0
Zoltán Király Posted 12 years ago
Grammar

Please help me analyze this sentence: It was terribly cold and it was snowing.

It was terribly cold and it was snowing.

It = pronoun (it stands for the noun "weather")
was = the verb BE in the past (linking verb)
cold = adjective
and = conjunction
snowing = present participle

Is "terribly" an adverb? If yes, what kind of adverb?
Are both "It was terribly cold" and "it was snowing" independent clauses?
Why don't we use a comma before the conjunction 'and'?

Thank you,
Zoltan
  

Top answer

"it" is a dummy pronoun; I question whether it literally stands for "weather". It is not possible to say "the weather was snowing". "terribly" is an adverb of degree.

— GPY

  • "it" is a dummy pronoun; I question whether it literally stands for "weather".
  • It is not possible to say "the weather was snowing".
  • "terribly" is an adverb of degree.
  • They are independent clauses, but a comma can be omitted, especially in short and simple sentences like this, depending on the author's preference.
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

2 Answers
0
"it" is a dummy pronoun; I question whether it literally stands for "weather". It is not possible to say "the weather was snowing".

"terribly" is an adverb of degree.

They are independent clauses, but a comma can be omitted, especially in short and simple sentences like this, depending on the author's preference.
0
0
TO SNOW is an impersonal verb, can only be inflected at the 3rd Person Singular and so has to take IT as a governing pronoun.
0

Related Questions