Here, There, Everywhere

There is virtually no more boring way to start a sentence than with the words “there is.” Wait, let me rephrase that. Starting a sentence with “there is” will put your readers to sleep faster than listening to Enya while downing a Grey Goose martini with an Ambien chaser. Ditto “it is.” With no antecedents, both phrases are empty vessels. Starting a sentence this way is weak, notes Patricia O’Conner, author of Woe Is I, because “there is a phantom subject, standing in for a real one.” I can write, “There is a heated discussion taking place in Cori’s office right now” or “A heated discussion is taking place in Cori’s office right now.” Either way, the subject is “heated discussion.” “There is” didn’t add anything but dead wood. I can write “It is known among Sean’s friends that he wants to go kitesurfing in Maui” or “Sean’s friends know he wants to go kitesurfing in Maui.” Either way, the subject is “Sean.” “It is” didn’t add anything but dead wood. As introductory phrases “there are” and “it is” introduce nothing but extra words into your copy (notice how much stronger and shorter the second sentence above is). “There is” and “it is” tell us nothing. They tamp down the action of the sentence by postponing it. While “there is” and “it is” can’t (and really, shouldn’t) always be avoided, the less used the better. As you  edit your work – or that of others – pay special attention to sentences that begin with these phrases. They can often be rewritten, and they should be.

Comments

[Terry]

Could you add "In order to" to the list? What does "In order" add except baggage?

[Karen]

What about "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife."