It is

[jack]

What is 'it is' referring to?

1. It is not worth cracking my teeth on this crab.

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by jack

What is 'it is' referring to?

1. It is not worth cracking my teeth on this crab.

Literally
Eating this crab/Enjoying the taste of this crab is not worth doing because if I do it I will get hurt. :wink:

Figuratively
Doing X is not worth it because if I do it I will get hurt. :wink:

[jack]

Thanks.

[Casiopea]

You're welcome. :D

[jack]

What does this mean?
1. How hard is it to take the VCR apart?
What does 'is 'it' stand for?

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by jack

What does this mean?
1. How hard is it to take the VCR apart?
What does 'is 'it' stand for?

To take the VCR apart is how hard? (Subject)
It is how hard to take the VCR apart? (Empty Subject)
How hard is it to take the VCR apart? (Empty Subject)

[jack]

Are these correct?

1. It is five cents. (What' is the subject and verb?)
2. There are five apples. (correct)
3. There is five apples. (incorrect.)
If #1 is correct, why? Then why isn't #3 correct?

What do these mean?
4. It is limited quantities.
5. It is limited quantity. (If this is incorrect, why? How do you know if 'quantity' is countable or not?)
6. It is a limited quanity

7. There is five cents.
8. There are five cents.

[Casiopea]

I've underlined the subjects. The verbs are 'is' and 'are':

1. It is five cents. "It" is a pronoun. It could mean, the candy, the book, the apple, etc. (e.g., The apple is worth one nickle. 'one nickle' equals five cents.
2. There are five apples.
3. There is five apples.


4. It is limited quantities. "It" is singular, so "quantities" should be singular.
5. It is limited quantity. "quantity" is a count noun, so use 'a' or 'the'
6. It is a limited quanity.

7. There is five cents. OK. There is a nickle on the floor.
8. There are five cents. OK. There are five pennies on the floor.

[jack]

1. It is five cents. "It" is a pronoun. It could mean, the candy, the book, the apple, etc. (e.g., The apple is worth one nickle. 'one nickle' equals five cents.

What's a 'pronoun'? The dictionary says "word used to replace nouns and noun phases". What does that mean?

1. It is limited quantities. "It" is singular, so "quantities" should be singular.

How can I fix this? Is this the only way to fix it? 'They are limited quanitities.' What's the plural form of 'it is'?)

What does #1 and #2 mean?
1. It is a limited quanity.
2. They are limited quanitities.

[Casiopea]

(1) There are a great deal of Pronouns. Try searching under the word pronoun on the Net. There's a great deal written on that subject.

For example, here are the personal pronouns:

As subjects
Singular: I, you, she, he, it
Plural: we, you, they

As objects
Singular: me, you, her, him, it
Plural: us, you, them

A pronoun represents (i.e., refers) to a noun:

He is nice.
Who is "He"?
"He" means John. I am using the pronoun "He" to talk about John.

(2) It is (Siingular pronoun + Singular verb); They are (Plural pronoun + Plural verb)

(3) The subject of a "to be" sentence agrees in number with its subject complement:

1. It is a limited quanity. (Singular subject + Singular noun)
2. They are limited quanitities. (Plural subject + Plural noun)