What is an existential clause?

Definition
	An existential clause is a clause, having a distinctive grammatical structure, which expresses the real or imagined existence of an entity.

Discussion
	An existential clause often introduces an entity into a discourse.

Example (English)
	The clause construction “there + verb [typically be] + noun phrase” forms an existential clause, as in: There was a man.

Generic
	An existential clause is a kind of
	What is a clause?

Sources
	Crystal 1985 114
	Quirk, Greenbaum, Leech, and Svartvik 1985 1402, 1408

Context for this page:

Concept module: existential clause
In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): E
In modular book: Glossary of linguistic terms, by Eugene E. Loos (general editor), Susan Anderson (editor), Dwight H., Day, Jr. (editor), Paul C. Jordan (editor), and J. Douglas Wingate (editor)
In bookshelf: Linguistics

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 5.0 published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 2003. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 5 January 2004

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