Could you please remind me what term linguists and the grammar people use to call it when it's used as a subject pronoun, but the funky thing is that it doesn't really refer back to anything in particular like he, she or we usually do which do refer back to a person or an animal that they stand for.
In grammar-speak, when it is used like that they say that it has no antecedent. I think I knew the term, but I unfortunately forgot it. I did a Google search, but the only thing I could find was empty subject. But the truth is that I don't think that's what they actually use in linguistics. Would you please refresh my memory?
Examples:
- It's quite cold today outside. So, I don't really wanna go out.
- Did I solve that math problem? Yes. Actually, it was very easy to get it cracked. There was really nothing to it!
- Don't mention it! It's nothing. I really like to help people who are in need.
Answer
- It's cold today.
- It's easy to do.
- It's nothing.
For your example #1: It's cold today.
The term I use for that "it" (in #1) is dummy pronoun, and it is a dummy pronoun that realizes subject function.
Evidence that shows "it" to be a subject is: "Has it been cold today?" (subject-auxiliary inversion). The "it" underwent inversion with the auxiliary verb, and so, it probably is the subject.
Evidence that shows "it" to be a pronoun: "It is cold today, isn't it?" (interrogative tag question). Only pronouns can be subjects of the tag question.
As for your other examples (#2 and #3), er, they might be regular pronouns (that is, they are not dummies). You might want to surround them with a context, and then, you might see that the "it" actually does have an antecedent.
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