It stands in for one animal or thing
Not everything in a sentence is a person. For one animal or one thing, use it.
“The kite got stuck. It hung in the tree for a week.”
“My bike has a flat tire. It needs air.”
Animals and things both work
| Naming word | Pronoun |
|---|---|
| the kite | it |
| the beetle | it |
| my bike | it |
| the soup | it |
One rule covers a lot of ground. If it is not a person and there is only one of them, “it” is your word.
Pets are a special case
You can say “it” about any animal. Most people use “he” or “she” for a pet they know.
“My dog is old. She sleeps all day.”
Both ways are correct. Use whichever fits how you think about the animal.
A mistake to watch for
Do not use “it” for a person.
“My brother came home. It was hungry.” is wrong and it sounds unkind.
“My brother came home. He was hungry.” is right.
People get he or she. Things get it.
One more job for it
The word “it” also shows up when you talk about the weather or the time.
- “It is raining.”
- “It is cold outside.”
- “It is almost three o’clock.”
There is no naming word before those. That is just how English says them.
Your turn
Which pronoun fits?
- “The soup is hot. ____ needs to cool down.”
- “A beetle landed on my arm. ____ was green.”
- “My grandpa waved. ____ was on the porch.”
Check your answers
- “It needs to cool down.”
- “It was green.”
- “He was on the porch.”
Remember
- Use it for one animal or one thing.
- Never use it for a person.
- It also works for weather and time.