simple grammar question

[Goloviznin Konstantin]

Dear Nola.

It's very ordinary for Russian not to  use a subject when it should be it:

- Оно все так и было! 
- Вы уверены?
- Точно, точно - так и было!!    

And more:
It was decided to + - in English and Was decided to + in Russian (= Было решено +).

Just try to complete the sentence with Olga in English manner to have the whole picture:

Тогда ее не было в Москве ->  Оно не было никаким присутствием ее в Москве тогда (with removal of "оно", "никаким присутствием" you get "Тогда ее не было в Москве") -> It was no being/presence of her in Moscow that time

BTW, expressions like 'it rains',  it goes dark' are quite unusual in Russian (we speak - The rain goes = дождь идет or just rain = дождь). To feel through the situation for russian-speaking with  it rains',  it darkens ' there is  some informal expression in Russian - "Как оно ничего?" (= How are you? or even better - What about your never-mind? ) that can be "upgraded"  to the  English-like-styled one:
       
Как оно ничего в смысле погоды? Да, оно чего-то дождит (=it rains) и оно уже темнеет (=it darkens)!
 
Konstantin

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