What are false subjects and how do they contribute to wordiness?

False subjects are pronouns like it or therethat begin a sentence but do not stand for anything real:

It is possible to extract the tooth.

There is no toner in the copy machine.

There are two cats on the rug.

False subjects are extra words that only mask the true subject of a sentence. Eliminate them to be more concise:

The tooth can be extracted.

The copy machine has no toner.

Two cats are on the rug.