大学英语语法之existential.ppt

Existential Sentence There+ be + NP+ Locative Expression (+ Temporal Expression) Subject 1. Formal subject and notional(real) subject the determiners of notional subject include: (1) the indefinite article; (2) the zero article; (3) other indefinite determiners such as some, any, no, several, many, much, more, (a) few, (a) little, less, another, a lot of, plenty of, a number of, enough, as well as the cardinal numerals. The notional subject can also be realized by some-, any-, no- compounds such as something, nothing, anyone, etc. Transform from other sentence patterns into an existential sentence. 1. Verb in the seven basic sentence patterns is progressive aspect (进行体)，we could transform that into the existential sentence with ing participle SV： A tree is falling. There is a tree falling. ： A computer was available. There was a computer available. A new film will be on. There will be a new film on. ： No one was greeting him. There was no one greeting him. ：A girl has been telling me her troubles. There has been a girl telling me her troubles. ： Someone is painting the door green. There is someone painting the door green. ： Is anyone in the room? Is there anyone in the room? ：Many workers have been building the bridge since then. There have been many workers building the bridge since then. 2. Verb is not progressive aspect, transform that into relative clause No one came here. There was no one who came here. I must visit a friend. There is a friend I must visit. 3.The subject is the noun phrase with generic reference （类指)，transform that into double negative structure A plant needs light and water. There is no plant that does not need light or water. (误) There is a plant that needs light and water. 2. Omission of formal subject On the hill(there) stands a temple. In the valley (there) lies a stream. 3. Subject-verb concord There is an old worker, two teachers and ten students in our group. There is not only a mother but also 5 babies that are being looked after there. 4. Introductory there vs. fronted adverb There are too many people here. (introductory there) There are our friends. (initial adverb) Predicator 1. Verb be There is a cinema here before the war. There can be very little doubt about his guilt. There cant have been much traffic so late at night. 2. Some fixed collocation be going to, be to, be certain/sure to, be likely to, appear to, happen to, seem to There is likely to be a big snowstorm tonight. There seem to be still some questions unsolved. 3. Verbs of existence and position exist, live, stand, lie, remain There just remained 28 pounds. Long, long ago, there lived six blind men in India. There lay an ancient city somewhere in the mountains. There exists a number of similar cases. 4. Verbs of motion(位置移动) come, go, walk, There comes a time for decision. 5. Verbs of emergence or development appear, arise, emerge, develop, happen, occur, spring There appears to be no doubt about it. There arose in his imagination visions of a world empire. Non-finite existential clauses There to be/(to have been)+NP+locative/temporal adverbial There being /having been +NP+locative/temporal adverbial vAs prepositional complementation. If the preposition is “for”, it usually takes the “there to be” form as complementation. They planned for there to be another meeting. John was relying on there being another opportunity. 2. As object there to be (verbs such as expect, mean, intend, want, like, prefer, hate) Members like there to be plenty of choice. I dont mind there being a few minor mistakes. 3. As subject and adverbial As subject, “there being” form is commonly used There being a bus stop so near the house is a great advantage. There being is often used as adverbial of cause There having been heavy rain for a long time, the whole place was flooded. There being nothing else to do, we went home. Some special structure with the use of “there be” （1）there be no/not any + gerund，means “impossible” argue, deny, know, mistake, say, tell, turn There is no knowing what may happen. There isnt any getting away from it. （2）there be no point (or good, sense, use etc.) in doing sth. Means it is unnecessary(meaningless, useless) There is no point in arguing further. Is there any sense in start