word meaning - Difference between "idiot" and "dummy"?
Although idiot and dummy do commonly have the same meaning, the use of idiot in this joking phrase draws particular attention to a specific sense of idiot. From Merriam-Webster's …
"There is some" or "There are some"- which is correct?
Nov 4, 2022 · Initial There's is OK before anything. When it's at the beginning of the sentence, it's just a dummy, with no meaning or plural, and it's reified into one word before anything plural …
Using "they" in tag questions with everybody/nobody etc
Jun 9, 2021 · In English, existential clauses usually use the dummy subject construction (also known as expletive) with there, as in "There are boys in the yard"… In the OP's sentence, the …
It - Preparatory subject - English Language Learners Stack Exchange
May 3, 2024 · A preparatory subject is a placeholder noun used before the actual subject (infinitive expression, a clause) is introduced in the sentence. It looks as if we're going to have …
pronouns - What exactly is a dummy-it? - English Language …
Dec 12, 2023 · It seems like you haven't understood the article. "Dummy it refers to nothing at all; it simply serves a grammatical function. In other words, dummy it has a grammatical meaning …
Are dummy subject and impersonal subject the same?
Apr 20, 2016 · It is sunny. (impersonal subject) It is difficult to learn English. (dummy subject or place holder) In Korea, we learn that dummy subject and impersonal subject are different. But, …
word meaning - "Hi there!" -- What does this 'there' mean?
Jan 5, 2016 · Footnote: "there" isn't the dummy subject in these greetings. "There" is a dummy subject mostly in constructions there is or there are, or before certain verbs in certain contexts.
What is the function of "there" in the structure, "There is/are/..."?
Jan 7, 2022 · Has there been an accident? Merriam-Webster doesn't have a clear definition for "there" in this structure, but it labels it an adverb in the section, "Examples of there in a …
dummy pronouns - How many meters is it/are there/is there …
May 16, 2023 · Which one is correct? 1 How many meters is it between this tree and that car? 2 How many meters is there between this tree and that car? 3 How many meters are there …
pronouns - English Language Learners Stack Exchange
It in those sentences is called dummy pronoun: It is used without any reference to any agent, but it is syntactically required. The first sentence could be rephrased as "Talking about subjects …