Grammar · Pronouns
Dummy Subjects: It and There
It is raining. There is a small door. Two little words that start a sentence when nothing else can, with the film Coraline.
Grammar › Pronouns › Dummy Subjects: It and There
The rule in one sentenceEvery English sentence needs a first word before the verb: use it for weather, time, distance and comments (it is cold), and there to say something exists (there is a door).
About the film
Coraline is a film from 2009. Coraline is a girl who moves to a big old house with her mother and father. It rains a lot, and it is boring for her. Then she finds something strange. There is a small door in the wall. Behind the door there is another world, with another mother and another father. They have buttons for eyes. It looks lovely at first, but it is not safe.
What does it do?
In English, a sentence always needs a first word before the verb. Sometimes there is no real person or thing to put there. So English uses an empty word. It means nothing. It just fills the space.
it is for weather, time, distance, and what you think about something. there is for saying that something exists, often for the first time.
Look at the second tile. There introduces the door. After that, you can use a real word for it: The door is very small.
In speech, both words join the verb is:
It is dark in the garden. There is a black cat in the garden.
“It is dark” describes how the garden is. “There is a cat” says a cat exists there.
Visual guide
Teacher Teddy’s illustrated guide to this rule is being drawn — the full swipe-through infographic will appear here soon.
How to make it
it — how things are
It is cold and wet outside the house.
It isn’t far from the house to the well.
It isn’t / It wasn’t + …Is it safe behind the small door?
Is it + adjective?there — what exists
There is a key for the small door.
There aren’t any children in the house.
There isn’t a / There aren’t any …Is there a way back home?
Is there / Are there + …?When to use each one
it — how things are
there — what exists
Words that help: it or there?
Look at the word after the verb. That tells you which one to use.
it → a describing word
there → a thing
Common mistakes
❌ There is very cold in the old house.
✅ It is very cold in the old house.
Weather and temperature always take “it”.
❌ It is a small door in the wall.
✅ There is a small door in the wall.
You are saying the door exists, so use “there”.
❌ There is three neighbours in the house.
✅ There are three neighbours in the house.
Three neighbours is more than one, so the verb is “are”.
❌ Is strange that the eyes are buttons.
✅ It is strange that the eyes are buttons.
English never drops the first word. Many languages do, but English needs “it”.
One more thing
This part is a little harder. You can come back to it later.
Small words can go between “there” and “be”. Words like might, must and will sit in the middle.
✅ There might be a way out of the other world.
✅ There must be a key somewhere.
✅ It will be dark soon. (the same works for it)
Practice: choose the right word
Eight questions. Choose one answer. You get the answer, and why.
1. ___ raining at the old house again.
Weather → it.
2. ___ a small door in the wall.
A door exists → there.
3. ___ late. Coraline should go to bed.
Time → it.
4. ___ two other parents behind the door.
Two parents is more than one → there are.
5. ___ a long way from the house to the town.
Distance → it.
6. ___ a black cat in the garden?
Asking if a cat exists → is there.
7. ___ strange that the eyes are buttons.
A comment with “that” → it.
8. ___ no way out of the other world.
Nothing exists → there is no.
Your turn
Choose one ending. Then listen to your sentence.
Every sentence here is correct. Pick the one that is true for you. Say it out loud too!
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