pronoun

it

Used for a thing, animal, situation, or previously mentioned idea.

The soup smells delicious, but it needs a little salt.

Etymology

The pronoun continues Old English hit. It supplies a neuter reference to a thing or other previously identifiable subject without repeating its name.

More examples

  • A cat waits by the door, so I let it inside.
  • Our flight is canceled, and there's nothing we can do about it.
  • You suggest moving closer to work, and I agree it's worth considering.

Similar words

this
Points more directly to something nearby or just mentioned.
that
Often points to something more distant or previously identified.