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Debpriya De Posted 16 years ago
Grammar

Why is it

1. "It's not that I hate you."
2 ."Why is it that you are always late."
What is the function of "it" in the above sentences ?
In my opinion "it" functions as "dummy it" in both the sentences and "it" is in apposition with "that you are always late".
Please correct me if I am wrong.
  

Top answer

but its bugging me. As a native english speaker the first one isn't to bad. The "it's" in number 1, in my opinion, seems to function as refrencing to something previously said and you would follow it on with something.

— Callum

  • but its bugging me.
  • As a native english speaker the first one isn't to bad.
  • The "it's" in number 1, in my opinion, seems to function as refrencing to something previously said and you would follow it on with something.
  • So someone said to you Statement : " You are not buying me any sweets because you hate me!
  • " Reply : " It's not that i hate you, its just because i don't have enough money " so its a shortened version of " Im not buying you sweets just because i hate you, i just don't have enough money " as for your second one, the only reason i can think of is that it is quite a formal / posh thing to say.
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1 Answers
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Thats possibly one of the most complicated questions i have ever seen...but its bugging me.

As a native english speaker the first one isn't to bad.

The "it's" in number 1, in my opinion, seems to function as refrencing to something previously said and you would follow it on with something.

So someone said to you

Statement : " You are not buying me any sweets be
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