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Featon Posted 15 years ago
Grammar

Subject+passive verb+to problem

"There are estimated to be one milion unemployed."

What does "are" refer to? To the "one milion people" or to "there" (a place)? In case it refers to the "people", why there is another verb "be" - two predicates in one statement?
  

Top answer

1. 'Are'agrees with the subject 'people' 'Estimate' is in passive form. There are two apples on the pewter plate.

  • 1.
  • 'Are'agrees with the subject 'people' 'Estimate' is in passive form.
  • There are two apples on the pewter plate.
  • There is a book on your table.
  • 'There' is not the actual subject here.
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2 Answers
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1. 'Are'agrees with the subject 'people' 'Estimate' is in passive form.

There are two apples on the pewter plate. There is a book on your table.

'There' is not the actual subject here.

2. 'be' verb is in infintive form hence it does not form a predicate by itself.

Number of predicates as far as I know, depends on the finite verbs in
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featonWhat does "are" refer to?
'are' is a verb; verbs don't refer to anything.

The agreement is between million (people) and are, if that's what you're asking.

there is not a place. This is a case of 'existential' there.

A sentence with the same meaning is

It is estimated that one million (pe

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