The usage of "it" in this sentence

Question

Hi teachers,I'd like to know if "it" in the sentence below is much needed, or it should be taken out of the sentence.  I'd appreciate if you could correct the sentence.  Thank you."I saw it in a children book in which an elephant is singing with a monkey in a tree with the angels playing trumpets surrounding them in the sky, singing Hallelujah to the Lord."Regards,TN

Avangi · Accepted Answer

It's hard to make these sound good.

I saw [it written] in a book that we're decended from monkeys. I honestly don't know if it's considered correct to include only the "it" - or only the "written." I personally would not.

Some people use "where," but I don't think it's correct:
I read in a book where we're decended from monkeys. I have no idea what "where" refers to.

I saw a picture in a children's book in which an elephant etc.
"In which" refers to the picture, not the book.

I saw it written in a chiildren's book that elephants can fly.
This is quite different from your original example. I think in this case "it" is "the dummy it," and the "that" clause is the true object of the verb "saw."

"I saw it in a children book in which an elephant is singing with a monkey in a tree with the angels playing trumpets surrounding them in the sky, singing Hallelujah to the Lord."

The "in which" clause describes the book in which you saw something, but you never tell us what you saw.

You could say, "I saw a childrens book in which an elephant etc."

The question is, what did you see? The book?? The story??

I saw yesterday that an elephant was flying above The Empire State Building.

I'm doing a terrible job of explaining this. I hope someone else will help clear it up!

CalifJim · Answer

You might try this:

In a children's book I saw a picture of an elephant singing with a ...

But this is really too much information to put in one sentence. I think I would split it up into several sentences.

I saw a picture of an elephant in a children's book. The elephant was singing with a monkey perched above him in a tree. Angels surrounded them in the sky, playing trumpets and singing Hallelujah to the Lord.

CJ

Tinanam0102 · Answer

Hi Avangi and CJ,

Thank you a million for your help with this troubled sentence.

Hi CJ, it's very good to know that the sentences could have split up into serval others.

I saw a picture of an elephant in a children's book. The elephant was singing with a monkey perched above him in a tree. Angels surrounded them in the sky, playing trumpets and singing Hallelujah to the Lord.

However I misled you to think that the elephant (a baby elephant with wings) was not in a tree with the monkey. They were both in a tree together singing. So would the revision below work?

>I saw a picture of an elephant and a monkey in a children's book. They were singing in a tree, with angels surrounding them in the sky, playing trumpets and singing hallelujah to the Lord.

>I saw a picture in a children's book in which an elephant and a monkey were singing in a tree, with angels surrounding them in the sky, playing trumpets and singing hallelujah to the Lord.

Thank you.

TN

CalifJim · Answer

tinanam0102So would the revision below work?

Yes. Those are fine.

You'll have to admit that my mistake was an easy one to make. We don't see a lot of elephants in trees here in California!

CJ

Tinanam0102 · Answer

Hi CJ,

Thank you for checking out the revisions.

Elephants in trees - (Only little kiddies under five could see them! It's a magic)

Regards,

TN

The usage of "it" in this sentence

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