           D. them

8. _____ is quite necessary to finish making out your plan before the

Spring Festival.

　 A.This　　    B. That　　   C. It　　   D. You

9. Jane made______ clear to us that she wished to go to Tibet after her

graduation from college.   

   A. that           B. this           C. it         D. her 

10. We’d appreciate ______ if you could let us know ahead of time

whether or not you will come.

 A. it                 B. you           C. one      D. this

【参考答案】

1.A  2.B  3. B  4. A  5. D  6.B  7.C  8.C  9.C  10.A

 

参考文献：

1. 霍恩比(著)，王玉章、赵翠莲、邹晓玲等(译)《牛津高阶英汉双解词典(第七版)》，商务印书馆，2009年

2. 章振邦《新编英语语法教程》，上海外语教学出版社，2012年

3. 王振良 “盘点2014年高考对it的考查”，《教学考试》(高考英语6)，2014-11-16版

        辽宁大学校园之路雪景   摄影：毛子泰