What is the difference between these two sentences:
It is September.
It is in September.
There seems a difference, but I don't know it.
When to use the one over the other?
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Could you tell us what you're trying to say?– user3395Commented Dec 29, 2018 at 14:48
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@userr2684291 Sorry, it is from Duolingo French course but French clearly tells them apart, and the course creators explain it relating to these English. But I don't understand the difference, so came here to ask.– BlaszardCommented Dec 29, 2018 at 14:53
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1 Answer
Generally speaking, the following is how you would interpret the two sentences.
It is September.
This means that the current month is September.
It is in September.
Purely on its own, this sentence is awkward and unidiomatic. If we mean to say that the current month is September, we never say it is in September.
However, the sentence makes sense if the pronoun is referring to some kind of event:
"When is the wedding?"
"It is (scheduled to be) in September."
Note that there are some alternatives to a standalone sentence about it being September—one even uses in and doesn't refer to an event:
It is now September.
We find ourselves in September.
answered Dec 29, 2018 at 16:26
