UNIT 5 – SUBJECT AND PREDICATOR

The Subject is syntactically identified by the following features: position, concord, pronominalisation and
reflection in question tags. Semantically, almost all participant roles can be associated with the subject.

The Predicator syntactically determines the number and type of Objects and Complements in a clause. It is
syntactically identified by position and concord and it is associated with a number of semantic domains.

5.1 THE SUBJECT (S)

5.1.1 Semantic, cognitive and syntactic features

Semantic and cognitive features

 The Subject is the functional category of the clause of which something is predicated.
 It represents the primary participant in the clause and has the cognitive status of Topic
 In basic clauses (finite, active and declarative) the subject has the semantic function of Agent.
 But the subject can be associated with almost every type of participant role.

Messi kicked the ball into the net Agent

The ball was kicked into the net Affected in passive clause
Paul saw a tiger near the lake Experiencer in a mental process
The doctor has been given a dozen roses Recipient in a passive clause

Syntactic Features

 In English, the Subject is obligatory in declarative and interrogative clauses, but not in the imperative.
When two or more clauses with the same subject are conjoined, it can be omitted, in all but the first
one.
o She entered the room, closed the door and opened the window
 In question tags, the subject is referred anaphorically by a pronoun
o His cousin is a pilot, isn’t he?
 In declaratives and wh- questions (in which the wh- element is subject), the subject is placed before
the finite verb
o Unfortunately, everybody was gone when I arrived
o Who called you yesterday?
 In yes/no questions and in wh- questions (in which the wh- element is not subject), the subject is
placed after the finite operator
o Are you happy with the exam?
o What subjects are you taking this semester (What subject is Object)
 Subject pronouns (I, you, he, she, it, we, they) realise the subject function whereas object pronouns
(me, him, her, it, us…) are used as Objects
 The Subject determines number (singular or plural) and person agreement with the verb
o The student has learned the lesson
o The students have learned the lesson
 Paradigmatic contrast with a present form is applied with verb forms that show no number or person
contrast.
o The time had all passed > The time has all passed
 Subjects determine number, person and gender agreement with the Subject Complement, and of
reflexive pronouns Cs, Oi and Od.
o John and Paula are his parents
o Why don’t you give yourselves (Od) a break?
5.1.2 Realisations of the Subject

A. Nominal Groups

These are the most prototypical function of the subject as they mainly refer to persons and things. They can
range from simple heads to complex NG structures.

Alcohol abuse can cause liver problems.

The total amount of alcohol abuse related diseases is uncertain

B. Dummy it

Non-referential or semantically empty use of the pronoun it that occurs in expressions of time, weather and
distance.

It’s close to midnight

It’s snowing
It’s seventy-two kilometres from Toledo to Madrid

C. Unstressed there

It cannot be replaced by a pronoun but it fulfils the following criteria: position, inversion with auxiliaries and
repetition in tag questions

There were only five people in class yesterday, weren’t there?

D. Prepositional phrase and Adverbial group as subject

It usually specifies time and place but it can also denote instrumental meanings and idiomatic manner uses.

By Monday would be an appropriate time (PP of time)

By bus is cheaper than by train (PP of means)
Just over there will be a great place to sit (AdvG of place)

E. Adjectival head

When preceded by a definite determiner, certain adjectives that represent conventionally recognised classes of
people (the elderly) or abstraction can function as heads of (non-prototypical) NGs.

F. Embedded clauses

Both finite and non-finite clauses are subject of embedding.

 Types of finite clauses: that-clauses and wh-clauses (nominal or relative)
o That he didn’t accept the job surprised everyone (that-clause)
o Why the bank closed for the week was not explained (wh-interrogative)
o What she did shocked me (wh-nominal clause)
o The fact that he didn’t accept the job surprised everyone (NG)
 Types of non-finite clauses: to-infinitive and -ing clauses
o To do all the work at once was rather stupid (to-inf. clause)
o What to do with the kids is the problem. (wh- +to-inf. clause)
o Having to return for the papers was a hassle (-ing clause)
o Call his parents home was what he did (bare infinitive clause)

G. Anticipatory it + extraposed subject

Extraposition is frequent in speech and writing, especially to avoid long and heavy subjects.

It was surprising that you mentioned that.

Extraposed subjects can be the complement of a noun or adjective SPCs structures

It’s easy to miss a class (To miss a class is easy)

It’s a pity that you are not going to attend the party (That you are not going to attend the party is a
pity

Extraposition is obligatory in clauses with it + verbs of seeming (seem, appear) and happening (happen, turn
out)

It seems that they were fine after all (*That they were fine after all seems)
It so happened that the pilot lost the race (*That the pilot lost the race happened)

5.2 THE PREDICATOR

The Predicator is present in all major types of clause, including the imperative. It may be transitive, intransitive
or copular.

 It may constitute the whole of the predicate

o The students arrived in Paris
 It is identified by its position in relation to the subject
 Its function is realised by both finite (e.g. sees) and non-finite (seeing) lexical and primary verbs.
 In functional terms, finiteness is usually carried out by an auxiliary verb, such as has, had, to specify
tense and voice (be + gerund/past participle) and then followed by the predicator (is cooking, was
cooked)
 Semantically, it encodes the following types of process:
o Material processes of “doing”: make, catch, go
o Mental process of “experiencing”, with verbs of perception (see), cognition (know), affectivity
(like) and desideration (hope)
o Relational processes of “being”: be, belong