Syntax problem

Question

Hello, hopefully, you could solve my problems. I write these sentences myself.

1. I am interested to hear your experience as a policeman. (the subject is 'I')

2. It is interesting hearing your experience as a poiliceman. (the subject is 'hearing')

3. The experience requirement of this job is at least 5 years.

Your help means a lot to me. Thanks no end.

Avangi · Accepted Answer

Anonymous1. I am interested to hear your experience as a policeman. (the subject is 'I')
2. It is interesting hearing your experience as a poiliceman. (the subject is 'hearing')
3. The experience requirement of this job is at least 5 years.The sentences are all grammatically correct.

I believe your picks for "subject" are correct. The second one is a bit special:
"It" appears to be the subject, but I think we call it "the anticipatory it" in these cases.
It actually represents "hearing," as you have noted.
(Hearing is interesting.)

#1 is often phrased, "I am interested in hearing etc."
"I would be interested in hearing etc."
"I would be interested to hear etc."

The simple present "I am interested to hear/in hearing what you have to say about X" can mean
"I'm interested in what you're saying right now,"
but it's also used to mean "I want you to to tell me about X."

#3 could also be, "This job requires at least five years' experience."

BillJ · Answer

Avangi I believe your picks for "subject" are correct. The second one is a bit special:
"It" appears to be the subject, but I think we call it "the anticipatory it" in these cases.
It actually represents "hearing," as you have noted.

You're partly correct. This is an example of what's called 'extraposition'. Clauses with a subordinate clause subject generally have variants with the subordinate clause at the end and the dummy pronoun "it" as subject:

Basic Version: "Hearing your experience as a policeman is interesting".

Extraposed version: "It is interesting hearing your experience as a policeman".

It's important that the OP understands that "it" is the subject of the extraposed version, NOT 'hearing'. "Hearing" is the verb, not the subject, in the underlined subjectless subordinate clause in both versions. Interestingly, although I've labelled the first version as 'basic', the extraposed one is in fact more common. The reason is that subordinate clauses tend to be 'heavier' (longer and structurally more complex) than noun phrases, and there is a general preference for placing heavy material at the end of the matrix clause where it's easier to process.

BillJ

Avangi · Answer

Thanks, Bill.

I voted heavily against the dummy "it," and it will take a bit of thought to get squared away on it.

Rgdz, - A.

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