What date/day is it today?

Question

Hi, everyone.

Is it grammatically correct to ask:

"What date/day is it today? "

"What time is it now"?

Why do we use "it" in the sentences above?

Why don't we simply say: "what is the day/date today"?

"What is the time now?"

Thanks!

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

silak12Is it grammatically correct to ask: "What date/day is it today? ""What time is it now"?

Yes.

silak12Why do we use "it" in the sentences above?

It's the subject of the sentence (though inverted with the verb to form a question).

English requires a subject in its declarative and interrogative sentences. "it" can serve this function if nothing else seems appropriate.

What day is it? It is Monday.
What time is it? It is 11 o'clock.

silak12Why don't we simply say: "what is the day/date today"? "What is the time now?"

We can. That's an alternate way of asking the question.

You'll find that in English there are usually multiple ways of conveying the same idea in words.

CJ

Top answer