【问】 In the debates，Jefferson won the respect of the Congress. He was made Chairman of acommittee of five members whose duty it was to draw up a document declaring thecolonists'intention to break away from Britain.(胡文仲等编的College English 第二册P.20)

我认为whose duty之后的it是多余的，应当删掉。

【答】 句中的it并没有用错。如果把定语从句whose duty it was to draw...改写为独立的句子，则是：It was his duty to draw up a document...这是典型的带先行主语it的句子(动词不定式为真实主语)。如果删掉原句中的it，则句子就会变成另一种句型：His duty was to drawup a document...(动词不定式为表语)。

正如A.S.Hornby所指出的那样，“由于人们用it来代替其后的动词不定式短语已成为习惯，所以在这类句子中也就用it了：

The man whose business it is to look after the children is not here.

负责照看孩子的那个人不在这儿。”

请做下面的英语试题：

1. Those were the graduate assistants ________to do the research work in the lab.A. to whom it was their responsibility B. whose responsibility there wasC. whose responsibility it was D. of whom with the responsibility (TOEFL，77.5)

2. “Did the audience participate in the play?”

“Yes. those actors_______to involve the audience. ”

A. whom it was the function B. of whom the function was

C. whose function it was D. whose were the function(TOEFL，73.6)