Croups of Parts of the Sentence

Three groups of parts of the sentence can be singled out: 1) parts of the sentence realizing predication,

2) parts of the sentence modifying the predication as a whole,

3) parts of the sentence modifying either the verbal or the nominal component of predication.

Predication finds its expression in the principal parts of the sentence: subject, predicate, and the principal part of a one-member sentence, e.g.:

I'm so glad (M. Spark) - subject.

I see a child (S. Barstow) - predicate.

Look very carefully (C. McCullers) - principal part of a one-member sentence.

Predicative expansion is of two kinds. In case it modifies the predication as a whole, we deal with situational modifiers (ситуанты), which usually place the predication in time or space, come in the initial position (before the subject), and are often set off by a comma. Cf:

That evening, Toby telephoned the director at home (S. Sheldon).

When the predicative expansion modifies only part of the predication, forming a word combination with it, its components build up secondary parts of the sentence. Secondary parts of the sentence include objects, qualitative adverbials, obligatory circumstantial adverbials, and attributes.

Objects, qualitative adverbials, and circumstantial adverbials modify the verbal component of predication. Cf.:

She could not see his face (W.S. Maugham) - object.

He played very badly (W.S. Maugham) - qualitative adverbial.

He's on his way from the airport (S. Sheldon) - circumstantial adverbial.

Attributes modify either the nominal component of predication or a nominal element in the verbal component of predication. Cf.:

The lovely music began (D. Robins).

She plunged into the warm water (S. Sheldon).

THE SUBJECT

Definition of the Subject

The traditional definition of the subject is logical. Thus, G. Curme writes, 'The subject is that which is spoken of. However, the subject is a unit of structural sentence analysis. Since the main structural characteristic of the sentence is predication, the subject should be defined with respect to its role in realizing predication. Viewed from this angle, the subject represents the nominal component of predication; in analytical English, it is practically the only indication of person.

Formal Features of the Subject

In inflected Old English, the subject had the form of the nominative case. In Modern English, it is only the personal pronouns I, he, she, we, and they that have a distinct form for the nominative case. (The personal pronouns you and it have the same form for the nominative and the objective cases.) When the subject is expressed by a noun, the morphological criterion fails because nowadays English nouns lack the nominative case. The existing common and genitive cases can both be used in the function of the subject. Cf:

The traveller made no reply (P.G. Wodehouse).

St Paul's is one of the principal sights of London (O. Jespersen).

True, the common case is characterized by a much higher frequency of occurrence in the function of the subject than the genitive case. However, the common case is polyfunctional. It would not be an exaggeration to say that it can perform all the syntactic functions in the sentence. Cf:

She is a doctor (V. Evans) - subjective predicative.

Have you done all your homework? (Longman Essential Activator) - object.

She was all alone in a strange city (Longman Essential Activator) - adverbial.

The guests began to arrive around noon on the feast day (T. Chevalier) - attribute.

Even Pieter the father was there... (T. Chevalier) -appositive.

On those Sundays I felt very confused (T. Chevalier) -situational modifier.