MAKING SUBJECTS AND VERBS AGREE: EXPLETIVES AND INVERTED WORD ORDER
Part V:
• SVA with here, there, and it ExamplesThere and it are called filler subjects when they hold subject position in a sentence but have no real meaning..
Here, there, and it are also called expletives. An expletive is a word that carries no meaning but has a grammatical function in a sentence. With the expletives here and there, the subject of the sentence comes after the verb. Here are some examples: The real subject after here and there is highlighted.
• It is dark outside. I hear sirens in the distance.
• Here come the police. There are three squad cars coming.
• There goes a fire truck. Here comes another one.
• Here comes an ambulance. No, there are two coming. There must have been a big accident.
When the subject of the sentence is a personal pronoun, the subject must come before the verb.
• Here comes Mr. Felice. Here he comes.
• There go Mr. and Mrs. Smith. There they go.
• SVA with inverted word order ExamplesSpecial attention should be paid to subject-verb agreement when S-V word order is inverted after adverbs of frequency that have a negative meaning. The inversion places emphasis on the negative meaning of the adverb. Some examples follow:
• Rarely do John's parents allow him to watch TV on school nights.
• Rarely does he miss a day of school.
In an inverted sentence following a prepositional phrase [Prepositional phrase + verb + subject] the verb must agree with the subject that follows it. In the following examples, the prepositional phrase is in bold. Note the inverted word order that follows [verb + subject].
• After a spring rain comes a rainbow.
• I sat in the third row and behind me sat my cousin.
Inverted word order is always used with no sooner.....than.... and not only...but also. Note these examples.
• No sooner does he finish his homework than he prepares for the next day's classes.
• Not only does he complete every history assignment, but he also does extra reading to learn more about each historical event covered in class.
Select the verb that agrees in number with the subject in each sentence below.