Questions tagged [extraposition]

The tag has no usage guidance.

Filter by
Sorted by
Tagged with
0 votes
1 answer
77 views

Is "when" considered a preposition in this sentence with extraposition and is the chunk an adjunct?

I recently discovered that if is considered a preposition in contemporary grammar. Is "when" considered a preposition as well? And in the following sentence, is the chunk introduced by when ...
TimR's user avatar
  • 18.9k
1 vote
1 answer
78 views

Is there a name for this kind of sentence structure where a clause is in subject position and **it** appears anaphorically in the matrix clause?

An early 15th century example of a clause deployed in subject position but with an anaphoric it as object of the verb in the matrix clause: Þat þe sones of pore men gouernen may riche remes, telle it ...
TimR's user avatar
  • 2,873
3 votes
1 answer
112 views

reversing extraposition

Let’s as­sume we have this sen­tence: It was the in­ven­tion of the hand-held cal­cu­la­tor that pro­vided the orig­i­nal tech­nol­ogy for the present gen­er­a­tion of small but pow­er­ful com­put­...
Mahdi's user avatar
  • 35
0 votes
1 answer
72 views

changes we have felt it necessary to make [parse of "necessary to make"]

From a textbook: The analysis of content clauses presented in this chapter differs in significant ways from that found in traditional grammar: in this section, therefore, we explain some of the ...
Loviii's user avatar
  • 517
0 votes
2 answers
213 views

Can the gerund clause take a personal pronoun as its subject in “It’s no use (his?) crying over lost love”?

From a gram­mar book, I’ve have learned that a gerund clause can be op­tion­ally pre­ceded by a per­sonal pro­noun to show the log­i­cal sub­ject of the verb; that is, who­ever is do­ing the gerund’s ...
Eglantine's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
407 views

Grammaticality of "On which hand it is worn should not make the slightest difference"

We are essentially creatures of habit. If you have any question about this, just transfer your wristwatch to the other hand. Even though it should not make the slightest difference on which hand it is ...
athlonusm's user avatar
  • 141
0 votes
0 answers
61 views

"that" in there is no question that

I was wondering what the role of "that" is in the widely used phrase, "There is no question that~". e.g. There is no question that she has a great voice. I guess "that" functions as a conjunction ...
Kinam99's user avatar
  • 75
0 votes
1 answer
54 views

"I found it a strain having to concentrate for so long." Why does this sentence use 'having'?

I read below sentence. I found it a strain having to concentrate for so long. I guess this sentence means 'I got pressure that I can't give all my attention for long hours'. My question is why ...
Jean's user avatar
  • 323
4 votes
2 answers
175 views

"I made it my prime objective settling the matter." - unacceptable extraposition

Just saw this sentence marked as unacceptable in Quirke's Comprehensive Grammar (18.35 Extraposition of a clausal object): *I made it my prime objective settling the matter The full bit: I don't ...
Alexey Nekrashevich's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
163 views

Does extraposition work in "I made happy my friend who..."?

Can we use extraposition rule in the situations like below? "I made my friend who came here last week happy" Can it be like this? "I made happy my friend who came here last week"
d.alex's user avatar
  • 319
2 votes
1 answer
167 views

"As becomes obvious" or "As it becomes obvious"?

An essay of mine has been corrected so that my original sentence: As it becomes obvious, going to the market has not been my favorite thing to do. becomes: As becomes obvious, going to the ...
user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
645 views

'Using a keyboard is better' v 'It's better to use a keyboard': and why IT with the infinitive?

I'm trying to make sense of the rule behind "to use" vs "using" in these specific cases Using a keyboard is better. To use a keyboard is better. It's better to use a keyboard. It's better ...
Ally's user avatar
  • 153
2 votes
0 answers
1k views

"It's only a matter of time until..."

Is this construction an example of extraposition? It's only a matter of time until all hell breaks loose Normally extraposition involves infinitive phrases or that-clauses, but it seems like the ...
William's user avatar
  • 1,728
2 votes
0 answers
2k views

Is this an extraposed subject? [closed]

It is even possible I somehow sensed those qualities which I have since discovered to be so significantly a part of her. Does the sentence above have an extraposed subject? If so, which of the ...
Mona's user avatar
  • 119
3 votes
2 answers
221 views

"A rumor circulated [that the queen had eaten her own child]" Is this extraposition? [duplicate]

A rumor began circulating among the people that the queen was an ogress and had eaten her own child. The bold subordinate clause modifies "a rumor", but is this considered extraposition? Normally, ...
William's user avatar
  • 1,728
6 votes
2 answers
489 views

Hemingway's sentence

Here is a sentence from The Old Man and the Sea: It made the boy sad to see the old man come in each day with his skiff empty and he always went down to help him carry either the coiled lines or ...
user2840286's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
145 views

Clause in sentence

John found it surprising that Wayne played the tuba. That Wayne played the tuba is the clause, but what kind is it? I am completely stuck on this and can't figure it out.
Andie's user avatar
  • 21