It's or they are...

Werner   Wed Dec 14, 2005 1:51 am GMT
What's correct English, please:
They are the papers of ownership? or
It's the papers of ownership?
"What are those?" "They are books." That's how it is explained in my English book (40 yrs old). Here in America, I often hear people saying "It's + plural". Is it American dialect or is it common in British English as well?
Thanks for yr. replies.
Uriel   Wed Dec 14, 2005 5:14 am GMT
Easy way to remember: "it" is singular, "they", "those" and "these" are plural. Just match the right pronoun to the subject.
JJM   Wed Dec 14, 2005 8:15 am GMT
"I often hear people saying 'It's + plural'. Is it American dialect or is it common in British English as well?"

This is a very common idiomatic construction in English everywhere. It is also perfectly acceptable.

"It's lots of fun."

"It's people like you who cause trouble."
Mxsmanic   Fri Dec 16, 2005 5:48 am GMT
In constructions like this, a singular subject is often understood. "It's lots of fun" simply means "this activity is lots of fun," and "it's people like you" means "the problem is people like you."
Guest   Fri Dec 16, 2005 6:37 am GMT
>>"it's people like you" means "the problem is people like you."<<

Not necessarily. "It's people like you that makes this place wonderful" doesn't imply there is a problem. It's simpler to think of "it's people like you" as "it's a person like you".
Guest   Fri Dec 16, 2005 6:51 am GMT
"It's people like you" is usually followed by something negative, though.
JJM   Fri Dec 16, 2005 6:15 pm GMT
"You'll enjoy our cruise. It's great live shows and excellent gourmet meals every night."

"It's your parents! They're delighted to hear we're coming to visit."

"It's the great men of history we always remember: Napoleon, Churchill, Lincoln, Caesar..."

Negative?
Graeme   Fri Dec 16, 2005 8:17 pm GMT
JJM: This is just bad English which is used commonly in America in advertising and media. For instance, "it's lots of fun" should be
"It's a lot of fun".

And then
"It's people like you that cause (this kind of) trouble."

Isn't 'people like you' considered to be singular in this sentence? Not sure if 'it is' always has to be singular anyway, more of a tense thing. Could be wrong...
JJM   Sat Dec 17, 2005 6:14 pm GMT
"This is just bad English which is used commonly in America in advertising and media."

Bad English? Come off it. How do you explain "it's your parents"? And don't tell me you would say "they're your parents"?
Guest   Mon Dec 19, 2005 2:29 am GMT
>> JJM: This is just bad English which is used commonly in America in advertising and media. For instance, "it's lots of fun" should be
"It's a lot of fun". <<

And in Bwitain.
anonymous2   Mon Dec 19, 2005 4:13 am GMT
What about "There's no more bags" or "There's two of them". I live in Canada, and personally, I've never heard a native speaker say "There are ..." except in formal speech. Correct me if I'm wrong.
Terry   Mon Dec 19, 2005 4:46 am GMT
<<What's correct English, please:
They are the papers of ownership? or
It's the papers of ownership? >>

"They are the papers of ownership," I say is the correct English for that particular sentence.

However, "it's" is a contraction for "it is" and is perfectly acceptable in English, although I would use "they are" in that sentence because papers are plural. You could also use the contraction "they're," as in, "They're the papers of ownership."