It as the subject of the sentence.

1. “it” as a notional subject:

   • It stands for a definite thing or some abstract idea: The door opened. It was opened by a young girl of thirteen or fourteen.

   • It points out some person or thing expressed by a predicative pronoun: It is John. It was a large room with a great window.

2. “it” as a formal subject:

   • The impersonal “it”

1. to denote natural phenomena: It often rains in autumn. It is cold in winter.

2. to denote time and distance: It is morning already. It is a long way to the station.

• The introductory “it”: introduces the real subject: It was curious to observe that child.

• The emphatic “it”: It was Winifred who went up to him.

The predicate is the second main part of the sentence which expresses an action, state or quality of the person or thing denoted by the subject.

The simple predicate. It is expressed by the finite verb in a simple or a compound tense form: I have been looking for you everywhere.

There is a special kind of predicate expressed by a phraseological unit: to get rid, to take care, to pay attention, to lose sight.

The compound predicate. It consists of two parts.

• Nominal predicate: it denotes the state or quality of the person or thing expressed by the subject. It consists of a link verb and a predicative: he is tired. She is a student. The verbs which are used as link verbs: to grow, to look, to taste, to smell, etc.

• Verbal predicate: it can be divided into two types:

1. Modal predicate: it shows whether the action is considered as possible, impossible, obligatory, necessary, desirable. It consists of the following components: 1) a modal verb and an infinitive: You can prove everything and nothing., 2) modal expressions: I have to work for my living., 3) a verb with a modal meaning: He wanted to throw himself into the whirlpool of Paris.

2. Aspect predicate: it expresses the beginning, repetition, duration, cessation of the action expressed by the non-finite form of the verb: to begin, to go on, to stop, etc.

The secondary parts of the sentence The object

The object is a secondary part of the sentence referring to some other part of the sentence and expressed by a verb, an adjective, a stative or, very seldom, an adverb completing, specifying, or restricting its meaning.

She has bought a car.

I’m glad to see you.

She was afraid of the dog.

He did it unexpectedly to himself.

Types of the object

The direct object is a non-prepositional one that follows transitive verbs, adjectives, or statives and completes their meaning. Semantically it is usually a non-person which is affected by the action of the verb, though it may also be a person or a situation. The situation is expressed by a verbal, a verbal phrase, a complex, or by a clause.

I wrote a poem.

You like arguing, don’t you?

Who saw him leave?

I don’t know what it all means.

She was ready to sing.

The indirect object also follows verbs, adjectives and statives. Unlike the direct object, however, it may be attached to intransitive verbs as well as to transitive ones. Besides, it may also be attached to adverbs, although this is very rare.

The cognate object is a non-prepositional object which is attached to otherwise intransitive verbs and is always expressed by nouns derived from, or semantically related to, the root of the governing verb.

The child smiled the smile and laughed the laugh of contentment.

They struck him a heavy blow.