英語句子寫作 課件 5 existential sentence

ExistentialSentenceDefinitionInEnglishgrammar,anexistentialsentenceisaspecialtypeofsentencestructurethatassertstheexistenceofsomething

.Forthispurpose,EnglishreliesonconstructionsintroducedbyThere(knownasthe"existentialthere").128.1StructuralpropertiesofexistentialsentencesThere+be+NP+locative/temporaladverbial1)Introductorythere2)Notionalsubject3)Predicatorinexistentialsentence2IntroductorythereThere'sasheepoverthere.(placeadverb)Thereheis.3notionalsubjectThenotionalsubjectisusuallyanounphrasewithindefinitespecificreference.Transformation:Noonewaswaiting.Therewasnoonewaiting.

Somethingmustbewrong.Theremustbesomethingwrong.

Aplantneedslightandwater.There’snoplantthatdoesn’tneedlightandwater.43)Predicatorinexistentialsentence

Theverbbe,finiteornon-finite,simpleorperfective“Modal+be/havebeen”or“semi-auxiliary+be”

eg:Usedtheretobeachurcharoundthecorner?

Thereshouldhavebeensomeoneondutyyesterday?

There’sgoingtobeastormthisevening.Verbsofexistence,suchasexist,remain,happen,emerge,appear,occur,come,go,arise,stand,lie,live,etc.

eg:Thereemergedanotherdangerafterthisone.

Thereflows/liesariverbehindthehouse.528.2Non-finiteexistentialclausesAnon-finiteexistentialclauseisonewhosepredicatorisanon-finiteverbphrase.Therearetwotypesofnon-finiteexistentialclauses:Theretobe/(tohavebeen)+NP+locative/temporaladverbialTherebeing/havingbeen+NP+locative/temporaladverbial61)Asprepositionalcomplementation“for”

“theretobe”,otherprep

“therebeing”

eg:Itwasunusualfortheretobesofewpeopleinthestreets.

Itwouldbesurprisingfortherenottobeanyobjectionstotheproposal.

Johnwasrelyingontherebeinganotheropportunity.

Wereyoudisappointedattherenothavingbeenmoreapplause?72)Asobject

Thereareonlyalimitednumberofverbsthatcantakea“theretobe”formasobject,suchasexpect,mean,intend,want,like,prefer,hate,etc.

eg:Memberslike/expecttheretobeplentyofchoice.

I’dprefertheretobealittlemorecooperation.

Thecommitteeanticipatedtherebeinglessjustificationinthesecondcase.83)Assubject

eg:Therebeingabusstopsonearthehouseisagreatadvantage.Itisagreatadvantagefortheretobeabusstopsonearthehouse.

Therenotbeinganindextothisbookisadisadvantage.

Fortheretobesofewpeopleinthestreetswasunusual.4)

Asadverbial

eg:Therebeingnof