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Wowenglish Posted 14 years ago
Grammar

It/had to

I would like to know the meaning of "it" and "had to" in the next sentence.

Boy, it had to be really boring around here before I came along.

  

Top answer

Hi, It's like the speaker is making a deduction about the past. It must have been really boring . .

— Clive

  • Hi, It's like the speaker is making a deduction about the past.
  • It must have been really boring .
  • .
  • Clive
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2 Answers
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Hi,

It's like the speaker is making a deduction about the past.

It must have been really boring . . . .

Clive
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"it" is one of those generic references to being at the place mentioned later in the sentence.

You have "around here", so "it" refers in a general way to "being here" or "living here". Thus,

Being/Living here had to be really boring ...

Compare:

It must have been exciting at the football game last night.

~

Being at the
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