Dummy pronouns

Dummy pronouns are words that function grammatically as pronouns but do not have antecedents.

They do not replace a noun, phrase, or clause.

Functions of 'it' and 'there'

	Functions	Examples
it	To talk about the weather To talk about time and dates To talk about distance As a provisional subject	It is going to rain. It was June the first. It is five blocks from here. It is hard to leave you.
there	To indicate where or when To talk about number or amount To refer to a place To refer to existence	There is something on your chin. There are some books on the floor. Stay there! I will be there as soon as possible. There is a wonderful party tonight.

They refer to nothing in particular, instead helping the sentence to function properly in a grammatical context.

Examples

There were flowers in the meadow.

There doesn't refer to a specific place but serves to indicate existence. It's introducing the idea that flowers exist in the meadow.

It looks like it may snow tonight.

it is used as a provisional subject. It doesn’t refer to anything specific; instead, it introduces the idea of the weather condition (snow) that is about to be discussed.