Anticipatory 'It' for Clausal Subjects

English sentences almost always need a subject. Usually, the subject is a person like I or an object like the car. But sometimes, the subject is an action, like to learn English. You could say, To learn English is fun. This is grammatically correct, but it sounds very stiff and formal. It’s like wearing a tuxedo to a grocery store! Instead, we move the action to the end. We put it at the start to take the empty spot. So, To learn English is fun becomes It is fun to learn English. Now the sentence feels balanced. The word it points forward. It tells the listener, "Hey, the real topic is coming soon!" It is a simple placeholder. It has no real meaning by itself here. It just helps the sentence flow.

1. 1Creating these sentences is like following a simple recipe. You only need four main ingredients. Follow these steps to build your sentence:
2. 2Start with the placeholder it.
3. 3Add a verb, usually is or was.
4. 4Add an adjective to give your opinion (like good, hard, or nice).
5. 5Add the real action starting with to (the infinitive).
6. 6Let's look at a quick example: It (1) + is (2) + easy (3) + to use (4). You can also make it negative by adding not. For example: It is not easy to wake up early. It is like a grammar traffic light; it gives you the green light to start talking before you even finish thinking about the main action!

This pattern is very common in daily life. You will use it whenever you want to give an opinion about an activity.

• Ordering Food: When you look at a big menu, you might say, It is hard to choose!
• Asking Directions: If a place is far away, a local might say, It is better to take a bus.
• Job Interviews: To be polite, you can say, It is nice to meet you or It is great to be here.
• Daily Rules: At school, a teacher might say, It is important to listen.
• Socializing: When meeting a friend, you could say, It is fun to see you again.

It makes you sound friendly and helpful. It is the "polite mode" of English grammar.

Don't use this it when you are talking about a specific person or a physical thing. If you want to say your friend is happy, say He is happy. Do not say It is happy him. That sounds very strange! Also, if the subject is already short, you don't need the placeholder. Coffee is good is perfect. You don't need to say It is good coffee unless you are pointing at a specific cup. Remember, the anticipatory it is specifically for actions that start with to. If there is no to + verb later in the sentence, you probably don't need this specific rule. It’s a specialized tool, like a cake server—don’t try to use it to eat soup!

Many people forget the it entirely. They might say, Is important to study. In some languages, this is okay. In English, it is a big mistake! Every sentence needs a subject. Always start with it. Another mistake is forgetting the to. People say, It is easy learn English. This sounds "broken." You must use to before the verb. Finally, don't forget the verb is. Some say, It nice to meet you. You need that little is to bridge the gap. Think of it and is as best friends; they almost always go together in these sentences. Yes, even the best of us forget them when we are tired, but keep practicing!

Let’s compare this to other ways of speaking. You might know sentences like I like to swim. Here, I is the subject. You are the one doing the liking. But with It is fun to swim, we are talking about the activity itself. Another contrast is with the word that. Sometimes we say, It is true that he is nice. This is similar! But for A1 level, focus on the to + verb version first. It is much more common in basic conversation. Think of it as the generic version. It’s like buying "store brand" cereal; it works just as well and is easier to find!