What are impersonal verbs?

What does ‘impersonal’ mean?

The definition of the word “impersonal” is “not referencing or connecting to a specific person.” For example, if you’re talking to your coworker about different colors, you’re speaking on an impersonal topic.

What are impersonal verbs?

Impersonal verbs are verbs that don’t take a definite subject. These are used to discuss general topics, so you won’t use them when writing about people. Impersonal verbs are also known as “weather verbs” because they are often used to describe the weather. They often come after the impersonal pronoun “it,” so if you see the word “it” followed by a verb, it may be an impersonal verb.

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Examples of common impersonal verbs

Here are some impersonal verbs that you likely hear, read, or write about daily:

• Rain
• Snow
• Storm
• Thunder
• Lightning
• Drizzle
• Hail
• Sleet

Examples of impersonal verbs used in sentences

Use these example sentences to help you understand impersonal verbs:

• It snowed really hard last night.

In this sentence, the impersonal pronoun is “it” and the impersonal verb is “snowed.” Since the sentence is just talking about the weather and not a specific person or thing, “snowed” is an impersonal verb.

• It’s hailing outside.

In this sentence, the impersonal verb is “hailing,” and “it” is the impersonal pronoun.

• It is summer.

Writers can also use impersonal verbs to talk about seasons. In this case, “is” is the impersonal verb.

It’s important to note that impersonal verbs and impersonal verb phrases exist that aren’t weather-related. Here are some examples of sentences with impersonal verbs that aren’t related to the weather:

• It seems like the chips are gone.

In this sentence, “seems like” is an impersonal verb phrase since it makes a general statement.

• It’s been said that true love never dies.

The impersonal verb phrase in this sentence is “been said.” Note how this sentence talks about love as a general concept and doesn’t refer to anyone in particular.

Are weather-related verbs always impersonal verbs?

Before you identify a verb as an impersonal verb, think about it carefully. Just because a verb is weather-related doesn’t mean that it’s an impersonal verb. Take a look at this sentence:

• She drizzled chocolate syrup on her ice cream.

In this case, even though the verb “drizzled” can be used to describe the weather, it isn’t an impersonal verb because there is a personal pronoun (she).

It’s also important to note that many weather-related verbs are also nouns, so just because you read or write a sentence about the weather doesn’t mean that it’s using impersonal verbs. For example, the sentence, “The rain yesterday was cold” uses rain as a noun, not a verb.

How are impersonal verbs different from other verbs?

Impersonal verbs are different from other verbs because other verbs must take a specific subject while impersonal verbs take a generic subject. For example, in the sentence, “He feels cold,” “he” is a personal pronoun and a specific subject of the sentence. But if the sentence were, “It feels cold,” then it does use an impersonal verb because “it” is an impersonal pronoun.

Impersonal verbs are an essential part of the English language. If you’re interested in learning more about different types of verbs, check out this guide on auxiliary verbs next.