Can I use "It's cold" instead of "It's cold today" just to mean "The weather is cold today"? Once I used this "It's cold" but my friend argued that it was meaningless to say without using the word "today".
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2Well, is tends to refer to now. The past and future limits of that 'now' are left unspecified, but that's different from saying the original phrase is/was meaningless.– LawrenceCommented Aug 11, 2017 at 4:27
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1'Weather it' is referred to at What does "it" refer to in "it's raining"?. 'It's cold' must default to today's weather unless there is an obvious referent other than this; it's idiomatic (though 'Brrr! It's cold!" is probably more so).– Edwin AshworthCommented Aug 11, 2017 at 8:32
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You and your friend might like poking around at English Language Learners.– J.R. ♦Commented Aug 11, 2017 at 9:43
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3 Answers
Yes, you can say "it's cold." The subject, "it," can reasonably be inferred to be referring to the weather in this case.
"Today" doesn't actually do anything to help specify what "it" is referring to - if you couldn't infer it's about the weather, then you would have to explicitly say "The weather is cold."
Do keep in mind that if you just took a sip of a Slurpee, "it" would most likely refer to the drink. So maybe you do need to be more specific. Context does matter.
What "today" does specify is whether that is a temporary or permanent trait of the weather. I think, though, it would be a trite observation, if you lived somewhere that is cold year round, to say "it's cold" and to be referring to just in general rather than today specifically.
It depends on the context. I could say "It's cold" in different situations and you would probably know what I meant.
- Having just taken a sip from the cup of tea you handed to me.
- Having just climbed into a swimming pool.
- Having just walked in to a room.
The is in "It is cold" conveys that the reference is to "now," "at present," which should be enough.
(@Lawrence has already said as much in his comment at OP.)
