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In the background is a white wall
or
in the background there is a white wall?

John Lawler
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Lizzi
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3 Answers3

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  • In the background is a white wall
    or
    In the background there is a white wall?

Both. These sentences are both inverted locative sentences, coming from

  • A white wall is in the background

and

  • There is a white wall in the background

respectively, both of which are grammatical, as are both of their inversions above.

The difference between the two original sentences is that one has undergone There-insertion, which moves subjects to the end and inserts there as a dummy subject. So we have four grammatical sentences, produced from only one original, with two optional rules to apply. If there were three optional rules to apply, there might be eight grammatical sentences -- or there might be a restriction between some of the rules that would produce fewer, or a different sense that would produce more. Which gives you some idea how syntax works.

Inversions of locative sentences are common, and the ones that use be are also prone to There-insertion.

John Lawler
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Both are normally considered acceptable in informal writing, but in formal writing, you should never assume the subject. As such, it is more proper to say:

"In the background, there is a white wall."

Also note the comma. Inverted sentences in formal writing are supposed to be separated by one.

Nosajimiki
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The correct and grammatical way to say the sentence would be "In the background, there is a white wall." You could say, however, "The background is a white wall." Because you're connecting "white wall" and background" with a linking verb.

If you said "In the background is a white wall," it is less of a formal way to say the sentence and is more of a style of writing. Depending on the type of writing you're doing, it can be suitable. It seems like it fits more into a creative writing type of style rather than a formal one.

Seeker
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  • Thanks a lot. That makes sense. – Lizzi May 01 '20 at 14:56
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    There is nothing wrong with “In the background is a white wall.” – Jim May 01 '20 at 15:08
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    http://www.google.com/search?q=%22in%20the%20background%20is%20a%22&tbm=bks&lr=lang_en – Jim May 01 '20 at 15:11
  • Both are used very commonly. The grammatically correct one is used somewhat less. But then this is only a comment. – Elliot May 01 '20 at 15:21
  • In a hole in the ground there lived a Hobbit. // In the woods lived a woodcutter. He had a wife and he also had two children named Hansel and Gretel. // (Mind you, how much sense these famous stories make ... ). It's a rather literary style, but certainly far from ungrammatical. – Edwin Ashworth May 01 '20 at 15:27
  • If it were the grammatically correct one, it would be used more, not less. Things that are used less are less grammatical. – John Lawler May 01 '20 at 15:29