Chp 7: Nonreferential It and There

What is the basic function of a sentence with a nonreferential there?

To present information, which it does by: 1. introducing new information Ex: There's a new sheriff in town. And he's going to clean up the corruption. 2. responding to questions Ex: Where can I get some gas? There's a gas station two blocks up the street. 3. shifting the focus of a discussion Ex: Public skepticism about the election is evident. There are no reliable polls to suggest how it might turn out. 4. calling something to mind. Ex: Bob: I can't decided where to go for lunch. Tom: Well, there's that Thai place.

Can other verbs be paired with nonreferential there besides be?

Yes, although this happens mostly in written English and they sound better when preceded by a phrase or adverbial clause. Ex: One the far side of the forest, there dwelled an ancient woodsman. Also in academic prose with "there remain..., there seems to..., there appears to..."

What are the two special constructions that employ Nonreferential It?

1. Cleft Sentences Ex: It's my brother who got married, not my sister. It was two years ago that she started her own business. 2. Extraposed Subject Clauses: When a subject clause has been moved to the end of the sentence (extraposed). Ex: It is interesting [that you believe in Santa as an adult.] It annoys her [to see her daughter behave that way].

What six situations is Nonreferential It used to talk about?

weather, temperature, time, days of the week & holidays, distances, and the environment

What are three issues ESL students may have with nonreferential it/there?

1. Many languages do not use nonreferential subjects (Chinese, Spanish, Italian), and direct translation results in ungrammatical English sentences. 2. Chinese speakers tend to omit the relative pronoun in sentences beginning with a nonreferential there/it. Ex: There are many varieties of Lilies exist. 3. Incorrect use of polarity items with nonreferential there. Ex: There's no any questions.

What does "There" contract with?

1. is/are before singular/plural NPs Left uncontracted in positive answers to Y/N ?s Used contracted in negative answers to Y/N ?s (the uncontracted form sounds formal and emphatic) Ex: Are there any good beaches near by? Yes, there is. No there isn't. No there is not. 2. will/would/forms of have Modals may appear after "there" and before "be" (Ex: there must be). "there" contracts with modals will, would, and auxiliary forms of have in spoken language Ex: there'll be..., there'd be..., there's been..., there've been..., there'd been...

Common native speaker error with Nonreferential There

A sentence begins with "There is" when the following NP is plural. This happens in particular when there are multiple words separating the verb "is" and the NP Ex: there's almost never two games on the same Monday night.

Nonreferential There & Subject/Verb Agreement

In sentences with nonreferential there, the form of the verb be agrees in number with the following NP. Ex: There are two bed. There is one bed. Exceptions: 1. If a plural NP is viewed as a single unit Ex: there was king prawns cooked in chili, which is a favorite dish of mine. 2. With some unites of measurement, currency, and time Ex: There was 20 pounds of cocaine... There is 30 dollars in his wallet... There's only five minutes left....

Nonreferential There sentences and their indefinite subject counterparts

Some nonreferential there sentences can be rewritten with an indefinite subject counterpart: There is a man standing under that tree. A man is standing under that tree. This is not always true. 1. It is not true when the NP describes an event or occurrence. Ex: There was an accident on the freeway last night. An accident was on the freeway last night. 2. It is not true when the NP is modified by a relative clause. Ex: there are several possibilities that we haven't considered yet. Several possibilities are that we haven't considered.

How to teach Nonreferential There

Teach it without any comparison to sentences with indefinite subjects, use plenty of appropriate contest to show their meaning.

What is Nonreferential It?

The use of the pronoun "it" to fill the subject position of a sentence without it referring to anything or having any particular meaning by itself. Ex: it's raining pretty hard.

What is Nonreferential There?

The use of the pronoun "there" to fill the subject position in a clause. It is usually followed by a form of copular be and an NP that has been displaced from the subject position. Ex: There is a fly in my soup.

Nonreferential There Idioms

There are a number of idiomatic expressions that begin "there's no..." and express the idea that something is impossible. Ex: There's no telling what he'll do. There's no getting out of it. There's no sidestepping the central issue.