Page 141 - Oxford_English_Grammar_Course_Basic_2015

it with infinitive subjects It's nice to be here with you.

We don't often begin sentences with infinitive subjects (like To be here with you is nice).
More often, we begin with it and put the infinitive later.
The structure It is/was etc + adjective + infinitive (with fo) is very common.

It's nice to be here with you. It was good to see you again. It's important to remember people's names.

^ Change these sentences to make them more natural.

► To take your passport is necessary. ..!!?£. ..............................

1 To phone John was not necessary.

2 To understand that woman is impossible.

3 To stay in bed late on Sundays is nice.

4 To say'No'is sometimes difficult.

5 To make our children happy was easy.

6 To tell the truth is sometimes dangerous.

7 To eat out in restaurants is expensive.

8 To learn a foreign language perfectly is almost impossible.

9 To travel is nice.

10 To visit my parents was good.

^ Complete these sentences about a summer holiday. Use It was and words from the box.

a bit hard to understand dangerous to swim expensive to eat impossible to be
interesting to see nice to have really good to get away/ very easy to make

it was re a lly good to get awa_y_ from home and work,
1 ......................................................... sunshine every day.
2 how other people live.
3 Sometimes...................................... ...................the language if people
talked fast.
4 ................................................................................................friends.

5 ................................................................................................in restaurants, but the food was wonderful.
6 The sea was beautiful, b u t................................................................................................
7 There were so many things to do that................................................................................................. bored.

126 INFINITIVES AND -//VC FORMS