We're sunsetting PodQuest on 2025-07-28. Thank you for your support!
Export Podcast Subscriptions
cover of episode The mystery of ‘it’ in English. The most dramatic moments in grammar history. Ghost Town Mad, the song

The mystery of ‘it’ in English. The most dramatic moments in grammar history. Ghost Town Mad, the song

2025/3/4
logo of podcast Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing
AI Deep Dive AI Chapters Transcript
People
L
Lex Friedman
M
Mignon Fogarty
广
广告
Topics
Mignon Fogarty: 我是米格农·福加蒂，你的英语语言友好指南。今天，为了纪念3月4日的国家语法日，我们将从一个硬核语法话题开始，然后讨论一些历史上最戏剧性的语法故事。首先，我们将探讨为什么我们在句首使用'it'，例如'It is raining'。'it'在这里并非指代任何具体事物，而是一个语法占位符，在正式语法中被称为'expletive'或'dummy subject'。它就像电影场景中的替身演员，虽然没有实际表演，但为了让演出继续进行而必须存在。并非所有语言都需要这种占位符，例如西班牙语、意大利语、葡萄牙语和日语等语言的动词变位已经包含了主语信息，不需要额外的占位词。 接下来，我们将讨论一些语法史上的戏剧性事件，例如1837年巴黎发生的因分号和冒号用法而引发的决斗；1802年，美国商人Timothy Dexter出版了一本没有标点符号的自传，却意外地获得了成功；1927年，卓别林的离婚案中，他的妻子爆料他语法不好；16世纪的“语法学家战争”，两位拉丁语法教师因教学方法不同而引发了激烈的争论；1916年，爱尔兰革命者Roger Casement因一个逗号的法律解释而被判处死刑；1872年，美国政府因关税法案中一个逗号的错误而损失了巨额资金；以及1922年，詹姆斯·乔伊斯的《尤利西斯》首次出版时，由于手稿难以辨认和印刷错误，出现了大量的错字。这些故事告诉我们，语法虽然是细节，但它可能涉及自尊、仇恨、金钱和生死。 Karen Lundy: 我是卡伦·伦迪，一位前Quick & Dirty Tips编辑，我撰写了数百篇关于如何更好地写作的文章。我是一名在线教育先驱，创办了最早的在线写作工作坊之一。如今，我带领个人叙事写作静修，帮助作家找到自己的声音。 Lex Friedman: 我创作并演唱了一首关于'鬼城狂怒'的歌曲，这首歌讲述了Sherry家人在鬼城主题公园发生的一场传奇争吵。

Deep Dive

Chapters
Explore the grammatical role of the word 'it' in English sentences, particularly when it serves as a placeholder or dummy subject.
  • 'It' in sentences like 'It's raining' is a grammatical placeholder, not referring to anything specific.
  • This usage is known as an expletive or dummy subject in formal grammar.
  • Languages like Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese often don't require this placeholder due to verb conjugation carrying the subject meaning.

Shownotes Transcript

  1. Ever wonder why we say "It's raining" even though "it" doesn't refer to anything? We explain the logic behind this quirky English rule. Then, we look at some of the most dramatic moments in grammar history, including a semicolon duel, a costly comma mistake, and a famous book with 5,000 typos.

The "dummy 'it'" segment is by Karen Lunde, a former Quick & Dirty Tips editor and digital pioneer who's been spinning words into gold since before cat videos ruled the internet. She created one of the first online writing workshops, and she's published thousands of articles on the art of writing. These days, she leads personal narrative writing retreats and helps writers find their voice. Visit her at ChanterelleStoryStudio.com).

"Ghost Town Mad" by Lex Friedman).

🔗 **Share your familect recording in a **WhatsApp chat.)

🔗 Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses).

🔗 Subscribe to the newsletter).

🔗 **Take our advertising survey). **

🔗** Get the edited transcript).**

🔗 **Get Grammar Girl books). **

🔗 Join Grammarpalooza)**. **Get ad-free and bonus episodes at Apple Podcasts) or Subtext). Learn more about the difference). 

| HOST: Mignon Fogarty

| VOICEMAIL: 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475).

| Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network).

  • Audio Engineer: Dan Feierabend
  • Director of Podcast: Brannan Goetschius
  • Advertising Operations Specialist: Morgan Christianson
  • Marketing and Publicity Assistant: Davina Tomlin
  • Digital Operations Specialist: Holly Hutchings
  • Marketing and Video: Nat Hoopes

| Theme music by Catherine Rannus).

| Grammar Girl Social Media: YouTube). TikTok). Facebook).Threads). Instagram). LinkedIn). Mastodon). Bluesky).