find it hard to / think it important that
find it hard to / think it important that means “It works as a dummy object after find, think, make and consider, standing in for a later to-infinitive or that-clause.”. After verbs like find, think, consider, make and believe, English often uses it as a placeholder object, then an adjective, then the real content: I find it hard to say no; we consider it essential to act now. Formation: find/think/make + it + adjective + to-do / that-clause
It works as a dummy object after find, think, make and consider, standing in for a later to-infinitive or that-clause.
B2Formation
find/think/make + it + adjective + to-do / that-clause
Explanation
After verbs like find, think, consider, make and believe, English often uses it as a placeholder object, then an adjective, then the real content: I find it hard to say no; we consider it essential to act now. The it can also point forward to a that-clause: They made it clear that changes were coming. Without this it the sentence is wrong: not 'I find hard to say no'. Common frames are find/think it + adjective + to do and make/find it + adjective + that.
Examples
Note
This it carries no meaning of its own; it just holds the object slot until the to-infinitive or that-clause arrives. Compare the empty subject it in 'It is hard to say no'.
FAQ
find it hard to / think it important that — what does it mean and how is it used?
It works as a dummy object after find, think, make and consider, standing in for a later to-infinitive or that-clause.. After verbs like find, think, consider, make and believe, English often uses it as a placeholder object, then an adjective, then the real content: I find it hard to say no; we consider it essential to act now. The it can also point forward to a that-clause: They made it clear that changes were coming. Without this it the sentence is wrong: not 'I find hard to say no'. Common frames are find/think it + adjective + to do and make/find it + adjective + that.
find it hard to / think it important that — how do you form it?
find/think/make + it + adjective + to-do / that-clause
find it hard to / think it important that — any usage notes?
This it carries no meaning of its own; it just holds the object slot until the to-infinitive or that-clause arrives. Compare the empty subject it in 'It is hard to say no'.