Level 08 – Step 06 : Abstract Subjects — It helps to be kind. It hurts to be ignored.
/Level 08 – Step 06 : Abstract Subjects — It helps to be kind. It hurts to be ignored.
🚪 Let’s Begin
/🚪 Let’s Begin
🦉Professor Owl: Today we will learn how English uses “It” as an abstract subject to talk about feelings and ideas.
/🦉Professor Owl: Today we will learn how English uses “It” as an abstract subject to talk about feelings and ideas.
🐧Igupen: Abstract subject? That sounds big.
/🐧Igupen: Abstract subject? That sounds big.
How can “It” be a subject when nothing is there?
/How can “It” be a subject when nothing is there?
🦉Professor Owl: Ho ho.
/🦉Professor Owl: Ho ho.
“It” can stand for general situations or experiences.
/”It” can stand for general situations or experiences.
We use this to speak about what is good, bad, easy, or hard in life.
/We use this to speak about what is good, bad, easy, or hard in life.
Listen to the examples and feel how “It” points to the idea, not a person.
/Listen to the examples and feel how “It” points to the idea, not a person.
🐧Igupen: I see.
/🐧Igupen: I see.
So “It helps to be kind” means being kind is helpful in general?
/So “It helps to be kind” means being kind is helpful in general?
🦉Professor Owl: Exactly.
/🦉Professor Owl: Exactly.
Try saying the pattern out loud and notice the hidden meaning.
/Try saying the pattern out loud and notice the hidden meaning.
📚 Lesson
/📚 Lesson
What is an abstract subject with It + verb?
/What is an abstract subject with It + verb?
Sometimes we use “It” as the sentence subject when we talk about general situations, feelings, or facts.
/Sometimes we use “It” as the sentence subject when we talk about general situations, feelings, or facts.
The real idea (an action or a fact) comes after the verb in the sentence.
/The real idea (an action or a fact) comes after the verb in the sentence.
Common pattern: It + verb (adjective) + to + verb / that + clause.
/Common pattern: It + verb (adjective) + to + verb / that + clause.
Example meaning: “It helps to be kind.”
/Example meaning: “It helps to be kind.”
Being kind helps.
/Being kind helps.
“It hurts to be ignored.”
/”It hurts to be ignored.”
Being ignored causes pain.
/Being ignored causes pain.
When to use this pattern
/When to use this pattern
To talk about feelings or results of actions (helps, hurts, matters, is important, is hard, is easy).
/To talk about feelings or results of actions (helps, hurts, matters, is important, is hard, is easy).
To make a general statement about life, rules, or advice.
/To make a general statement about life, rules, or advice.
Quick structure checks
/Quick structure checks
It helps to + base verb → It helps to study every day.
/It helps to + base verb → It helps to study every day.
It is important to + base verb → It is important to listen.
/It is important to + base verb → It is important to listen.
It hurts to + base verb (passive idea) → It hurts to be left out.
/It hurts to + base verb (passive idea) → It hurts to be left out.
🦉Professor Owl’s one-point tip
/🦉Professor Owl’s one-point tip
Find the hidden idea: replace the sentence with the phrase that starts with the -ing form.
/Find the hidden idea: replace the sentence with the phrase that starts with the -ing form.
Example: “It helps to be kind.” → “Being kind helps.”
/Example: “It helps to be kind.” → “Being kind helps.”
If that makes sense, your sentence uses “It” as the abstract subject.
/If that makes sense, your sentence uses “It” as the abstract subject.
🌼 Sample Sentences
/🌼 Sample Sentences
No.01 It helps to be kind.
/No.01 It helps to be kind.
No.02 It hurts to be ignored.
/No.02 It hurts to be ignored.
No.03 It is important to eat breakfast.
/No.03 It is important to eat breakfast.
No.04 It is easy to learn songs with practice.
/No.04 It is easy to learn songs with practice.
No.05 It is hard to finish homework at the last minute.
/No.05 It is hard to finish homework at the last minute.
No.06 It matters to tell the truth.
/No.06 It matters to tell the truth.
No.07 It is fun to play games with friends.
/No.07 It is fun to play games with friends.
No.08 It is dangerous to touch hot stoves.
/No.08 It is dangerous to touch hot stoves.
No.09 It is polite to say thank you.
/No.09 It is polite to say thank you.
No.10 It is surprising to find a lost toy.
/No.10 It is surprising to find a lost toy.
🎓 Practice exercises
/🎓 Practice exercises
Note: Think first, then check the answers at the end.
/Note: Think first, then check the answers at the end.
Q1: Rewrite with the -ing phrase: It helps to exercise daily.
/Q1: Rewrite with the -ing phrase: It helps to exercise daily.
Q2: Choose the correct completion: It is _____ to swim without a teacher. (dangerous / fun)
/Q2: Choose the correct completion: It is _____ to swim without a teacher. (dangerous / fun)
Q3: Change to abstract It form: “Learning new words is useful.”
/Q3: Change to abstract It form: “Learning new words is useful.”
Q4: True or False: “It hurts to be teased” means “Being teased hurts.”
/Q4: True or False: “It hurts to be teased” means “Being teased hurts.”
Q5: Fill in the blank with the base verb: It is polite to _____ when someone gives you a gift. (say thank you)
/Q5: Fill in the blank with the base verb: It is polite to _____ when someone gives you a gift. (say thank you)
Q6: Identify the hidden idea (the action) in: It is easy to make friends at camp.
/Q6: Identify the hidden idea (the action) in: It is easy to make friends at camp.
Q7: Choose the correct sentence: A) It worries to forget the test. B) It is worrying to forget the test.
/Q7: Choose the correct sentence: A) It worries to forget the test. B) It is worrying to forget the test.
Q8: Make a sentence using this idea with abstract It: [be honest is important]
/Q8: Make a sentence using this idea with abstract It: [be honest is important]
Q9: Change to -ing phrase: It is hard to wake up early.
/Q9: Change to -ing phrase: It is hard to wake up early.
Q10: Fill the blank with the correct abstract It pattern: _____ to eat vegetables is healthy. (It helps / It is)
/Q10: Fill the blank with the correct abstract It pattern: _____ to eat vegetables is healthy. (It helps / It is)
◆ Answers
/◆ Answers
A1: Exercising every day helps.
/A1: Exercising every day helps.
A2: dangerous → It is dangerous to swim without a teacher.
/A2: dangerous → It is dangerous to swim without a teacher.
A3: It is useful to learn new words.
/A3: It is useful to learn new words.
A4: True.
/A4: True.
A5: say thank you → It is polite to say thank you when someone gives you a gift.
/A5: say thank you → It is polite to say thank you when someone gives you a gift.
A6: Making friends at camp.
/A6: Making friends at camp.
A7: B is correct → It is worrying to forget the test.
/A7: B is correct → It is worrying to forget the test.
A8: It is important to be honest.
/A8: It is important to be honest.
A9: Waking up early is hard.
/A9: Waking up early is hard.
A10: It is → It is healthy to eat vegetables.
/A10: It is → It is healthy to eat vegetables.
🦉 Closing
/🦉 Closing
🦉Professor Owl: Well done today.
/🦉Professor Owl: Well done today.
When you hear “It” at the start, look for the idea that follows the verb — that idea is the real subject.
/When you hear “It” at the start, look for the idea that follows the verb — that idea is the real subject.
🐧Igupen: I will try turning sentences into -ing phrases to check the meaning.
/🐧Igupen: I will try turning sentences into -ing phrases to check the meaning.
Thank you, Professor Owl.
/Thank you, Professor Owl.
🦉Professor Owl: Keep practicing with short sentences from your day.
/🦉Professor Owl: Keep practicing with short sentences from your day.
Little steps make big improvements.
/Little steps make big improvements.
You are doing wonderfully.
/You are doing wonderfully.
