1E EL Unit 5 Dummy Subjects

Let's grammar:

Dummy Subjects

Today we will:

• Identify Dummy subjects used in sentences

• Use Dummy subjects in sentences

Multiple Choice

Dummy subjects are ________________ used when the subject is elsewhere in the sentence/ there is no subject.

• dumb things

• empty subjects

• unintelligent people

Dummy subjects

'Empty' subjects that do not refer to anything.

Usually 'There', 'It', 'That'.

E.g. There is no real subject in this sentence.

Versus: This sentence has no real subject.

Multiple Choice

Which sentence uses a dummy subject?

• I must have vegetables in my diet.

• It is crucial that my meal has vegetables.

Multiple Choice

Which sentence uses a dummy subject?

• That we do our best is what is important.

• Doing our best is what is important.

Fill in the Blanks

Rephrase this sentence to include a dummy subject: The weather this morning is very warm.

Fill in the Blanks

Rephrase this sentence to include a dummy subject: No sound was heard.

Multiple Choice

Why do we use dummy subjects?

• To have more variety of sentences

• To emphasise different things in a sentence

• All of the above

We use dummy subjects to...

1.Vary sentence types

so that we don't sound so B O R I N G G G G

It was a beautiful start to the day. The sun was shining brightly and the birds were chirping sweetly. There was no gloomy cloud in sight. That the weekend was here made me very happy.

B

The sun was shining brightly and the sky was clear. The birds were chirping sweetly. The day was starting out beautifully. I was very happy the weekend was finally here.

A

Compare

We use dummy subjects to...

2.Change the focus of the sentence

We usually focus on what comes first in a sentence.

Compare:

A. There is no success without failure.

B. Failure is necessary to achieve success.