Typological Characteristics of the Subject

Being one of the central parts of a two-member sentence, the subject in the contrasted languages has, naturally, an identical syntactic function. But despite this, the subject has some distinguishing features characteristic of the English language only.

The typological characteristics of the subject with its isomorphic and allomorphic features in form/structure and semantic nature both in English and Ukrainian can clearly be observed below in table 26.

As can be seen from the table some ways of expressing the subject are found only in English. These are 1) by means of the indefinite pronouns one, you, they, eg: When one loves one's art, no service seems too hard. (O. Henry) They say I am like my father, grandfather. (Dickens) You don't say so; 2) by means of the impersonal or anticipatory/ introductory pronoun it: It was just very dark. (Murdoch.) It was fun to think that she could be crazy. (Maugham); 3) by means of the formal/ introductory "there", which is used, as a rule, to introduce the rhematic subject: "There's nothing wrong with him." (Caldwell); 4) by means of the infinitival secondary predication for -phrase: "For me to come is impossible", Louise said. (C. Herman) "...it is absurd for you to doubt yourself. (I. Snow); which is also available in Ukrainian (cf. Для мене це зробити легше за все) but has no complex predicative nature. 5) by means of the subjective with the infinitive or participle construction forming, like the for + to + infinitive construction, the so-called complex subject. Cf. The fire is certain to produce panic in the morning. (Dreiser) They seem to have quite forgotten him already. (T. Hardy) He was seen arguing with the ship's doctor... (Sinclair); 6) by the gerundial construction: Tom's coming here was a blessing. (Fitzgerald)

The Semantic Functions of the Subject

These functions are common in both languages. The principle ones are the following:

1. That of the agent of the action in relation to the predicate. Cf. Dr. Mackrhail sighed faintly. (Maugham) They went upstairs to pack...

Table 26.