There is said to be an election this week.依据曹老师的概念,there 是形式主语,be是不及物动词,表示存在那样这个句子还是存在句吗,由于这个句子的谓语动词是is said 吧?
Huddleston在《剑桥语法》中对这种结构(提高主语结构)做了非常不错的说明。
所谓提高主语,是指一个分句的主语被提高到高中一年级级的分句中作了主语。比如:
It seems that he is right.
这个句子中,seems是主句的谓语,he是that从句的主语。大家可以把that从句的主语he提高到主句,作主句的主语,从句的谓语改为不定式结构,就得到:
He seems to be right.
再如:
It is said that Tom has written a new book.
将that从句的主语Tom提高为主句的主语,that从句的谓语改为不定式结构:
Tom is said to have written a new book.
there存在句也合适这种提高主语结构。比如
It is believed that there is no water on Mars. . 《剑桥英语》给出了容易见到的提高动词。
至于There is said to be an election this week.这个句子还是否存在句,大家先将它还原为普通的句子,看它是否存在句。
It is said that there will be an election this week. 这个句子是否存在句呢?答案是:that从句是存在句,但主句不是。主句表示从句的内容只不过大家说的、想的、觉得的、看起来像的等。
其对应的提高主语结构将that从句与主句合并成了一个简单句,其限定动词词组有哪些用途像情态动词有哪些用途,故这种提高主语结构似应剖析为复合谓语结构。所以,我觉得there提高主语结构仍然可以剖析为存在句的一种变式。