Lecture 16 It-Patterns and Existential Sentence

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Lecture 16 It-Patterns and Existential Sentence

• Part 1. Use of it
• Part 2. Existential Sentence
• Structural properties of existential sentences
• Non-finite existential clauses

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Part 1 Use of it

• 1.Empty it
• 2.Anticipatory it
• 3. Introductory it in cleft sentences

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• 1. Empty it non-referring it as formal subject
• It is meaningless and is chiefly used as formal
  subject in sentences denoting time, place,
  distance, and atmospheric conditions.
• Its so quiet and peaceful here.
• Its quite a long way to the nearest town.
• It seems as if weve known each other for years.
• You will catch it for breaking the glasses.
• It has fared well with him.

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• 2. Anticipatory it
• commonly occurs in sentences with a nominal
  clause as subject or object.
• It is important to study English grammar.
• It was lovely meeting you at last.
• It is remarkable that so few of the patients
  suffered side effects.
• It was not known whether there was gold left in
  the mine.He made it clear that he didnt want to
  speak to me.
• It was said he was innocent.
• It is believed the rebels are about to attack the
  capital.

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• Whether they will come or not doesnt matter very
  much.
• To be here with you this evening is a great
  pleasure.
• You were so kind to invite us.
• He is quite likely to let you down.
• I think a good idea would be to get up a petition.

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• 3. introductory it in cleft sentences
• Cleft sentence defined
• A cleft sentence is an emphatic construction with
  non-referring it as formal subject. It is so
  called because it is formed by dividing a single
  statement into two separate parts each with a
  verb of its own. The general pattern of a cleft
  sentence is as follows
• It be focal element that- / who- clause

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• John gave Mary a handbag at Christmas.
• It was at Christmas that John gave Mary a
  handbag.It might have been at Christmas that
  John gave Mary a handbag.

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• Pat released the Presidents illness to the
  reporters at the party last night.
• It was Pat who
• It was the presidents illness that
• It was to the reporters that
• It was at the party that
• It was last night that
• ? It was released that Pat

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• Pseudo-cleft sentences
• A pseudo-cleft sentence is essentially an SVC
  construction with a what-clause as subject.
• What John did was (to) give Mary a handbag.
• What John gave Mary was a handbag.
• A handbag was what John gave Mary.

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Part 2 Existential Sentences 1. Structural
properties of existential sentences

• The existential sentence generally begins with an
  unstressed there as formal subject followed by a
  form of the verb be or other verb that is related
  to the notion of existence. Following the verb is
  a noun phrase, which is known as the notional
  or real subject as distinguished from the
  formal subject, and the notional subject is
  usually followed by a locative, or at times by a
  temporal adverbial. Thus, the general pattern of
  an existential sentence is as follows
• There be NP locative / temporal adverbial

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• 1.1 Introductory there
• Are there any people in the hall?
• There are some people in the waiting room.
• 1.2 Notional subject
• The notional subject, which is actually the focus
  of information, is usually a noun phrase with
  indefinite specific reference. The determiners
  commonly occurring in this kind of noun phrase
  include the indefinite article, the zero article,
  and other indefinite determiners such as some,
  any, no, several, many, much, more, (a)few,
  (a)little, less another, a lot of, plenty of, a
  number of, enough, as well as the cardinal
  numerals.
• Plenty of people are getting promotion. There
  are plenty of people getting promotion.

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• 1.3 Predicator in existential sentence
• The predicator or predicate verb of an
  existential sentence is commonly a form of the
  verb be, finite or non-finite, simple or
  perfective. The predicator may also be realized
  by modal be / have been or semi-auxiliary
  be, eg
• There can be very little doubt about his
  guilt.There cant have been much traffic so late
  at night.There appears to be no doubt about it.
• Apart from the verb be, there are at least there
  classes of semantically-related verbs that can
  act as predicator in an existential sentence.
• There arose in his imagination visions of a world
  empire.Long, long ago, there lived six blind men
  in India.

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• 1. A car was ready for us.
• 2. A man is sitting on that fence.
• 3. A student came to see you.
• 4. A good film will be on at the Rex next week.
• 5. Im sure that a mistake has been made.

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2. Non-finite existential clauses

• A non-finite existential clause is one whose
  predicator is a non-finite verb phrase. There are
  two types of non-finite existential clause
• There to be / (to have been) NP locative /
  temporal adverbialThere being / having been NP
  locative /temporal adverbial

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• 2.1 As prepositional complementation
• Both forms can be used as prepositional
  complementation. If the preposition is for , it
  usually takes the there to be form as
  complementation. With other prepositions, the
  complementation usually takes the there being
  form, eg
• They planned for there to be another
  meeting.John was reying on there being another
  opportunity.
• 2.2 As object
• This applies more often than not to the there to
  be form.
• There are only a limited number of verbs that can
  take a there to beform as object. These verbs
  include expect, mean, intend, want, like, prefer,
  hate, etc, eg
• Members like there to be plenty of choice.

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• 2.3 As subject and adverbial
• As subject, the there being form is commonly
  used, eg
• There being a bus stop so near the house is a
  great advantage.
• When the there to be form is used as subject,
  it is introduced by for, eg
• It was unusual for there to be so few people in
  the streets.
• The there being form can also act as adverbial,
  eg
• There having been no rain, the ground was dry

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• 1. people dont want ____ another car.
• Theres now some hope of ____ a settlement of the
  dispute.
• They asked for ___ another meeting.
• John planned on ____ another meeting.
• People hate ___ queues everywhere.