Do you see a problem in this sentence: "It is now

Question

Do you see a problem in this sentence:

"It is now recognized that politics plays a role in this election."

It as pronoun agrees with which antecedent?

Vercules · Answer

Hi score780,

In this case "it" is referring the the whole relative pronoun clause "that politics plays a role in this election".

Replacing it with the relative clause:

That politics plays a role in this election is now recognized.  --> This construction of the sentence is less preferred than the one with the "it"

This usage of "it" is known as "placeholder it".

"it" is also used when we do not have a defined subject for a sentence or the subject in implied but could not be stated in the sentence.

for example.

It is raining outside.   --> what is "it" referring to? It is being used as a replacement of an undefined subject. The implied reference is of weather

It is seven o'clock in my watch.   --> here also "it" is also acting as the subject of the sentence, the implied reference is of time.

Hope this helps,

Vercules

score780 · Answer

Thank you very much Vercules. I understand that the "it" usages you mentioned are right. But in the GMAT, can we use it to refer to an undefined subject. I am studying in Kaplan and they say that the subject referred to should always be there and the pronoun should clearly point to it.

Vercules · Answer

Hi score780,

As this is a standard English usage, GMAT may give a sentence with containing "it" used as explained above. In other cases, in which "it" is used as a pronoun, "it" must have an antecedent which agrees with "it" number/ gender. 
 
 Note that ambiguity in pronoun can be tolerated in GMAT SC if there are other choices are containing grammatical errors. Pronoun ambiguity are guidelines or suggestions, only eliminate an answer choice based on pronoun ambiguity after you have considered other grammatical errors.

Consider the following GMATPrep question as an example:

During the same period in which the Maya were developing a hieroglyphic system of writing, the Aztec people also developed a written language,  but it was not as highly sophisticated as that of the Maya and was  more pictographic in nature.

A. but it was not as highly sophisticated as that of the Maya and was

B. but it was not as highly sophisticated ad the Maya, being

C. but, not as highly sophisticated as the Maya's, was

D. not as highly sophisticated as that of the Maya, however, being

E. not as highly sophisticated as the Maya's however, it was

A

In the OA "it" and "that" refer to "written language", but one can think that they may also refer to "hieroglyphic system of writing". Such ambiguity is tolerated.

Hope this helps,

Vercules

Do you see a problem in this sentence: "It is now

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