The English phrase "It was great..."

 The English phrase "It was great..." is a very common and versatile introductory phrase used to express a positive feeling or opinion about a past experience, event, or quality. It's an informal yet effective way to convey enjoyment, satisfaction, or appreciation.

How to Use "It was great..."

You primarily use "It was great..." to express positive sentiment about something that has already happened. The "..." indicates that you will follow it with what was great.

Common Structures:

1. "It was great + Noun/Noun Phrase"

   • This is used to describe a general positive feeling about an experience or thing.
   • Examples:
     • "It was great weather for a picnic."
     • "It was great news to hear about your promotion."
     • "It was great food at that new restaurant."
     • "It was great to have you visit." (Here, "to have you visit" functions like a noun phrase)

2. "It was great + Gerund (-ing form of verb)"

   • This is used to express enjoyment or satisfaction with an action or activity.
   • Examples:
     • "It was great seeing you again."
     • "It was great talking to you about the project."
     • "It was great learning so much from the workshop."
     • "It was great spending time with the family this weekend."

3. "It was great + Infinitive (to + verb)"

   • Similar to the gerund, this expresses satisfaction or appreciation for an action, often emphasizing the opportunity or experience of doing something.
   • Examples:
     • "It was great to meet your parents."
     • "It was great to finally finish that difficult task."
     • "It was great to be able to help out."
     • "It was great to see everyone enjoying themselves."

4. "It was great + (that) Clause"

   • Used to express appreciation for a specific situation or fact. The "that" is often omitted in informal speech.
   • Examples:
     • "It was great (that) we managed to avoid the traffic."
     • "It was great (that) everyone could make it to the party."
     • "It was great (that) you called when you did."

When to Use It:

• Recapping a past event: "How was your vacation?" - "It was great! We went hiking every day."
• Thanking someone: "Thanks for coming." - "It was great to see you."
• Expressing satisfaction: "How was the movie?" - "It was great, very entertaining."
• Offering positive feedback: "How did you find the seminar?" - "It was great, I learned a lot."

Variations & Intensifiers:

You can add adverbs to intensify "great":

• "It was really great..."
• "It was absolutely great..."
• "It was truly great..."

You can also replace "great" with other positive adjectives depending on the nuance you want to convey:

• "It was wonderful..."
• "It was fantastic..."
• "It was amazing..."
• "It was nice..." (a milder positive)
• "It was good..." (even milder)

How to Say "It was great..."

The pronunciation is straightforward:

• It: /ɪt/
• was: /wʌz/ (often reduced to /wəz/ in rapid speech)
• great: /ɡreɪt/

The stress usually falls on "great."

• "It was GREAT..."
  • In natural speech, "It was" can often blend together. "It-wuz" or "It's-wuz."

Example Dialogue:

A: "How was your trip to Kyoto?"

B: "It was great! We visited so many temples and the food was amazing."

A: "Thanks for helping me move the furniture."

B: "No problem! It was great to lend a hand."

A: "Did you enjoy the concert?"

B: "It was great seeing them perform live after all these years."

It's a simple yet powerful phrase for expressing positive experiences and emotions.