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  1. word meaning - Difference between "idiot" and "dummy"?

    May 20, 2020 · Although idiot and dummy do commonly have the same meaning, the use of idiot in this joking phrase draws particular attention to a specific sense of idiot. From Merriam …

  2. grammar - why we need dummy subjects and it's usage? - English …

    Oct 28, 2017 · Here is my question. If something exists in some place then we use adverbs of place. So adverbs can fulfill the use of existence or presence of something. Then why we need …

  3. pronouns - What exactly is a dummy-it? - English Language …

    Dec 12, 2023 · "Dummy it refers to nothing at all; it simply serves a grammatical function. In other words, dummy it has a grammatical meaning but no lexical meaning." Here, there are clear …

  4. "There is some" or "There are some"- which is correct?

    Nov 4, 2022 · Initial There's is OK before anything. When it's at the beginning of the sentence, it's just a dummy, with no meaning or plural, and it's reified into one word before anything plural …

  5. dummy pronouns - Can we use "It varies a lot" at the beginning of …

    Apr 16, 2024 · The term dummy pronoun refers to the function of a word in a particular sentence, not a property of individual words. For example, it in the example from the previous paragraph …

  6. pronouns - English Language Learners Stack Exchange

    Sep 20, 2023 · It's an anticipatory "it", as "it" could be replaced with "you joining us". It's not a dummy as it does actually refer to something specific. The second is the same, although …

  7. It - Preparatory subject - English Language Learners Stack Exchange

    May 3, 2024 · There is no question of dummy "it" being a preparatory element, since the elements that follow it do not give the meaning if "it". "It" is, then, just a dummy element serving the …

  8. word meaning - "Hi there!" -- What does this 'there' mean?

    Jan 5, 2016 · Footnote: "there" isn't the dummy subject in these greetings. "There" is a dummy subject mostly in constructions there is or there are, or before certain verbs in certain contexts.

  9. It's good to see you. What's the meaning of 'it' in 'It's good to ...'?

    Mar 17, 2025 · "To see you is good" or "Seeing you is good" would be alternative forms of that sentence that do not use dummy "it", yes. Those forms are not much used in contemporary …

  10. What is the function of "there" in the structure, "There is/are/..."?

    Jan 7, 2022 · Has there been an accident? Merriam-Webster doesn't have a clear definition for "there" in this structure, but it labels it an adverb in the section, "Examples of there in a …