1. Dummy Subject
어떤 subject에 대응하는 referent가 없을 때, 이를 dummy subject라고 한다.
It’s 7 o’clock.
It’s snowing.
2. Dummy-It Accompanied by Characteristic Structure
(1) Extraposition
basic counterpart에서 matrix subject를 뒤로 보내면서 syntactic requirement를 충족시키기 위한 it.
It’s good to get up early.
- Subject: it
- Predicate(VP): is good to get up early
- Head(Auxiliary Verb): is
- Predicative Complement(AdjP): good to get up early
- Head(Adj): good
- Complement(To-Infinitival Clause): to get up early
- Predicand: we
- Predicate: get up early
Simplification: is / good / to get up early.
It should be obvious that cetaceans are mammals.
- Subject: it
- Predicate
- Head: should
- Complement(Bare Infinitival Clause): be obvious that cetaceans are mammals
- Predicand: that cetaceans are mammals
- Predicate: be obvious that cetaceans are mammals
- Head: be
- Complement(AdjP): obvious that cetaceans are mammals
- Head: obvious
- Complement(Finite Clause): that cetaceans are mammals
- Subject: cetaceans
- Predicate: are mammals
Simplification: should [ ~ be obvious] / [that cetaceans / are / mammals].