Author:
Peter Berry
Date Of Creation:
19 February 2021
Update Date:
15 May 2024
Content
Theimpersonal sentences They are those that lack a specific subject to whom the action referred to by the verb can be attributed. For example: Tomorrow will rain.
Impersonal sentences are single-member sentences, since they depart from the classical sentence structure of subject (with nominal nucleus) + predicate (with verbal nucleus); in them there is only one verb that describes an event or circumstance.
It can serve you:
- Single and double-member sentences
- Sentences with and without subject
Examples of impersonal sentences
- It doesn't take a lot of money to visit our country.
- I've been robbed!
- It snowed all winter.
- It is enough with some money to be able to enjoy.
- There is a car taking your place in the parking lot.
- You have to set the table before they arrive with the food.
- It is taken for granted that the minister will resign.
- There is a lot of noise here.
- Reservation in the information given will be greatly appreciated.
- This Tuesday it will rain torrentially.
- There were many policemen at the door.
- It's late to leave just now.
- Flowers have been sent to your office door.
- They say it is better to stay in the house.
- In this country you drink too much.
- Tomorrow will dawn a little later than today.
- In a few hours it will stop raining.
- We would have to start packing.
- There were protests and riots in the center.
- Unfortunately, the elderly are not respected.
- See also: Impersonal verbs
Types of impersonal sentences
Within impersonal sentences, four common categories are recognized.
- Sentences that describe weather phenomena. It is clear that it is impossible to attribute these circumstances to an active subject; they are impersonal sentences that can be formulated in the present, past or future: the impersonal condition is always maintained. For example: It was raining all night. /Yesterday it finally snowed.
- Sentences that describe an obligation. They use the verbal construction "have that", conjugated in the present, past or future. For example: Call a doctor. / HI have to accommodate everything in five minutes.
- Semantic impersonality sentences. There is someone who performs the action that the verb describes, but who he is is unknown and therefore cannot be named in a concrete way and they usually choose to express the verb in the plural. For example: Knock on the door.
- Prayers of impersonalityexpressed by "se". There is someone who performs the action described by the verb, but it is not named because it is desired to keep it in reserve or because it is considered that it is not the case to name it and it is preferred to leave the fact in a prominent position and not who performs it. For example: You live better in the country than in the big cities.
Impersonal sentences should not be confused with:
- Pasive voice sentences. In these sentences you can omit thecomplement agent because it is important to highlight the fact and not who executes it. For example: The building will be demolished first thing tomorrow morning. (It is a two-part sentence that could be reformulated as a two-way active voice sentence: The company will demolish the building first thing tomorrow.
- Sentences with an unspoken subject. These sentences do have a subject that executes the verb, only it is not explicitly named, although it is obvious based on other syntactic questions. For example: I work from Monday to Thursday. (Unspoken Subject: me)
Continue with: Types of sentences
