Abstract Reference with ello
When you need to say "it" to refer to a specific noun, you use a pronoun that matches the noun's gender and number. But when "it" refers back to an entire situation, a complex idea, or an abstract concept, you use the neuter pronoun ello.
You will almost always see ello used after a preposition, such as para (for) or a (to).
| The dive is increasingly difficult, but we are ready for it. | La inmersión es cada vez más difícil, pero estamos listos para ello. |
Depending on the verb, ello follows different prepositions. For example, acostumbrarse (to get used to) is always followed by a.
| Decompression is slow, but the diver gets used to it. | La descompresión es lenta, pero el buzo se acostumbra a ello. |
Therefore: por ello
One of the most common ways to use ello is in the phrase por ello. Since por can mean "because of" and ello refers back to the situation just mentioned, por ello translates to "because of that" or "therefore."
| Yesterday we did not use the periscope, and because of that we lost the coordinate. | Ayer no usamos el periscopio y por ello perdimos la coordenada. |
| The crew did not discover the shipwreck, and because of that they lost the submarine. | La tripulación no descubrió el naufragio y por ello perdió el submarino. |
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