The Subject of a Finite Verb
“Finite clauses” series: Part 3
In the previous part of this series, we looked at how the “finite verb”’—that is, the core verb with a changed form that shows the grammatical information of tense, aspect, voice, and mood—makes an English clause “finite.”
A clause that is made “finite” with a “finite verb” can be a complete sentence on its own or form longer sentences with other finite clauses—as long as they are validly combined.
Here are some examples as a recap:
[ I wrote a blog post. ]
In this sentence, there is only one finite clause with the core finite verb “wrote.”
[ I wrote a blog post,] and [ you read it. ]
In this sentence, two finite clauses are linked together by the conjunction “and.” Each finite clause has its own finite verb—“wrote” and “read” respectively.
[ I wrote a blog post [ that discusses finite clauses. ] ]
In this sentence, there are also two finite clauses validly combined, but this time, there is one finite clause embedded within another. Each has its own finite verb again—“wrote” and “discusses” respectively.
In other words, we have already discussed how the “finite verb” is the core verb of a finite clause showing tense, aspect, voice, and mood, and, in turn, how the finite clause is a building block for complete sentences.
The most important point to remember is that the finite verb is the core element of a finite clause, representing its core action.
Now, there is another essential element in a finite clause along with the finite verb, and that is the grammatical subject that corresponds to this finite verb.
In English grammar, finite clauses must have an explicit subject (i.e. one that is not just implied in context) for their finite verbs—dropping this subject is not a grammatical option, even when context makes it clear what the subject is.
The subject of a finite verb always has a direct relationship with this finite verb. It is either the “doer” of the finite verb’s action (when the finite verb is in active voice) or the “direct recipient” of the finite verb’s action (when the finite verb is in passive voice). There is no other possible relationship between the subject and the finite verb of a finite clause.
In addition, the subject and finite verb must correspond to and “agree with” each other in word form—specifically, in person and number, as English has “inflections” (word form changes) for these two types of grammatical information.
For example:
[ I like writing blog posts. ]
[ My blog posts are read by many people. ]
In the first sentence above, the finite verb is “like,” and the subject is “I.” As the finite verb is in active voice, the subject is the “doer” of the action. The subject and finite verb also agree with each other in person and number—first person and singular respectively—in terms of their word forms.
In the second sentence above, the finite verb is “are read,” and the subject is “my blog posts.” As the finite verb is in passive voice, the subject is the “direct recipient” of the action. The subject and finite verb also agree with each other in person and number—third person and plural respectively—in terms of their word forms.
(Note: In our content, we call the whole finite verb phrase the “finite verb”, i.e. “are read” in this case, rather than just the part that undergoes the word form change, i.e. “are” in this case, because we think that it is more important for students to focus on the whole core action of a finite clause as a unit. In strict Linguistics terminology, only the part that changes form is technically the “finite” part.)
The subject is the other essential element of a finite clause in English, and it must directly correspond to and agree with the finite verb—that is, it must either be the “doer” of the finite verb or its “direct recipient,” and it must be the right number and person for the finite verb’s word form.
In English grammar, the subject of a finite clause is an essential element. It cannot be dropped or omitted even when the context makes it clear what the subject is.
For example:
X ^ Are read by many people*.
The sentence above has a finite verb “are read” but no corresponding subject. This is not valid in English grammar. Our article on the “subject requirement” in English grammar discusses this further. (Our other article on “seeming exceptions” of English grammar has a section that addresses certain situations when it seems that the subject of a finite clause is dropped.)
Dropping the subject in a finite clause is a common mistake that speakers of Cantonese (and other Chinese languages) make in English because Cantonese/Chinese allows this, but English does not.
For example:
X Now ^ is okay.
This sentence has a finite verb “is” but no subject. “Now” is only an adverb in this sentence and is not a valid subject. This is a common incorrect version of “now it is okay” or the abbreviated “now it’s okay” produced by Cantonese speakers.
✓ Now it is okay. (Now it’s okay.)
In this sentence, there is a subject “it” corresponding to the finite verb “is.” This sentence therefore does not violate the restriction in English grammar that finite clauses need an explicit (i.e. not an implicit or contextual) subject for the finite verb.
Cantonese/Chinese speakers often make the mistake of dropping the subject of a finite clause in English because Cantonese/Chinese allows this.
To recap, the subject, along with the core finite verb, is an essential component of a finite clause in English. Its relationship with the finite verb is direct—it is either the “doer” or the “direct recipient” of its action. It also agrees with the finite verb in form in terms of grammatical person and number.
Now that we understand the basic grammatical make-up of finite clauses, we can next look at how finite clauses can act as the building blocks of longer sentences.
Our online course devotes its entire opening section to the discussion of “clauses”--both their internal structure and role as building blocks in sentence architecture--because this concept holds central importance in any systematic understanding of English.
If you wish to study this important topic in a more structured way, please join our online course.
限定動詞的主語
「finite clauses」（限定子句）系列：第 3 篇
前一篇文章中，我解釋了「限定動詞」（finite verb）是指一個會轉變字形來顯示時態、體貌、語態和文法語氣等文法信息的動詞，它是限定子句中必要元素，是表達子句的核心動作的動詞。
含有限定動詞的限定子句，自己本身已可以成為一個完整句子，同時也能與其他限定子句一起組成長句子，只要組合方法正確便可。
舉一些例子讓大家重溫一下:
[ I wrote a blog post. ]
這句子只包含一個有核心限定動詞「wrote」的限定子句。
[ I wrote a blog post,] and [ you read it. ]
這句子是透過連接詞「and」連接著兩個限定子句而組成的。每一個限定子句都有自己的限定動詞，分別是「wrote」和「read」。
[ I wrote a blog post [ that discusses finite clauses. ] ]
這句也同樣是由兩個限定子句組合而成，但組合方法是其中一個限定子句嵌入另一個之中。每一個限定子句都有自己的限定動詞，分別是「wrote」和「discusses」。
換句話說，我們已經討論了「限定動詞」乃限定子句中顯示時態、體貌、語態和文法語氣的核心動詞，以及限定子句是形成完整句子的基本單位。
我們要重點記住，限定動詞是限定子句的核心元素，用以表達核心動作。
現在，我會介紹子句中另一個同等重要的元素，就是與限定動詞互相呼應的文法主語（grammatical subject）。
英文文法中，限定子句中的限定動詞必需有一個明確的主語（即不只是在前文後理中暗示了的主語，而是表明了的）。在限定子句中省略主語是不可行的，即使前文後理已足夠讓我們知道主語是甚麼。
限定動詞和其主語有著直接的關係。主語要不是執行限定動詞動作的元素 （當限定動詞顯示主動語態），便是直接接受該限定動詞動作的元素（當限定動詞顯示被動語態）。除此以外，主語與它的限定動詞之間絕不會有其他關係。
此外，主語和限定動詞必需在字形上互相呼應和，尤其在人稱和數量上。因為英文是依靠改變字形來顯示文法信息的。例如：
[ I like writing blog posts. ]
[ My blog posts are read by many people. ]
第一個例句的限定動詞是「like」，主語是「I」。由於限定動詞呈現主動語態（active voice），所以主語是該動作的「執行者」。主語和限定動詞也在人稱及數量上以它們的字形互相呼應，分別顯示出第一人稱及單數。
第二個例句中的「are read」是限定動詞，「my blog posts」是主語。由於限定動詞呈現被動語態（passive voice），所以主語是該動作的「直接接受者」。主語和限定動詞同樣也在人稱及數量上以它們的字形互相呼應，分別顯示出第三人稱及眾數。
（備註: 我們將整個限定動詞組都稱為「限定動詞」，就像上述例句中的「are read」，而不只是轉變字形的部份，即上述例句中的「are」。因為我們認為最重要是讓學生將限定動詞中的整個核心動作視為一個整體。如果是嚴格的語言學術語，只有改變字形的部分才會被稱為「限定」。）
主語是另一個英文限定動詞的必要元素，並要與限定動詞互相呼應 － 它要不是在執行限定動詞動作，就是在直接承受限定動詞動作；限定動詞的字形也必需呼應主語的人稱及數量。
由於在英文文法中，限定子句中的主語是必要元素，所以即使我們從前文後理中已能清楚地推測出主語是甚麼，仍然不能就此省略主語。例如:
X ^ Are read by many people*.
這例句中只有限定動詞「are read」但沒有對應它的明確主語，這是英文文法所不容許的。我們會在另一篇文章「英文文法對主語的要求」中進一步探討此問題。（我們有另一篇文章探討英文文法中看似例外的情況，當中有一節專門討論某些似乎是主語被省略的情況。)
省略英文限定子句的主語是操廣東話 （及其他中文系語言）人士的常見錯誤。因為廣東話容許主語被省略，但英文不能。例如：
X Now ^ is okay.
這例句只包含限定動詞「is」但沒有主語。「Now」不過是句子中的副詞而非可行主語。但這句子卻是操廣東話人士經常說出的錯誤版本。正確版本可以是：
✓ Now it is okay. (Now it’s okay.)
這句中有主語「it」呼應限定動詞「is」，因此並不違反英文文法對限定子句必需包含一個明確的（非暗示的）主語以呼應限定動詞的系統性規則。
操廣東話/中文經常省略英文限定子句中的主語，主要是因為廣東話/中文的文法是容許主語被省略的。
總括而言，主語跟核心限定動詞一樣，是組成英文限定子句的重要元素。它與限定動詞有直接的關聯，要不是在執行限定動詞動作，就是在直接承受限定動詞動作。而它也會在人稱和數量上與限定動詞互相呼應以達成一致。
現在我們了解到限定子句的基本文法構造，接下來便可以看看限定子句如何能建立長句子。