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YukiKanda Posted 8 years ago
Grammar

The referentiality of it in "it seems/appears like"

Hi, I'm trying to make some example sentences using verbs of perception and "like".

Then I found out that their subject needs to refer to a certain entity, even if it is "it" as in (1) (which is often used as a word that doesn't have much meaning).


(1) a. It looks like Jane.

b. It sounds like Jane.

c. It feels like sandpaper.

d. It smells like ash.

e. It tastes like chocolate.


Then I got this question: is the same true of "seem" and "appear"?


(2) a. It seems like only yesterday.

b. It appears like magic.


I'm not quite sure whether these are grammatical, so I'd like you to tell me whether you think these are grammatical, and whether the "it" in the examples have to refer to some entity. Thanks!

  

Top answer

" Use "it" as a subject when there is not clear subject for reference: It's hot. It's 3:00. " "It appears like magic" is not idiomatic.

— Englishmaven

  • " Use "it" as a subject when there is not clear subject for reference: It's hot.
  • It's 3:00.
  • " "It appears like magic" is not idiomatic.
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3 Answers
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#1 a-e all need the actual noun unless it is in conversation and there are clear antecedents for "it." Use "it" as a subject when there is not clear subject for reference:

It's hot.

It's 3:00.

The only one of your examples that works well is "It seems like only yesterday."

"It appears like magic" is not idiomatic.

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YukiKandaI found out that their subject needs to refer to a certain entity, even if it is "it" as in (1)

Correct. That is "referring it".

YukiKandais the same true of "seem" and "appear"?

No. That's a different kind of it, "dummy it". However, as already noted, 2b does not really fit in that

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Thank you for your comments. So, "it appears like magic" means like "the rabbit showed up like magic", is my understanding right?

Can you come up with any example in which "appear" is used with a referring "it" subject and a "like" following the verb, to mean the same thing as "seem like"?

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