English Grammar: Anticipatory "It" and Verb Classification

The Anticipatory "It" and the End-Weight Principle

The anticipatory "it" is used when we have a structure of this type: Long subject + copular verb + subject complement (sC). In English, there is a principle called the End-Weight Principle, which states that long language units should go at the end of the sentence.

Following this principle, we change the original structure and use an anticipatory "it"; that is, an "it" that anticipates the long subject that has been moved to the end of the sentence (in accordance with the end-weight principle).

Example:

• "It is nice that you are reading these notes right now."

In this example, "That you are reading these notes right now" is the underlying subject of the sentence. "It" functions as the grammatical subject, anticipating what comes after. Although it is true that we know the referent of "it", it is considered a non-referring "it" because it is not used naturally to point to an external entity; rather, it is forced by a grammatical rule. That is why it is classified as a non-referring "it".

Classification of Verbs in English

In English, we distinguish five different classes of verbs:

1. Lexical Verbs

run, put, have, like, etc.

2. Primary Auxiliaries

do, have, be

All of them can also be used with lexical value, as in:

• I do my homework.
• I have a friend called Juan.
• I am 20.

3. Modal Auxiliaries

shall, should, will, would, can, could, may, might, must, ought.

4. Semi-Modals

Verbs that are used as modals in certain contexts: need, dare. In interrogative and negative structures, dare can be used as a lexical verb (e.g., Did you dare?).

5. Lexical Auxiliaries

This class can be subdivided into:

• a) Verbs formed with "be": be able to, be about to, be apt to, be bound to, be due to, be going to, be liable to, be likely to, be certain to, be sure to, be meant to, be unlikely to, be supposed to
• b) Verbs formed with "have": have to, have got to
• c) Modal idioms: had better, would rather, would sooner

Characteristics of Verb Classes

Of these five classes, primary auxiliaries, semi-modals, and modal auxiliaries are closed classes (i.e., their number is restricted to existing verbs), while the others are open classes (i.e., new members of these groups might be created).

Properties of Modal Auxiliaries

The verbs that present the greatest difficulties in their use are the modal auxiliaries. They have the following characteristics:

• No -s at the end of the 3rd person singular (he can and not *he cans).
• Questions and negative forms do not take "do" (he can't and not *he doesn't can).
• Modal auxiliaries are followed by infinitives of lexical verbs without "to", except for ought (he can swim and not *he can to swim).
• Modal auxiliaries lack infinitive forms, but some form their infinitive equivalent with the help of lexical auxiliaries (e.g., can → to be able to).
• Modal auxiliaries have no true past forms (could is historically distinct and functions as a different form from can).
• Modal auxiliaries are always the first element in a verb phrase (VP).

Semantic Classification of Modal Auxiliaries (Swan)

Modal auxiliaries can be categorized according to their meaning. Swan proposes the following groups:

• a) Certainty: shall, shan’t, will, won’t, must, can’t, couldn’t, wouldn’t, would
• b) Probability: should, shouldn’t, ought to, oughtn’t to
• c) Weak probability: might, might not, could
• d) Theoretical or habitual possibility: can
• e) Conditional certainty or possibility: would, wouldn’t, could, couldn’t, might, mightn’t

Review: The Anticipatory "It"

The anticipatory "it" is used when we have a structure of this type: Long subject + copular verb + subject complement (sC). In English, there is a principle called the End-Weight Principle, which states that long language units should go at the end of the sentence.

Following this principle, we change the original structure and use an anticipatory "it"; that is, an "it" that anticipates the long subject that has been moved to the end of the sentence (following the end-weight principle).

Example:

• "It is nice that you are reading these notes right now."

"That you are reading these notes right now" is the subject of the sentence. "It" is also the subject of the sentence, anticipating what comes after. Although it is true that we know the referent of "it", it is considered a non-referring "it" because it is not used naturally; it is forced by a grammar rule. That is why it is considered a non-referring "it".