2. The introductory or anticipatory “it” introduces the real subject.

e.g. It was curious to observe that child.

e.g. It’s no use disguising facts.

Some grammarians treat “it” as the real subject and the rest of the sentence as the predicate.

3.The emphatic “it” is used for emphasis.

e.g. It was Sean who went up to him.

The predicate

The predicate is the second principal part of the sentence which expresses an action, state, or quality of the person or thing denoted by the subject. It is grammatically dependent upon the subject.

NOTE: This definition does not cover sentences with the formal “it” as subject. In these sentences the predicate expresses the state or weather, time or distance, and the subject only makes the sentence structurally complete.

As a rule, the predicate contains a finite verb which may express tense, mood, voice, aspect, and sometimes person and number. According to the structure and the meaning of the predicate we distinguish two main types: the simple predicate and the compound predicate.

The simple predicate

The simple predicate is expressed by a finite verb in a simple or a compound tense form. It generally denotes an action.

e.g. He arrived at the lab.

Phraseological predicate

There is a special kind of predicate expressed by a phraseological unit, such as

• to get rid of

• to pay attention to

• to have a wash

• to give a push

The first component , i.e. the finite verb, has lost its concrete meaning, it forms one unit with the noun, consequently the noun cannot treated as an object. It’s impossible to put a question to the second component.

e.g. My friend gave me an interesting book. (What did your friend give you)

e.g. The man gave a violent start.

We distinguish two types of the phraeological predicate.

1. Word combinations of the following type:

- to have a smoke

- to have a swim

- to have a run

- to make a move

The combination consists of A FINITE VERB which has lost its concrete meaning and A NOUN formed from a verb, mostly used with the definite article. The predicate denotes a momentaneous action. In Ukrainian this shade of meaning is rendered by different prefixes and suffixes. It is characteristic of colloquial speech.

e.g. He had a wash. Він помився.

e.g. He gave a cry. Він скрикнув.

2. Word combinations of the following type:

- to make use;

- to take care;

- to change one’s mind.

The second component is mostly an abstract noun used without any article.

e.g. I will get in touch with you.

The compound predicate

The compound predicate consists of two parts: (a) a finite verb (b) some other part of speech: a noun, a pronoun, an adjective, a verbal (a participle, a gerund, an infinitive).The second component is the significant part of the predicate. The first part expresses the verbal categories of person, number, tense, aspect, mood, voice. The compound predicate can be nominal or verbal.

The compound nominal predicate

The compound nominal predicate denotes the state or quality of the person or thing expressed by the subject (e.g. He is tired), the class of persons or things to which this person/thing belongs (She’s a student). It consists of

• a link verb (a verb of incomplete predication)

• a predicative (the nominal part of the predicate)

The link verb expresses the verbal categories of person, number, tense, aspect, mood, sometimes voice.

Most link verbs to some extent preserve their meaning:

• to appear;

• to grow;

• to keep;

• to turn out;

• to seem;

• to get

Many of these verbs can be used as verbs of complete predication preserving their meaning and as link verbs.

e.g. The nightmare of my life had come true. (a link verb)

e.g. They were coming for the night but nobody else. (a verb of complete predication)

There are verb which, preserving their concrete meaning, perform the function of link verbs. They are used with a predicative and form a compound nominal predicate. Here belong:

to lie

to sit

to die

to return

to leave

to fall

to come

to marry

to stand

to go

e.g. The woman sat amazed. She lay senseless in the armchair.

According to their meaning link verbs can be divided into two large groups:

1. link verbs of being and remaining:

• to be

• to remain

• to keep

• to look

• to continue

• to stand

• to lie

• to seem

• to prove

• to appear

2. link verbs of becoming:

• to become

• to get

• to come

• to run

• to turn

• to go

• to make

• to grow