Reading It, Writing It, Referring to It.

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Question about the pronoun it.How is the pronoun 'it' used and what does it reference?  Meaning, does 'it' always refer to the subject of a sentence or another object in a sentence?  Does the referenced object of 'it' vary depending on whether 'it' references an object in the same sentence, or an object in a prior sentence.thanks.

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

it operates the same as any other pronoun in terms of reference. it can refer back to any inanimate object, substance, or even abstract idea -- whenever he, him, she, her, etc. would be inappropriate.

The sandwich was huge, and I liked it.
I ate the whole sandwich, and I liked it.
I ate the sandwich. It was good.

The water looked polluted, so I didn't drink it.
I drank the water. It was good.

If there is more than one thing that it might be referencing, you have to use your practical knowledge of the world to determine the exact reference.

There was water leaking from the pipe, so I used a pan to catch it. (to catch the water)
There was water leaking from the pipe, so I fixed it. (fixed the pipe)

Note these multiple references to multiple things.

There was water leaking from the pipe, so I got a pan and used it to catch it. (used the pan to catch the water)

And there can certainly be ambiguities.

Just as Jane placed the last piece of cake on the plate, it broke in two. (the cake broke? the plate broke?)

To write well, you will certainly need to avoid the kind of thing you see in these last two examples.

CJ

Reading It, Writing It, Referring to It.

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