‘It’ and ‘Is’ both are used in English grammar and are used in many sentences by people around the globe. They play a very important role in the formation and meaning of the sentences, but at times people use them incorrectly while forming a sentence as both are third-person singular words. However, there are many points of difference between them.
It vs Is
The main difference between ‘It’ and ‘Is’ is that ‘It’ is a third-person singular pronoun as well as a noun and an adjective in a sentence. But ‘Is’ is a singular form that falls under be verb and is used in the third person present tense and also present participle tense in a sentence.
‘It’ is commonly used in both types, such as a subject pronoun and an object pronoun, and is also used to mention many living things like – trees, animals, etc., in English text and spoken English. The word ‘It’ is used in a sentence to refer to anything that is already mentioned or easily identified (for example, a room with three desks in it).
The word ‘Is’ is used in many ways, among which one of the ways is to indicate a thing or situation about to happen (for Example- Construction is to begin next week). In a sentence when there is- it/he/she /she, then automatically the word ‘Is’ is placed after them. For example, He is a great sportsman. She is good at singing. It is a nice place to visit.
Comparison Table Between It and Is
| Parameters of Comparison | It | Is |
| Type of word | Third-person singular pronoun as well as a noun. | Third-person singular is a verb. |
| Referred to | Anything which is already mentioned or can be identified easily | Indicate a thing or situation about to happen |
| Placement | Usually placed at the beginning or end of the sentence | Usually placed in the middle or after the words- it/he/she, and at the beginning of an interrogative sentence. |
| Short-form | No short form is used | ‘s – is used in many sentences |
| Examples | This is a room with three beds in it. | Construction is to begin next week. |
What is It?
According to the English grammar dictionary, ‘It’ is a third-person singular pronoun as well as a noun that can be used in many ways and both as a subjective pronoun and objective pronoun or as an object of a preposition. Now to start as a pronoun, ‘it’ is used to refer to anything which is already mentioned or can be identified easily.
Few examples are-
- He saw a white tiger in the forest. It was a thrilling moment for him.
- It is a wonderful place to visit in this city.
- My husband sat on a cake. He feels shy to talk about it.
The word ‘It’ is also used to mention a child whose gender is not known or revealed yet. For example- After the child was born, it brought happiness in our life.
‘It’ can also be used as a passive clause where it reports a situation or an event. For example-
- It has been said that stress causes insomnia.
- It is noted that the cases of illness increased significantly within a year.
Again, ‘it’ can be used as a noun to express feelings or a perspective in a situation. For example-
- It is good to see John after such a long time.
- It is a good diet plan to be healthy.
- I have this type of pen. It is really smooth in writing.
- It was a really bad experience for me.
What is Is?
‘Is’ is a third-person singular be verb used in the present tense. This can be shortened and used as -’s. This word is used in many ways, among which one is to indicate a thing or situation about to happen. For example-
- Construction is to begin next week.
- There is a party organized tomorrow.
In a sentence, when there is- it/he/she, most of the time, then there is a possibility then ‘is’ is automatically placed after them. For example-
- He is a great judo player.
- She’s good at swimming.
- It is a nice place to visit next week.
The origin of ‘Is’ is from Old English (es) Indo-European to Middle English. Few examples of ‘is’ in a sentence are as follows-
- Is she not pretty?
- This is where kids have their lunch.
- Is this true what I hear about you?
In these sentences, ‘Is’ is used mostly in the middle and a few times while constructing interrogative sentences. But it is not always necessary that all interrogative sentences start with ‘is’. In few interrogative sentences, ‘is’ can also be in the middle of the sentences rather than in the beginning. For example-
- When is the program going to start?
- Do you think it is fair?
Main Differences Between It and Is
- ‘It’ and ‘Is’ both are third-person singular, but one is a pronoun as well as a noun or adjective, and the other is a ‘be’ verb, respectively.
- ‘It’ is referred to use at anything which is already mentioned or can be identified easily, and ‘Is’ indicates a thing or a situation that is about to happen.
- ‘It’ can be placed in an assertive sentence, whereas ‘Is’ can be placed in the beginning to make an interrogative sentence.
- ‘Is’ has a shortened term that is- ‘s, but ‘It’ has no such shortened term.
- ‘It’ is mentioned for living things and also for children whose gender is not known, whereas ‘Is’ is mentioned for all present tense things, whether living or non-living or a girl or a boy.
Conclusion
‘It’ is a singular pronoun, noun, and also adjective playing a vital role in the sentences. ‘Is’ is a singular verb used in the present tense that also plays a crucial role in sentence formation and meaning of interrogative and assertive sentences.
‘It’ and ‘Is’ are both very important and necessary words in the English grammar dictionary. Without them, there would be no meaning in any sentences, and the formation of any sentence would be incorrect. They both have a vast difference between them, and just like ‘it’ cannot replace ‘is’; similarly, ‘is’ cannot replace ‘it’. Also, no other word can replace them.
Therefore, as per the sentence, both are required.
References
- https://api.taylorfrancis.com/content/books/mono/download?identifierName=doi&identifierValue=10.4324/9780203715857&type=googlepdf
- http://125.234.102.27/handle/TVDHBRVT/15147