That-clause in "it seems that"

Question

Is the that-clause in the following sentence a predicative complement or a displaced subject with it being the dummy subject?

It seemed that he was correct.

My understanding is that if the that-clause is a subject, then the sentence could be paraphrased to That he was correct seemed. which seems ungrammatical.

It would become grammatical though, if to be true is added.

That he was correct seemed (to be true).

I don't know whether I can analyze a sentence like that.

However, if the that-clause is a predicative complement, then what does it refer to?

Does this answer your question? What is "it" in the following sentence: It is clear that Bob likes doughnuts — FumbleFingers, Dec 17 '20 at 15:11
I learned a new term: *IT-Extraposition*. Apparently we used to be able to say *Meseems this is correct, where we now have to say It seems [to me] [that] this is correct*. — FumbleFingers, Dec 17 '20 at 15:13
Extraposition is irrelevant here, since the OP's example is not an extraposition construction. — BillJ, Dec 17 '20 at 15:21
The example "It is clear that Bob likes doughnuts" is irrelevant since unlilke the OP's example it is an extraposition construction. — BillJ, Dec 17 '20 at 15:44

BillJ · Answer 1 · 2020-12-17T14:55:51.743

It seemed [that he was correct].

The subject "it" is semantically empty here, so it's not possible for the bracketed declarative content clause to function as PC, though it is an internal complement of "seemed".

The construction bears some resemblance to an extraposition construction, but differs in that the subordinate clause cannot occupy subject position: "*That he was correct seemed" is of course totally ungrammatical.

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Dec 17 '20 at 13:56

You would never have a that-clause if "it" was not a dummy subject. (OALD, 3)

it seems | it would seem
used to suggest that something is true when you are not certain or when you want to be polite seem (that)… It would seem that we all agree. This last point, it seems to me, is particularly important.
adj. It seems only reasonable to ask students to buy a dictionary.

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Dec 18 '20 at 23:57

Thanks for the answers guys. While I was learning the new classification of finite clauses proposed in CGEL, I came across a paper by Huddleston and Pullum , on which a footnote says

6 In the construction with seem, which Seppänen & Herriman (2002) argue persuasively does not involve extraposition, the subordinate clause cannot occur in subject position: It seems that she’s right, but not *That she’s right seems. Here, then, there is no possibility of having a noun in place of the noun clause (without a change in the interpretation of it, i.e. a change of construction).

I have yet to read the work by Seppänen & Herriman but I believe I am not far from the answer. And I can see clearly my confusion arose because I mixed up the so-called nominal clause with a noun.

Please drop the term 'noun clause'. You know why! – BillJ Dec 20 '20 at 13:12 — BillJ, Dec 20 '20 at 13:12

That-clause in "it seems that"

3 Answers3