Indo-European Impersonal verb

1 indo-european

1.1 in english
1.2 in spanish
1.3 in french

indo-european
in english

the following sentences illustrate impersonal verbs:

(1) rains.
(2) cold.
(3) growing dark.
(4) seems there no end this.
(5) unclear why cut rope.

the expletive pronoun in these sentences not denote clear entity, yet meaning clear. in other words, pronoun has no clear antecedent. english strict requiring subject supplies them verbs not require them. in sentences (4) , (5), in subject position, while real subject has been moved end of sentence.

a simple test can done see if sentence contains impersonal verb. 1 checks see if given subject pronoun takes antecedent in previous clause or sentence, e.g.

bukit timah 163.63 metres tall. highest point in singapore.






bukit timah 163.63 metres tall. rains there.

the 2 examples may seem similar, pronoun in first example links previous subject. pronoun in second example, on other hand, has no referent. hill (bukit timah) not rain, rains. demonstrates rain impersonal verb.

in spanish

there no equivalent of dummy subject in spanish. in spanish, there few true impersonal avalent verbs. of them atmospheric verbs :

llueve
it s raining
ha helado
it froze

most impersonal constructions in spanish involves: a) using special verb in third-person defective verb direct object argument. b) use of impersonal se (not confused other uses of se).

there 2 main impersonal verbs in spanish: haber (to exist) , hacer (to do). haber irregular verb. when used impersonal verb in present tense, has special conjugation third person singular (hay). clauses verb haber not have explicit subject; argument direct object noun phrase not agree verb. haber has natural meaning of tener have .

hay un libro (aquí).
there book (here)
hay muchos libros.
there many books
hubo muchos libros (que no se vendieron).
there many books (that left unsold).

less frequent, , in expressions limited number of nouns in singular, verb hacer in 3rd singular used impersonal (hacer common verb meaning ).

hace frío
it s cold
hizo frío ayer
yesterday cold
hace viento
it s windy

spanish add pronoun se in front of verbs form general sentences. impersonal voice using se use singular verb since se can replaced uno.

¿cómo se escribe apple ?
how spell apple ?

the passive voice in spanish has similar characteristics following of impersonal se. formed using se + third person singular or plural conjugation of verb, similar impersonal se. use of se confused medial se.

active voice:
mis amigos comieron torta (european , american spanish)
my friends ate cake (i.e. of cake)
mis amigos comieron la torta (american spanish, less frequent in european spanish)
my friends ate cake


medial meaning:
mis amigos se comieron la torta
my friends ate cake


passive voice:
esta torta se come tradicionalmente en navidad.
this cake eaten during christmas
se vende esta casa.
this house sale

in french

the verbs impersonal in french because not take real personal subject not represent action, occurrence or state-of-being can attributed person, place or thing. in french, in english, these impersonal verbs take on impersonal pronoun—il in french.

il faut que tu fasses tes devoirs.
it necessary homework.

the il not refer in particular here. dummy form. meaning doing homework necessary. common impersonal form il y = there is, there are. note other tenses (il y avait, il y eu, il y aura, etc.).