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Hans51 Posted 10 years ago
Grammar

Reference of 'it'

A : I have a question for you.
B : What is it?

Here, should 'it' refer to 'a question' or can I say that 'it' refers to 'the question' although 'the question' was not mentioned?

So pronouns are always in place of words mentioned before or can we think of others not mentioned but related like the question?

What do you native English speakers think?

Thank you so much as usual in advance!
  

Top answer

Hans51 Here, should 'it' refer to 'a question' or can I say that 'it' refers to 'the question' although 'the question' was not mentioned? Don't confuse grammar with reality.

— Mister Micawber

  • Hans51 Here, should 'it' refer to 'a question' or can I say that 'it' refers to 'the question' although 'the question' was not mentioned?
  • Don't confuse grammar with reality.
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5 Answers
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Hans51Here, should 'it' refer to 'a question' or can I say that 'it' refers to 'the question' although 'the question' was not mentioned?
Don't confuse grammar with reality.
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Hans51A : I have a question for you.B : What is it?Here, should 'it' refer to 'a question' or can I say that 'it' refers to 'the question' although 'the question' was not mentioned?
"it" means "the question". Thus B is saying What is the question (that you have for me)?

You shouldn't take the principle of previous mention so literally.
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Thank you both so much!

And then in 'a candy with chocolate in it', 'it' here also refers to the candy, right?

Thank you so much for your time and help as usual!
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Hans51And then in 'a candy with chocolate in it', 'it' here also refers to the candy, right?
I still want to make sure that you are looking for the conceptual reference, not the grammatical reference. If that is true, then yes.
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Hans51'it' here also refers to the candy, right?
Right.

Note that the indefinite analog of the definite "it" is "one".

"a candy with chocolate in one" makes no sense because "one" (any candy) takes you outside the world of that particular candy that you are trying to describe.

Similarly, "I have a question for you" can't be answered
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