Timeline for What is "it" in the following sentence: It is clear that Bob likes doughnuts

9 events

when toggle format	what		by	license	comment
Apr 6, 2021 at 20:16	history	edited	John Lawler	CC BY-SA 4.0	added 84 characters in body
Nov 22, 2017 at 19:26	comment	added	John Lawler		The verb goes at the end only in tensed subordinate clauses in German. Infinitive clauses work much the same way as in English.
Nov 22, 2017 at 13:04	vote	accept	user7886229
Nov 22, 2017 at 10:58	comment	added	Max Williams		I'm not an expert, but it feels like this device may have evolved as a way to "un-Germanify" sentences, if you know what I mean: to avoid that characteristic of German wherein you don't know what the sentence is about till you get to the end.
Nov 22, 2017 at 9:57	history	edited	AndyT	CC BY-SA 3.0	removed "easily" as it was confusing and redundant
Nov 22, 2017 at 3:42	comment	added	John Lawler		Oh, for instance, seem and appear only allow Extraposition with that complements (It seems/appears that he's late), but they require A-Raising with infinitive complements (He seems/appears to be late but not *It seems/appears for him to be late).
Nov 22, 2017 at 3:36	history	edited	John Lawler	CC BY-SA 3.0	deleted 97 characters in body
Nov 22, 2017 at 1:56	comment	added	Lawrence		What’s an example of a predicate that forbids extraposition?
Nov 22, 2017 at 1:05	history	answered	John Lawler	CC BY-SA 3.0