Page 190 - Basic English Usage

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Me, you, him, her, us and them are not only used as objects. We can use
them in other ways (see 331).
‘Who's there?’ ‘Me.’ |’moilder than her. -

We can use it to refer to a person when we are identifying somebody
(saying who somebody is). Compare:
‘Who's that?’ ‘It's John Cook. He's a friend of my father’s.’
(NOT He-sdehr-Geek- NOT ftsafriend ...)

We use ifto refer to nothing, everything and all.
Nothing happened, did it?
Everything’s all right, isn’t it?
| did all! could, but it wasn’t enough.
We use it as an ‘empty’ subject (with no meaning) to talk about time,
weather, temperature and distances.
It's ten o'clock.
It's Monday again.
It rained for three days.
It's thirty degrees.
It's ten miles to the nearest petrol station.

/tcan mean ‘the present situation’. ;
It’s terrible — everybody's got colds, and the central heating isn't
working.
Isn't it lovely here!

We cannot leave out personal pronouns.
It's raining. (NOT 4s-raining-)
She loved the picture because it was beautiful.
(NOT .. beeanse-wasbeattifut)
They arrested him and put him in prison.
(NOT ... puttrptisen-)
‘Have S some chocolate.’ ‘No, | don't like it.’
(NOT ... +derHike-)
Note that we do not always put if after / know.
‘It's getting late.’ ‘Il know. (NOT +krewit-)

One subject is enough. We do not normally need a personal pronoun if
there is already a subject in the clause.
.
My car is parked outside. (NOT My-earitisparked.
The boss really makes me angry. (NOT "The boss he recy. ..)
The situation is terrible. (NOT 4tisterriblethe-situation-)
For the use of itas a ‘preparatory subject’ for an infinitive or a clause,
see 187.