Direct objects

We can front direct objects. This occurs primarily in speech.

Direct object	subject	Verb phrase	adverbial
A right mess of it	they	made.
An awful accident	we	saw	on the way here.

4. Pushing information back

Dummy subject ‘there’

All languages have some device to push information further back in a clause and to signal to listeners or readers that they need to pay extra attention because everything coming will be difficult to process - either because it is new (there may be no link between this information and what is familiar, no point of reference to 'orientate' them) or particularly dense (we try to avoid beginning a clause with a long and/or complicated subject).

In English, this device is the dummy subject there and a verb - either a form of be or one of the following no-object verbs: exist, remain, live, happen, come.

The extracts in the left-hand column use this device. In the right-hand column these are re-written to show the effect of beginning with new information or a long or complex subject:

There are over 50 distinct ethnic groups living in China. It is true that in India... there existed a certain respect for and understanding of Hindu traditions. At root for the British there always remained the preservation of power and the reputation of officials. Impressive as Stonehenge is, there comes a moment somewhere about eleven minutes after your arrival when you realize...

Over 50 distinct ethnic groups live in China.... a certain respect for and understanding of Hindu traditions existed. ... the preservation of power and the reputation of officials always remained.... a moment somewhere about eleven minutes after your arrival comes...

Dummy subject ‘it’

We can use it as a dummy subject to avoid beginning a clause with a subject which includes a clause in its own right, and is therefore difficult to process. We then attach this information to the end of the complement or object - i.e. at the back of the clause where it is easier to understand.

For example, instead of:

(complex) subject	verb phrase	object
Information that is expressed in long, complex subjects	is	difficult to process.

We can say or write:

Dummy subject it	verb phrase	object
It	is	difficult to process information that is expressed in long, complex subjects.

5. Putting information under the spotlight

It + be + spotlighted information + that or who (‘clefting’)

A simple clause is one unit.

Julia phoned us.

'Clefting' is a way of dividing a clause into two parts - the first part beginning with it and a form of the verb to be (e.g. It was), and the second part beginning with who or that.

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