1. Dummy subjects
어떤 subject에 대응하는 referent가 없을 때, 이를 dummy subject라고 한다.
It’s 7 o’clock.
It’s snowing.
2. Characteristic structures accompanying a dummy-it
2.1. Extraposition
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
Semantics: It 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
Semantics: It should be (obvious) (that (cetaceans) are (mammals))
2.2. It-cleft
It was she who introduced Bob to Cal.
Semantics: It was (she) (who) → (introduced (Bob) (to Cal))