423. The real subject comes after the verb when we use the introductory word it. As for example:
- It will not be safe to go.
To go is really the subject of the sentence. To go will not be safe.
It is sometimes the real subject of a sentence, as in the sentence; It is a wonderful story.
Here it is the subject of the sentence and a wonderful story is the predicate complement. But in the sentence:
- It is wonderful to hear him tell the story.
To hear him tell the story is the real subject of the sentence. The first sentence, It is a wonderful story, could not be rewritten, but the second sentence could be rewritten, as follows:
- To hear him tell the story is wonderful.
424. The introductory word there reverses the order of the sentence, just as the introductory word it. The real subject is used later in the sentence. As for example:
- There were a great many people present.