Phil is right.  "lights" is sometimes called "extraposed subject" or
"logical subject".  "There" stands in as a placemarker.
   In this case, the extraposition is probably for emphasis, often because
subject is new information.
   "In the front of the house, they had added a new door. Above the door,
there were lights." "Lights were above the door" wouldn't sound right
as emphasis would be on given information, in the wrong place.>

Craig


"lights" is the true subject, but there are those who prefer to say that
> "There" is an existential subject or before empty categories in syntax,
> they were called empty subjects.  By mentioning both the true subject and
> the empty subject you get to satisfy your sense of pattern and precision
> as well as for meaning.
>
> Phil
>
> -----Original Message-----
>>From: ?????? <[log in to unmask]>
>>Sent: May 2, 2006 5:03 PM
>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>Subject: Re: subject
>>
>>on 06.5.3 8:51 AM, Rebecca Watson at [log in to unmask] wrote:
>>
>>> What is the subject of the following sentence:
>>>
>>> Above the door, there were lights.
>>The subject is "lights".
>>
>>Mitsuko
>>
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