John,

Life was here then. . . .

I have heard this use as _existential_, but the context for the first sentence is going to have to govern.

My students are not allowed to write sentences beginning with THERE by reason of the unnecessary confusion. If they are writing dialogue, then I lift the rule, because vocal inflections to overcome the confusion.

Grace and Peace, 

William R. D. Hillaker, M.Div
English
The Classical Academy
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Teaching faithful students who will be able to teacher others also.

Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it, but those who fail to learn the lessons of history are just doomed.

Would you take a few minutes from your busy day and send me an essay responding to the following question: Why has feeling good and looking good replaced being good and doing good?

500 words ought to do it.
>>> John Chorazy  10/27/10 8:50 PM >>>
Hello to all...
Please share some wisdom on the use of "there" as an expletive expression taking the dummy role/position as subject (not an adverb) in the following models taken from Sam Shepard's True West. My understanding is that the expletive "there" must be the subject of a verb of existence, which happens here in the past tense, to be the subject of a sentence... it's not in the locative, if I'm correct. Thank you! 

 
"There never was."
"There was a life here then."
 
 
John


John Chorazy
English III Academy, Honors, and Academic
Pequannock Township High School

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