Basics. Using 'It' for Time, Distance, and Weather: correct answers
Jump to answers ↓The "Dummy" Subject Rule
In many languages, if you want to say that rain is falling or that the time is 8:00 AM, you don't need a subject. You can just start with the verb.
English is different. Every complete sentence in English strictly requires a subject and a verb. When we talk about facts like time, weather, or distance, there is no real "doer" of the action. Who or what is doing the raining? Nothing! To fix this grammatical problem, English uses the pronoun it as a placeholder or "dummy" subject. It doesn't mean anything; it simply fills the empty space so the sentence is grammatically correct.
Time, Weather, and Distance
You must use it as the subject for three main categories of information:
1. Time (Clocks, days, dates, and seasons) When someone asks "What time is it?", the answer must start with it. Do not use this, that, or the time. ✅ It is almost midnight. ❌ This is almost midnight. ❌ The time it is almost midnight.
2. Weather and Temperature Use it with adjectives (sunny, cloudy, cold) or verbs (raining, snowing) that describe the weather. ✅ It is pouring rain outside. ❌ He is pouring rain outside. ✅ It is very cloudy and cold.
3. Distance When describing how far away something is, it is the standard subject. ✅ It is very far to the nearest pizza place. ❌ Here is very far to the nearest pizza place. ✅ It is only one mile away!
The "It is" vs. "There is" Trap
A very common mistake for B1-B2 learners is confusing it is with there is when talking about the weather.
Here is the rule: Use it is with adjectives and verbs (sunny, cloudy, raining, snowing). Use there is with nouns (sun, clouds, rain, snow).
✅ It is very windy today. (windy = adjective) ❌ There is very windy today.
✅ There is a strong wind today. (a strong wind = noun phrase) ❌ It is a strong wind today.
Dropping the Subject Completely
If your native language is Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, or another "pro-drop" language, your biggest temptation will be to drop the subject entirely. Because it doesn't translate to a meaningful word in your head, it feels natural to just leave it out. In English, this is always incorrect.
✅ It is only six o'clock! ❌ Is only six o'clock!
✅ It's a very short walk from here. ❌ Is a very short walk from here.
Always double-check your sentences. If you are talking about the time, the weather, or how far away something is, make sure the word it is sitting right at the front of your clause.
Correct answers
Question 1
Complete the text messages between two friends planning a trip to the beach.
"Hey! Are we still going to the beach? I looked out the window, and it is cloudy right now."
"Don't worry, it is only 8:00 AM. The sun will come out soon!"
"Great! And it is only ten miles to the beach, so we will get there fast."
"Hey! Are we still going to the beach? I looked out the window, and it is cloudy right now."
We use the "dummy" pronoun it as the subject when talking about the weather.
"Don't worry, it is only 8:00 AM. The sun will come out soon!"
We use it is (or it's) to state the time.
"Great! And it is only ten miles to the beach, so we will get there fast."
We use it is followed by a measurement (like miles or kilometers) to talk about distance.
Question 2
The correct answers are It is raining heavily today. and It is very cloudy and cold outside.
In English, we use a "dummy" subject it to talk about the weather because every sentence needs a subject.
"The weather it is terrible" has a double subject, and "Is snowing right now!" is missing the subject entirely.
Question 3
Are we there yet? It is over a hundred miles to the next town!
We use "it" as the subject when talking about distance (how far away something is).
It is a very long way to drive without any snacks.
"It" is the correct empty subject for describing a distance as a "long way" or "short way."
My map says it is still fifty miles to the hotel.
Even when stating exact measurements of distance (like fifty miles), "it" remains the correct subject.
Question 4
Help the confused time traveler figure out the current situation by choosing the correct word.
"Oh no! _____ is almost midnight, and my time machine is completely out of battery!"
The correct answer is It.
We use the "dummy" subject it to talk about the time. Even though "it" doesn't refer to a specific object here, English sentences usually need a subject, so "it" steps in to do the job!
Question 5
Help Zorg the Alien complete his report about Earth's strange environment.
"Greetings, Commander. I have landed in London. As usual, it is raining very hard here."
"I wanted to visit a place called Paris next. I checked the map, and it is very far from here."
"I asked a human for the time, and they said it was midnight."
"Greetings, Commander. I have landed in London. As usual, it is raining very hard here."
We use the verb to be (is) with the dummy subject it to describe the weather.
"I wanted to visit a place called Paris next. I checked the map, and it is very far from here."
We use the adjective far with "it is" to describe a long distance.
"I asked a human for the time, and they said it was midnight."
When talking about time in the past, we use it was.
Question 6
The correct answers are Keep going, it is only one mile away! and It's a very short walk from here.
When we talk about distance, we use it as an empty or "dummy" subject.
"Is not far" is incorrect because it is missing a subject, and "The camp it is" incorrectly uses two subjects for the same verb.
Question 7
Oh no, it is already 8:30 AM!
In English, we use "it" as the subject when talking about the time on the clock.
My class starts in ten minutes. It is time to run to school!
We also use "it is time to..." to express that the moment has arrived to do something.
I hope it is not too late to catch the bus.
"It" is the correct subject to use with expressions of time like "too late" or "too early."
Question 8
The correct answers are Relax, it is only six o'clock! and It's still early for the show.
We use the impersonal pronoun it to talk about the time.
Even though "it" doesn't refer to a specific object here, English sentences require a subject, so we cannot just say "Is only six o'clock."
Question 9
Look out the window! It is snowing right now.
We use "it" as an empty (or "dummy") subject to talk about the weather. We cannot use "there" or personal pronouns like "he" or "she" for weather.
Yesterday, it was so windy that my hat flew away.
Even in the past tense, we use "it" (it was) to describe weather conditions.
I just hope it is sunny tomorrow so we can finally go to the beach.
We continue using "it" for future or hoped-for weather.
Question 10
Complete the dramatic weather reporter's live broadcast.
"Grab your umbrellas and hold onto your hats, folks! _____ pouring rain outside, and the wind is howling!"
The correct answer is It's.
When talking about the weather, we use it is (or the contraction it's). "There's" is used to say something exists, but for weather conditions like raining or snowing, "it" is the perfect impersonal subject.
Question 11
Complete the morning shouts of a very busy dad trying to wake up his kids.
"Wake up! I can't believe it is already 7:30 AM!"
"You need your thick coats today because it is very cold outside!"
"Hurry up! It takes twenty minutes to drive to your school!"
"Wake up! I can't believe it is already 7:30 AM!"
We always use it as the subject when telling the time.
"You need your thick coats today because it is very cold outside!"
We use it is plus an adjective (like cold, sunny, or hot) to describe the weather.
"Hurry up! It takes twenty minutes to drive to your school!"
We use "it takes" followed by an amount of time (like minutes or hours) to describe how long a journey is.
Question 12
Choose the correct word to finish the tired hiker's very important question.
"Excuse me, I've been walking for hours. Can you tell me if _____ is very far to the nearest pizza place?"
The correct answer is it.
We use it as the subject when talking about distance (how far away something is). Just like with time and weather, "it" acts as a placeholder subject to make the sentence grammatically complete!