延後主語,英文叫extraposed
subject. 這句構我在中學時已經學過,例子:
It
is dangerous to swim in bad weather.
句子的it究竟指什麼呢?
中學時我也有概念, 便是這個it 其實是代替句子的尾部,即to swim in bad weather這infinitival clause (不定詞子句).
換句話說, 句子本身是這樣的:
To
swim in bad weather is dangerous.
由於句子主語太長,我們便將它放到最後,而以it
去代替其位置. 這個it, 英文叫anticipatory it或introductory it.句子文法上的主語 (grammatical
subject)是it, 但詞義上的主語(semantic
subject)卻是to swim in bad weather.
以上例句的主語to
swim in bad weather 不是很長, 延後不延後似乎沒有特別差別;但有時候主語可以很長,例如:
It
is gratifying to note that more people are realizing the harm of eating fast
food.
句子「詞義主語」是
to note that more people are realizing the harm of eating fast food.
如果用它作「文法主語」,便會「頭大身細」:To note that more people are realizing the harm of eating
fast food is gratifying. 在這種情況下,
把主語延後,便可使句子更易理解.
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