HANDOUT 9

Rodney Huddleston and Geoffrey K. Pullum, A Students Introduction to

English Grammar. Cambridge University Press, 2005. Notes on the exercises to
chapter 15:
http://www.lel.ed.ac.uk/~gpullum/SIEG/exx_ch15.html

6. For each underlined clause, give an extraposed counterpart if one is available, or if
none is available, explain why.
Ex That they were cheating seems very likely.
A
Ex The suggestion that they were cheating is preposterous.
A

8. Give non-existential counterparts of the following clauses if one is available, and
where none is available explain why.
Ex There are some friends of yours outside.
A
Ex There's been a terrible accident.
A

9. For each of the following, give an it-cleft counterpart with the same truth conditions,
with the underlined constituent as the foregrounded element.
Ex One of their friends informed the police.
A
Ex They finally convinced her with great difficulty.
A

10. For each of the following, give a pseudo-cleft with the same truth conditions, with
the underlined constituent as the foregrounded element.
Ex Why he pleaded guilty puzzled everyone.
A
Ex We objected to the lack of consultation.
A