It

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I would like to know the difference between It(1) and It(2) grammatically. 1. It is no easy to earn money on the internet .2. It took some time to get used to working with each other.

Avangi · Accepted Answer

<< 1. It is no easy to earn money on the internet .
2. It took some time to get used to working with each other. >>

I think there's no difference. I believe they're both examples of the "dummy it."

BTW, "It is not easy."

Earning money on the internet is not easy.

Getting used to working with each other took some time.

In terms of "meaning," these are the "true" subjects of these sentences.

I suppose technically the "subject of the sentence" is the entire gerund phrase.

CalifJim · Answer

I agree with Avangi. Both initial its are dummies which replace the infinitive phrases that occur later in the sentences.

To earn money ... is not easy.
To get used to ... took some time.

CJ

Avangi · Answer

Hi, Jim,
I switched to the gerunds because the infinitives seem a little awkward. I guess it would have been better to leave them for purposes of illustration. - A.

CalifJim · Answer

Yes. Sometimes the base sentence ("deep structure", if you will) from which a "real" sentence is derived is itself ungrammatical -- or borders on it. Nevertheless, it can often stimulate thinking in the right direction, leading to a better understanding of the "surface structure" that the poster is asking about.

CJ

It

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