Syntactic Characteristics of Subjects

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Questions and Answers

In the sentence, 'It was very pleasant at the seaside,' what grammatical function does 'it' serve?

Introductory subject

Indefinite subject (correct)

Emphatic subject

Logical subject

Which of the following sentences uses 'they' as an indefinite subject?

They went to the store yesterday.

I saw them leaving the movie theater.

They say that the new manager is very strict. (correct)

Did they finish the assignment on time?

Which of the following best represents a compound subject acting as a single element?

"The book and the pen were on the desk".

"The cat and the dog played".

"The car and the bike are new".

"The singer and composer was recognized". (correct)

In the sentence, 'It's no use crying over spilt milk,' what type of subject is 'it'?

Anticipatory subject (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which sentence uses a gerund as its subject?

"Walking is good exercise". (D) Signup and view all the answers

What type of subject is 'it' in the sentence 'It is raining'?

Impersonal subject (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of the grammatical subject in passive constructions?

It is not identical to the logical subject. (A) Signup and view all the answers

In the sentence, 'There appeared some marks on the X-ray plate,' what is the function of 'there'?

It is an introductory subject because emphasis is laid on the existence of marks. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following sentences uses a nominative with infinitive construction?

"She seems to be happy." (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of these options illustrates an anticipatory 'it' with an infinitive?

It is important to practice every day. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which sentence uses a demonstrative pronoun as its subject?

"That was a good idea." (B) Signup and view all the answers

In the sentence, 'It's his stubbornness that exasperates me,' what is the function of 'it'?

Emphatic subject (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of these is NOT typically a way a subject is expressed according to the context?

Adjective (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following sentences uses a verb of seeming with the introductory 'there'?

There seemed to be no other choice. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following sentences contains a subject clause?

"Whether she comes is not yet determined." (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the correct classification for the subject in the sentence 'He knows the answer'?

Grammatical subject (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the word 'there' when it's inserted into a sentence?

To act as a dummy subject, while the real subject has moved to a post-verbal position. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which phrase demonstrates the function of 'there' as a subject in a non-finite clause?

I don't want there to be any misunderstanding. (D) Signup and view all the answers

In sentences where 'there' is inserted, the NP functioning as the logical subject is typically:

Usually indefinite, indicated by indefinite determiners. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which of these sentences does not require the insertion of 'there' due to an initial adverbial of place?

On the table stood plates full of cakes. (C) Signup and view all the answers

The difference between 'it' and 'there' in forward reference to the real subject is that:

'it' anticipates definite subjects while 'there' anticipates indefinite ones. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of these sentences uses there in a way that indicates an impersonal construction?

There had been rain the night before. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of these sentences correctly demonstrates the behavior of 'there' as a subject in a tag question?

There's nothing wrong, is there? (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following sentences uses 'there' in a way that indicates a condition using the simple present tense?

There is much noise in the street. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Subject: Syntactic Characteristics

Subjects are expressed using noun phrases, e.g., "The library closes at 8 o'clock."
Compound subjects can represent one element. Example: "A great poet and revolutionist was lost..."
Coordinated subjects include multiple nouns, e.g., "Tom and Maggie are the principal characters..."
Noun substitutes include pronouns (personal, possessive, etc.), e.g., "His is a large family."
Numerals can act as subjects, e.g., "Four were missing."
Non-finite forms (infinitives or gerunds) can be subjects, e.g., "To escape would be difficult."
Complex constructions with infinitives or participles can function as subjects, e.g., "He happened to be in town..." or "He was noticed entering the house."
Subject clauses can also be subjects, e.g., "Whether he admits it or not is another matter."

Subject: Classification by Content

Subjects can be classified as grammatical, impersonal, or logical based on their meaning.
Grammatical subjects are directly linked to the predicate and determine agreement. Example: "He knows you."
Impersonal subjects don't refer to a specific person or thing and lack semantic content. They are often expressed by "it," e.g., "It is raining."
Logical subjects refer to the actual agent or doer of an action.

Subject: Impersonal Subjects

Impersonal subjects lack semantic content and are usually expressed by "it."
Common examples include impersonal verbs like "dew, rain, snow," and sentences describing time, weather, or general states of things. Example: “It was late when I arrived.”
Indefinite/generic subjects represent vague or general meanings and often use pronouns like "they," "we," "you," "one," or "people." Example: "People drink a lot of tea in Britain."

Subject: Logical vs. Grammatical

The logical subject is the actual doer or agent of the action in a sentence.
The grammatical subject is structurally connected to the predicate in the sentence.
In passive constructions, the logical subject (agent) isn't identical to the grammatical subject. Example: “New victories have been won by our sportsmen.”
There are constructions highlighting a part of a sentence where the logical subject isn't the grammatical subject, for emphasis. Example: "It's his stubbornness that exasperates me."

Subject: "There" constructions

There anticipates the logical subject when used with verbs like "be," "exist," "happen," and others when expressing existence or absence of the subject.
"There" is often used with existential verbs (e.g., be, exist, or occur) and verbs of motion or appearance to emphasize the subject's existence and action. Example: "There once lived in the flat an eccentric lady."

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Description

This quiz explores the various syntactic characteristics of subjects in English grammar. You will encounter different forms subjects can take, including noun phrases, pronouns, and clauses. Test your understanding of how subjects function and are classified in sentences.