Alternation With it-extraposition
Raising predicates/verbs can be identified in part by the fact that they alternatively take a full clause dependent and can take part in it-extraposition, e.g.
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- a. Tom seems to have won the race.
- b. It seems that Tom won the race.
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- a. Larry appears to be doing the work.
- b. It appears that Larry is doing the work.
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- a. Sam believed someone to know the answer.
- b. Sam believed it that someone knew the answer.
- c. Sam believed that someone knew the answer.
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- a. That proves Susan to be a jackass.
- b. That proves it that Susan is a jackass.
- c. That proves that Susan is a jackass.
Raising predicates/verbs can appear with it-extraposition and/or a full clausal dependent. They appear to be subcategorizing for a propositional argument.
Read more about this topic: Raising (linguistics)
Famous quotes containing the word alternation:
“The law of nature is alternation for evermore. Each electrical state superinduces the opposite. The soul environs itself with friends, that it may enter into a grander self-acquaintance or solitude; and it goes alone for a season, that it may exalt its conversation or society.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)