非典型句型

主语有时被延后放到句末。例子如下：

In first place is Red Rum 跑在首位的是红朗姆
Inside the house were two detectives屋子里有两名侦探
More important is the question of compensation 更重要的是赔偿问题

这里，典型陈述句的语序被打乱，以便增强文体效果。这些例子中的主语位于动词之后，这一现象我们称之为”外置”。将它们与更为常见的句型进行比较：

In first place is Red Rum跑在首位的是红朗姆	~Red Rum is in first place红朗姆跑第一位
Inside the house were two detectives屋子里有两名侦探	~Two detectives were inside the house两名侦探在屋子里
More important is the question of compensation更重要的是赔偿问题	~The question of compensation is more important赔偿问题更为重要

句子由先行词it引导时，主语也被外置：

It is a good idea to book early 早预订是个好主意
It is not surprising that he failed his exams 他没能通过考试并不奇怪

如果使用更常见的句型，就文体来说句子听上去会很别扭：

To book early is a good idea
That he failed his exams is not surprising

外置不只关系到文体。下例中的外置是必须的。

It seems that he'll be late again看上去他还会迟到	~*That he'll be late again seems
It turned out that his secretary had stolen the money 结果发现他的秘书偷了钱	~*That his secretary had stolen the money turned out

直接宾语也可以被外置。回想一下，它们的典型位置是在动词之后（句型2）。不过，当使用先行词it时，直接宾语外置:

He made it very clear that he would not be coming back 他说的很清楚，他不会再回来

同样，常规句型在文体上非常别扭

*He made that he would not be coming back very clear

像David studied English at Oxford（大卫在牛津学习英语专业）这样的陈述句可以重新造句：

It was David who studied English at Oxford 在牛津学习英语专业的是大卫

这句话被称作分裂句，因为原句被分解（或“分裂”）成两个从句：It was David以及who studied English at Oxford。分裂句强调原句的某个成分，将其置于it was（或者it is）之后。这里我们强调的是主语David，但我们也可以强调直接宾语English:

It was English that David studied at Oxford 大卫在牛津学的是英语专业

或者强调修饰语at Oxford

It was at Oxford that David studied English 大卫学习英语专业的地方是在牛津

分裂结构的句型为：

It + be + 强调部分+ 从句