10.42 Commenting on a fact that you are about to mention

When you want to comment on a fact, event, or situation, you can use 'it' followed by a link verb, a complement, and a 'that'-clause giving the fact.

• It is strange that it hasn't been noticed before.
• It's a shame he didn't come.
• From the photographs it seems clear my mother was no beauty.

Here is a list of adjectives used in complements in this structure:

• amazing, apparent, appropriate, awful, bad, clear, doubtful, essential, evident, extraordinary, fair, funny, good, important, inevitable, interesting, likely, lucky, natural, obvious, odd, plain, possible, probable, queer, sad, strange, surprising, true, unlikely, wonderful

Here is a list of nouns used in complements in this structure:

• disgrace, marvel, nuisance, pity, shame, surprise, wonder