Richard wrote:Maybe metal56 can tell us where the original set of exercises came from.
I can do even better, I can post the post. It wa from a student on About.com forums and UE forums.
<<Hi, Below, you will find a number of sentences. This is a part 1 of a series of questions that I need to have answered because next week I'm taking an examination. Here's the tough part... Some of them can be rewritten into sentences beginning with "There..." but some of them cannot. What I want you to tell me is... why. Such sentences are called "There Insertion Structure" or "Locative Existential Structure". I couldn't find any rules about it, in my books. Anyway, this stuff comes from materials I was given by a lecturer in English Grammar.
It's a tough nut to crack... Allright, here it is :
I was told that these sentences are wrong :
2. All of a sudden a bottle broke on the table. (All of a sudden there broke a bottle on the table)
6. A dog was running in circles. (There was a dog running in circles)
9. A woman sang in the cold November night. (There sang a woman in the cold November night)
14. Some forty terrorists participated in the assault. (There participated some forty terrorists in the assaukt)
16. A ravishing naked girl bathed in the pool. (There bathed a ravishing naked girl in the pool)
18. Many people helped when the police arrived. (There helped many people when the police arrived)
Are these correct ? I think they're not. But why exactly ? What's the rule ?
And the next ones :
1. And suddenly a joyful thought floated into his mind. (And suddenly there loated a joyful thought into his mind)
I won't rewritte all of them, but you know what's the rule here.
3. Instead of co-operation, mutual distrust prevaield between the two groups.
4. A set of materials corresponded to each course of study.
5. The goddess Varuni emanated from the ocean.
7. A sense of responsibility and urgency exuded from all present. 8. A monster lurks in every woman.
10. Two men remained in the village. 11. A bright light streamed forth over all the people present.
12. Some three hours elapsed and his wife got back home not knowing at all what on earth had happened.
13. Only the lower sections of the wall survived.
15. A new bright vision dawned upon his mind.
17. A humongous palace of diamonds and crystal drifted in the distance.
19. A new complication developed quickly after the first was fixed.
So, these ones sound ok... I guess, but again - why ?
And the last ones :
1. In the middle of the kitchen there was killed a big pig.
2. There were stalked three women in this part of the town last year.
3. Of course, a lot of people complain because there are walked dirty dogs in front of their windows.
4. In this section of the readning room, there are read old manuscripts.
5. In the corner between wall and cealing, there was mounted a unique gargolye measuring about thirty cm.
Are they incorrect ? I think so... but I don't know why I need to know why some of the given examples are correct and some are incorrect. I was told that sometimes it has to do with verbs of "appearance" or "existence". Still, I don't get it. Thanks a lot, forum_mail ps. If I made ANY mistakes, please correct me >>