【问】 It isn’t quite____(A. sure B. right C. certain D. exact)that he will be present atthe meeting.(攻读硕士学位研究生入学考试英语试题，1984年)

标准答案为C。这是不是意味着It is sure that的用法在英语里是错误的?

【答】 实际上，在英语里也使用It is sure that这个句型。R. Quirk等人在A ComprehensiveGrammar of the English Language(第18.36节)中就曾指出过：

“It’s impossible to deal with him. ～He’s impossible to deal with.

……

There is a similar construction for be sure，be certain，seem ，appear，be said，be known，etc，except that in these cases the corresponding construction with anticipatory it requires athat-clause，not a to-infinitive clause，and except also that it is the subject of the extraposedclause that is fronted：

It's certain that we'll forget the address. ～We're certain to forget the address.It seems that you've made a mistake.～You seem to have made a mistake. ”

(“be sure，be certain，seem，appear，be said，be known等也有相类似的结构，只是在这里含有先行词it的相对应的结构要求一个that从句，而不是要求带to的不定式，而且it是提到句首的外位从句的主语：

It's certain that we'll forget the address.

～We're certain to forget the address. ”)

这说明It's sure that结构是英语里正常的句型。

但是，也有人持相反的观点。例如，Longman Dictionary Of American English的编者们明确地指出：Sure cannot be used of events. (sure不能用于事件。)并说下列句中的certain绝不可换为sure：

It is certain that he will come.

我认为，象这种在语言学家之中尚有争议的用法，不应该做为考试项目。