Rule 3 Every English sentence has actor, so if it is not in the Russian sentence, put it yourself. To do this, use pronouns it And they.
Impersonal sentences in English with construction It is…
Rule 4. If there is no offer action verbs, then replace it with linking verb be(in one of its forms of present time, i.e. am, is, are).
Based on these 2 simple rules, let's translate nominal sentences(as they are called in Russian): October. Morning. Six o'clock.
Remember, if there is no offer D.L., nor D, then such a sentence should always begin with the construction " It is……»
- October. — It is Oct.
- Morning. — It is morning.
- Six o'clock. — It is 6 o'clock.
Impersonal sentences in English with the construction It is ... (exercises)
Exercise 1.Translate into Russian.
1.It is spring.2. It is cold today. 3. It is dark. 4. It often rains in March.(see comment below). 5. It is a beautiful day. 6. It is nine o'clock. 7. It is a long way from here to London. 8. It is dangerous to drive so fast. 9. It was interesting to talk to him. 10. It always snows in the north.
Exercise 2.
1. Winter. 2. It was winter. 3. Last year there was a cold winter. 4. Cold. 5. It was very cold. 6. Five o'clock. 7. It's five o'clock now. 8. It often snows in February (to snow is a verb). 9. It was a warm spring day. 10. The living room is warm. 11. Wonderful day. It'll be cold tomorrow.
Exercise 3Translate into English.
1. Spring. 2. Now it's spring. 3. It was late spring. 4. Hot. 5. It was very hot yesterday. 6. It's midnight now. 7. Early morning. 8. Dark. 9. It was dark. 10. The room was dark. 11. It's cold today. 12. It often rains in March (to rain is a verb).
The English language is rich in idioms and interesting phrases, but not only them. Often we need to say simple sentences that seem simple in speech, but for some students are problematic in construction. For example, how to say in English about the weather ''sunny'', ''evening'' or ''winter''? As you can see, there is no face in such sentences, they are impersonal. Impersonal sentences in English are such sentences in which not only the person who performs the action is often missing, but also the action itself. Confused? Just! Consider the features of the formation of impersonal sentences, get acquainted with vivid examples and shed light on frequently asked questions.
To learn impersonal sentences, you first need to understand the features of constructing simple sentences, gradually taking on more complex ones. As examples, we use the above sentences ‘’Sunny’’. ‘’Evening’’. ''Winter''. In English it would be like this => It is sunny. It is getting dark. It is winter.
On a note! Most often, impersonal sentences in English are used to refer to weather and natural conditions.
What does the construction of an impersonal sentence consist of, if it does not have an actor? Pronoun it+ verb to be- the main active members of the proposal.
But! Remember that the verb to be can be used in different tenses - past, present and future. The exact time can be learned from the context. For example, it is, it was, it will be – verb variations tobe at different times (present, past and future).
Here are some examples:
Verb to be plays the role of a predicate, and the role of the subject belongs to the pronoun it. Pronoun it performs the function of the subject always and everywhere (in any type of impersonal sentences).
To better understand the principle of forming impersonal sentences, let's explain the situation with examples:
- Autumn => It is autumn.
- Spring will come soon => It will be spring soon.
- Warm => It is warm.
- Cold => It is cold.
- It's hot => It is hot.
- It will be cool in summer => It will be cool in summer.
- It was getting dark => It was getting dark.
A specific tense (the form of the verb to be) is chosen depending on the specific situation or based on the context. The particle it remains unchanged for all temporary forms.
Constructions it is, it was, it will be are used to translate different sentences that contain an adverb. For example, how to translate sentences containing adverbs close, far, impossible, Maybe, difficult, easily etc.? Let's explain everything with examples:
Interrogative form of impersonal sentences
To form an interrogative form, the verb to be should be placed at the beginning of the sentence:
- Is it already dark? => Is it already dark?
- Is it near the window? => Is it next to the window?
- Is it drizzling? => Is it drizzling?
Note that the verb to be will take different forms is, are, am ).
To form a negative form, you only need to add a particle not .
- It wasn't raining. => There was no rain.
- It is not snowing. => It's not snowing.
Impersonal sentences: where they are used and when they are appropriate to use
- If you need to answer the question: "What time is it?", it is appropriate to use impersonal sentences:
- It is 9 o'clock now => It's nine o'clock now.
- It was half past 5 => It was half past six.
- When I return it will be 11 o'clock => When I return it will be 11 o'clock.
- If you need to say about the weather, describe it, then use impersonal sentences with verbs to snow, to rain, to drizzle, to hail etc.:
- It is snowing days and nights => It is snowing days and nights.
- It often rains these days => It often rains these days.
- It will be drizzling => It will drizzle.
- If you need to say how long it will take to perform a particular action:
- It takes me half a day to get to the station => I need half a day to get to the station.
- It will take some time to learn so many rules => It will take some time to learn so many rules.
Note! We use the construction i t takes… to… . If there is such a construction, it automatically means that you need to use an impersonal sentence.
- If you need to describe an action where the infinitive is used. In such sentences, the following words are often used => to seem, to appear, to happen, to turn out, never:
- It is hard for me to say ‘’hello’’, but it is never late =>
- It happened to be clear and sunny => It happened to be clear and sunny.
- It turned out funny but this young director is my close friend => It turned out funny, but this young director is my close friend.
- If you need to express modality with verbs must, may, can. In this situation, the subject is the word one:
- One cannot cope with everything at once => You cannot cope with everything at once.
- One have to wash hands before his dinner => You need to wash your hands before dinner.
- One must sign in here => Here you need to register (log in).
On a note! When translated into Russian, the word one omitted (it is not translated in any way).
Summing up
By doing the exercises every day, you will quickly learn the intricacies of forming an impersonal sentence. It is important to change the words in sentences every time, make up different situations and use all the possible words in your vocabulary. Regular exercise, patience and diligence will lead you to success and new knowledge. Learn and improve!
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In English, as in Russian, there are many types of different sentences. From simple and complex, which are divided into complex and complex, to impersonal. In speech, we quite often use sentences such as: “Spring. It was evening. It got cold”, etc.
Such sentences are called impersonal (" impersonal sentences”), since the sentence does not specify the person performing the action, and often the action itself is also missing.
We offer a little bit of grammar and find out all the details in this section of English. Go!
What are impersonal sentences in English
impersonal proposals(impersonal sentences) - a special type of sentences in which the protagonist cannot be clearly defined: (he?) is getting colder, (she?) is getting colder, (it?) is getting colder.
In Russian, compared to English, everything is much simpler, since we can freely use only one word, which will already be a whole sentence.
The grammatical structure of a sentence in English is quite strict. In order to correctly build an impersonal sentence, it must be remembered that one English word is not enough here. Therefore, an impersonal English sentence is essentially a sentence with a formal subject " it”, since the specificity of English requires the use of a holistic grammatical basis.
Thus, if in Russian we say: “Rainy”, then in English it will be: “ It's rainy". We will analyze in more detail the nuances of using impersonal sentences in English below.
When using impersonal sentences
There are quite a few different uses of the pronoun “it” in impersonal sentences in English, but one of the most common examples is the weather, because it is the weather that is the favorite topic of conversation for any self-respecting Englishman.
A few examples to illustrate:
It's rainy. - It is rainy.
It's foggy. - Foggy.
It's sunny. - Sunny.
As you can see from the above examples, "it" is always subject, albeit formal. With the weather, we can use the verb " to be» in present tense (Present Simple) followed by adjective; or instead of a simple one, use the temporary form “ Present continuous”, namely:
It's getting better.- Getting better.
It's getting foggy. - It's getting foggy.
It's getting hotter. - It's getting hotter.
Important to remember! The "Simple & Continuous" tense ruler is used in the present, past and future. Respectively:
- is - was- will be(for simple time);
- is getting - was getting - will be getting(for a long time).
An English-language impersonal sentence also occurs when we mean years, days or dates. Since time is an inanimate noun, we never use such pronouns with it as: “ I», « you», « he" or " we". The only companion is only " it". Examples:
hey,Samantha!What time is it?-It "s 2 o" clock, Sam.
Hey Samantha! What time is it now? - Two hours, Sam.
It's Monday.It is time to get up and make breakfast.
Monday. It's time to get up and make breakfast.
It's the 24th of March. My man and I have a wedding anniversary today.
March twenty-fourth. My husband and I have our wedding anniversary today.
When we talk about time, or rather about its specific interval, which is required to achieve a specific goal, it is not uncommon to use the link “ it takes / it lasts", which may be followed by an infinitive.
Conclusion
In general, impersonal sentences in English should not cause much difficulty. The main thing is to understand whether the subject of the situation really requires the use of such a sentence; use the pronoun "it" and the correct form of the verb depending on the tense and type of sentence: affirmation, negation, question.
Believe you can speak English and you"re halfway there!
Big and friendly family EnglishDom
The English language differs from the Russian language in that the sentence must necessarily contain a subject and a predicate, the main members of the sentence.
Construction of impersonal sentences
However, sentences often lack an agent and a verb denoting action. Thus, the sentence becomes impersonal, but formally a subject and a predicate are needed to preserve the structure of the sentence. In this case, an impersonal pronoun takes the place of the subject, if it can be called that, it. And the function of the predicate will be performed by the linking verb to be.
For example, It is hot today. Today it's hot.
The most common impersonal sentences in English are sentences about weather, seasons, time, distance, etc. Today we will look at suggestions about the weather and seasons. In Russian, impersonal sentences sound like this.
It's cold outside. Winter. It's getting dark.
In English, such sentences can be built according to the general scheme: it + to be + adjective, noun.
Dictionary "Weather, seasons" (listen)
In order to learn how to talk about weather (weather) and seasons (seasons) we need an active dictionary.
Adjectives (weather)
Cold
Warm warm
Hot hot
cool cool
Windy [ʹwındı] windy
Cloudy [ʹklaʋdı] cloudy
Sunny [ʹsʌnı] sunny
Rainy [ʹreını] rainy
Snowy [ʹsnəʋı] snowy
Frosty [ʹfrɔstı] frosty
Nouns (seasons)
Summer [ʹsʌmə] summer
Autumn [ʹɔ:təm] autumn
Winter [ʹwıntə] winter
spring
Read all the words carefully and make sure they are pronounced correctly.
Learning to talk about the weather
To describe the weather on the street, we just need to put the pronoun at the beginning of the sentence it, linking verb to be and the required adjective. We know that in the present tense the verb to be has three forms (am, is, are). Let's remember that with the pronoun it we use the form is.
It is cold today. It is cloudy today. It is cold today. Today is cloudy.
If we want to describe what the weather was like yesterday, then we need the past form of the verb to be. We know that this verb has two forms in the past tense (was, were). With pronoun it we use the form was.
It was sunny and warm yesterday. Yesterday it was sunny and warm.
Speaking of the time of year, we build a sentence in the same way.
It is spring now. Spring is now.
An interesting fact is that in the UK the favorite topic of conversation is the weather. Any conversation, whether it is a meeting of friends, colleagues or relatives, begins with questions:
It is a nice day today, isn't it? Nice day, right?
These questions are supposed to be the answers that we discussed above.
Now you know that in the case of a trip to the UK, according to the rules of etiquette, the conversation should begin with a question about the weather. In response, you will definitely be asked about the weather of the city, the country where you live.
Tasks for the lesson
Exercise 1. Answer the question.
What scheme is used to build an impersonal sentence in English?
Exercise 2. Answer the following questions.
1. What is the weather like today?
2. What season is it now?
3. What is the usual weather like in winter, summer, spring, autumn in Russia?
4. What is the usual weather like in winter, summer, spring, autumn in Great Britain?
5. What is your favorite season?
6. What weather do you like?
Exercise 1.
It + to be + adjective/noun Exercise 2.
1. It is…
2. It is ... (spring, summer, autumn, winter)
3. In winter it is usually cold and snowy in Russia. In spring it is usually warm and sunny in Russia. In summer it is usually hot and sunny in Russia. In autumn it is usually cloudy and rainy in Russia.
4. In winter it is usually cold in Great Britain. In spring it is usually warm and sunny in Great Britain. In summer it is usually hot and sunny in Great Britain. In autumn it is usually cloudy and rainy in Great Britain.
5. My favorite season is…
6. I like ... (cold, warm ...) weather.
Impersonal constructions ( impersonal constructions) in English are a fairly common way of constructing sentences. In these sentences, we do not specify the person performing the action. It remains behind the scenes, because there is no information about it, or we simply do not care who performs the action. In Russian, such sentences are organized very simply: “Autumn. Twilight. It's cold." These words are impersonal sentences consisting of only one subject, or one predicate.
In English, we build impersonal sentences according to a different principle, because the rules of grammar do not allow such free use of the main members of the sentence, as in Russian. And a sentence in which there is no subject or predicate is generally considered grammatically incorrect and is translated into Russian in the style of “You don’t understand mine”.
The thing is that the word order in English is fixed, and it is he who makes the sentence meaningful. For affirmative sentences, the direct word order is characteristic, that is, the subject comes first, then the predicate. Interrogative sentences have the reverse word order, that is, first we put the predicate, and then the subject. Therefore, when we build a sentence in English, first of all we find those words that take the place of the subject and the predicate, and then we put whatever we want.
- Do not forget to read our article "".
In cases where the subject is not found in any way, we use the impersonal pronoun it. It does not indicate the person and is not translated into Russian, but it retains the entire structure of the English sentence, working, of course, in tandem with the predicate. In most cases, the verb works as a predicate in such sentences to be in present, past or future tense. By filling in the positions of the subject and predicate with it And to be, we fulfilled the rule of direct word order according to the principle: we put the formal subject it and predicate - verb to be or another verb. In fact, we made a grammatically correct sentence.
Such impersonal sentences in English are used in the following cases:
- To describe natural phenomena.
It is dark. - It's dark.
- To describe the state of the weather.
It is windy. - It's windy.
At the same time, impersonal constructions are often built with verbs to rain, to snow, to hail, to drizzle.
It was raining for the whole day yesterday. - It rained all day yesterday.
It often snows in winter. - It's snowing frequently in the winter.
- To answer the question: "What time is it?"
It is 8.20 p.m. - It's 8:20 am.
- To indicate time and distance.
It is 8 a.m. - It's 8 o'clock now.
It is far away from here. - Far away from here.
When we reach the city it will be 2 a.m.. - When we get to the city, it will be 2 am.
- To translate adverbs: perhaps, difficult, late, easy, early, far.
It is late for the child to go for a walk. - To kid late to go for a walk.
It is easy for me to study English. - To me easily learn English language.
It is very far for us to walk there. - There very far go.
- To indicate the amount of time it takes to complete an action. Here we use the construction It takes... to... (corresponds to Russian: “I need ... time to do something”; “it takes me ... time to ...”).
It takes me about an hour to do my morning exercise. - It takes me about an hour to exercise in the morning.
It will take her 20 min. to do her make-up. She will need 20 minutes to apply makeup.
- With passive verbs: believe, understand, say, know, report, expect, think, consider.
It is believed that English is easy to learn. It is believed that English is easy to learn.
It is expected that he will arrive soon. He is expected to arrive soon.
It is reported that the election was a success. - It is reported that the elections were successful.
The interrogative form of an impersonal sentence in English is formed by changing the places of the main members of the sentence. Verb to be put in the first place, and the pronoun it- for the second.
Is it easy for you to speak English? – Is it easy for you to speak English?
The negative form of impersonal sentences is formed with the help of a negative particle not, which is added to the form of the verb to be.
It is not difficult to play tennis. “Tennis is easy to play.
Be sure to check out these amazing designs! They will help you immerse yourself in the deep structure of the English language and understand the mentality of the English.
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Impersonal sentences in English
