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1、A Probe into the Subject in English Abstract : The concept and function of the subject in English has been a topic discussed for many years . This paper tries to explore the subject in a way of its function , classification and position and realization of grammatical metaphor . Key words : subject ,
2、 functions , classification position ,realization of grammatical metaphor .英语的主语问题探讨英语的主语问题探讨摘摘 要要：英语中主语的问题是个长期被关注的既简单又复杂的问题。本文拟从主语的功能， 分类，在句中的位置及其在语法隐喻的体现 关键词关键词：功能，分类，位置，体现I . Different views of the subject . The definitions of subjects are not identical concerning the functions it plays . 1. Subj
3、ect from the traditional grammar point of view . Subject is defined as a noun , noun phrase or pronoun that usually comes before a main verb and represents the person or the thing that performs the action of the verb or about which something is stated , such as she in She hit John or elephants in El
4、ephants are big .( Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English : 1998). 2.Mathesiuss view. In the earliest stages of Indo-European languages the theme of the utterance appears to have expressed the agent of the action predicated by the verb . In comparing present day Czech and English he finds that i
5、n Czech the subject has largely preserved the function of the agent. In English , on the other hand , the subject has to a considerable extent acquired thematic function . The function of expressing the agent of the action has been appreciably weakened in favor of the function to express the theme o
6、f the utterance . In his discussion of the functional sentence perspective he claims that the presumable origin of the grammatical subject probably arose from a formally fixed manner of expressing the theme of the utterance . ( Mathesius : 1975) 3. Jerspersens view . In his discussion of grammatical
7、 subject he raised three ranks: primary , secondary and tertiary , claiming that in every sentence there are some elements (secondary words ) which are comparatively fluid or liquid , and others (primary words ) that are more firmly fixed . The subject is always the primary , though not necessarily
8、the only primary in the sentence . To subject is comparatively definite and special while the predicate is less definite ,and thus applicable to a greater number of things . (Jerpersen : 1924) 4. Ertls view about subject :Czech scholar Ertl classified subject into three categories : psychological su
9、bject , grammatical subject and logical subject and made a clear distinction for the first time in 1926 (liu : 2002) . Psychological subject has to do with the concern of the message ; grammatical subject refers to that of which something is predicated and logical subject means the doer of the actio
10、n 5. Hallidays view : Various interpretations have grown up around the subject notion , ascribing it to a number of rather different functions . These resolve themselves into three broad definitions , which could be summarized as follows : psychological subject , grammatical subject and logical subj
11、ect . Psychological subject meant that which is the concern of the message . It was called psychological because it was what the speaker had in his mind to start with , when embarking on the production of the clause . Grammatical subject meant that of which is being predicated because at that time t
12、he construction of Subject and predicate was thought of as a purely formal grammatical relationship ; it was seen to determine various other grammatical features , such as the case of the noun or pronoun that was functioning as Subject , and its concord of person and number with the verb , but it wa
13、s not thought to express any particular meaning (i.e. on which rests truth of the argument ); Logical subject meant the doer of the action It was called logical in the sense this term had had from the seventeenth century , that of having to do with relations between things , as opposed to grammatica
14、l relations , which were relations between symbols .There is such thing as a general concept of Subject of which these are different varieties . They are not three kinds of anything ; they are three quite different things ; In order to take account of this, we will replace the earlier labels by sepa
15、rate ones which relate more specifically to the functions concerned : psychological subject : Theme , Grammatical subject : Subject , Logical subject : Actor .(Halliday : 2000)Thus , the Lakers, grammatical subject and logical subject are realized by Theme , Subject and Actor respectively .To make c
16、lear these concepts and distinctions , lets look at the following sentences . 1). Not surprisingly , the Rocket was beaten by the Lakers again . In this sentence Not surprisingly is the (Theme); , the Rocket is the grammatical subject (Subject )and the Lakers is the logical subject (Agent ) . 2) Monitor we elected him . Monitor is the psychological subject (Theme); We is the grammatical subject (Subject ) and also the Agent
