presubject

See also: pre-subject

English

Alternative forms

• pre-subject

Etymology

From pre- +‎ subject.

Adjective

presubject (not comparable)

1. (grammar, of a part of speech) Occurring before the subject in a sentence or expression.

   Antonym: postsubject

   • 2009, Representational Systems and Practices as Learning Tools, page 274:

     Presubject elements may be conjunctions, prepositional groups, nonfinite clauses, or whole dependent clauses that precede the grammatical subject of the main clause.

   • 2010, Isabelle Brill, Clause Linking and Clause Hierarchy: Syntax and Pragmatics:

     Tense/aspect/mood (tam) particles furnish a broad range of conjugation patterns (i.e. patterns in which verb stem can appear) and can be subdivided into two positional classes of preverbal and presubject particles.

   • 2013, Eugene A. Nida, A Synopsis of English Syntax:

     These may occur in presubject position, prepredicate position, within the verb phrase, preceding equated attributives, and final to the clause.