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Park sang joon Posted 10 years ago
Grammar

A dummy subject "there"

The following are of my own making.

1. She was coming with something to eat.
2. There was she coming with something to eat.

I'd like to know if I can rephrase #1 as #2.
Thank you in advance for your help.
  

Top answer

park sang joon I'd like to know if I can rephrase #1 as #2. No. Be careful about the difference between locative there (in that place) and existential there .

  • park sang joon I'd like to know if I can rephrase #1 as #2.
  • No.
  • Be careful about the difference between locative there (in that place) and existential there .
  • You can rephrase it as There she was, coming with something to eat.
  • , a woman .
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7 Answers
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park sang joonI'd like to know if I can rephrase #1 as #2.
No. Be careful about the difference between locative there (in that place) and existential there.

You can rephrase it as There she was, coming with something to eat. (locative there)

But if you want existential there, you'd best use an indefinite
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Thank you, CalifJim, for another So Very helpful answer from you. Emotion: smile

There was a woman (who was) coming with someth
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park sang joonThen I was wondering if I can say "There was a with something to eat coming woman."
No. (That sounds like a German construction! Not English!)

CJ
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Thank you, CalifJim, for your continuing answer. Emotion: smile

Then I was wondering if when modifiers of nouns-participles, adjective-ar
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park sang joon I was wondering if I can say "There was a with something to eat coming woman."
I am just curious, Sang Joon— have you EVER, in all your English reading, seen ANY sentence even slightly resembling what you have constructed. What made you think you could pile all that into an attributive adjective?
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Thank you, Mr. Micawber, for your message. Emotion: smile

I think I have seen three times in this book.
I will reread this book from
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park sang joonSo, when I find the clauses, I will report in this thread.
Great! Thank you.

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