4.1 Expletives: it or there is hooked to the verb to be
These are sometimes called expletive expressions, since
the it or there is needless to the idea of the
sentence. "It is their opinion that there could be an increase
in CPU contention" could be more concisely and forcefully
stated as "They think that CPU contention could increase."
These expressions come in several forms, two of which are immediately identifiable:
- Wordy hedges: these include it is possible that, it is probably that, there is a chance that, it is likely that, and the like
- Expletives of necessity: these include it is necessary that, it is important that, it is crucial that, and the like.
Would you like to see some sentences?