Question
Updated on
13 Aug 2018
- Ukrainian Near fluent
-
English (UK)
-
English (US)
Question about English (UK)
How should I reply to this: "I hope you had a good time".
1. IT was good.
2. THAT was good.
How should I reply to this: "I hope you had a good time".
1. IT was good.
2. THAT was good.
1. IT was good.
2. THAT was good.
IT or THAT ?
And why?
And why?
Answers
13 Aug 2018
Featured answer
- English (US)
- English (UK)
- I hope you had a good time.
The usual reply would be something like, "Oh yes, I had a great time!"
But for your question, you want to know whether to say "it" or "that". Both are possible. "It" is more usual, and "that" is more emphatic. For example:
- Last year I went to London. It was a great summer, but in the winter I froze my bollocks off! (The emphasis is on how cold it was.)
- Last year I went to London. THAT was a great summer! (The emphasis is on how great (enjoyable) the summer was.)
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- English (US)
You should reply with "Yes I did have a good time" or " Yes I had a good time".
Using it and that was good would be an incorrect way of replying.
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- English (US)
- English (UK)
- I hope you had a good time.
The usual reply would be something like, "Oh yes, I had a great time!"
But for your question, you want to know whether to say "it" or "that". Both are possible. "It" is more usual, and "that" is more emphatic. For example:
- Last year I went to London. It was a great summer, but in the winter I froze my bollocks off! (The emphasis is on how cold it was.)
- Last year I went to London. THAT was a great summer! (The emphasis is on how great (enjoyable) the summer was.)
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- Ukrainian Near fluent
@OldGeezer I get it. Thanks a lot for the examples! ☺️
Yes, I still have some difficulty with using "it" and "that" cos they mean the same in my language :)
Yes, I still have some difficulty with using "it" and "that" cos they mean the same in my language :)
- English (US)
- English (UK)
@Milanova You're welcome. :)
"It" and "that" are hard for a native speaker to explain because their meanings are similar, and we learn to use them by ear (which one sounds right) rather than by any rule. I'm glad you found my examples useful.
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