Subject-to-subject raising
Verka allows Hon verkar sova (She seems to be sleeping). A clause alternative is Det verkar som att hon sover (It seems that she is sleeping). These express a similar assessment with different structures.
How It Works
A Subject With An Infinitive
Hon verkar sova means She seems to be sleeping. Hon refers to the sleeper; verkar does not describe a separate action she performs. This is the raising pattern. Compare the control pattern Hon försöker sova, where hon refers both to the person trying and to the intended sleeper.
A Formal Det With A Clause
Det verkar som att hon sover and Det verkar som om hon sover give the apparent situation in a full clause. Do not derive them by deleting som from an invented Att hon sover verkar sentence. A som-clause after verkar or låter is not automatically the same syntactic structure as a postponed att-subject after Det är tydligt.
Learn Each Verb’s Construction
Verka and tyckas take a bare infinitive: Hon verkar sova; Hon tycks sova. Passive reporting verbs also allow it: Hon sägs sova. Visa sig can take an infinitive or att-clause: Hon visade sig vara hemma; Det visade sig att hon var hemma. Se ut att can have a personal subject: Han ser ut att vara trött. Låta in the auditory sense can use a clause: Det låter som att hon är hemma. Do not assume all these verbs select identical complements.
Different Uses Of Det
Compare the presentational Det kommer en buss, the postponed clause in Det är viktigt att hon kommer, and the cleft Det är Anna som kommer. They all contain det but have different structures and purposes.
Complete Sentences And Informal Omissions
Write Det verkar som att han är sen in a neutral complete sentence. Verkar som att han är sen is also used when det is understood in informal speech or messages; it is a contextual omission, not evidence that the learner chose the wrong raising verb.
Examples (5)
- Studenterna verkar förstå lektionen.
The students seem to understand the lesson.
Word by Word: The-students seem to-understand the-lesson.
This is subject-to-subject raising. 'Studenterna' is the subject of 'verkar', but logically it's the subject of 'förstå'.
- Det verkar som att studenterna förstår lektionen.
It seems that the students understand the lesson.
Word by Word: It seems as that the-students understand the-lesson.
Det is a formal subject, and the som att-clause describes the apparent situation. This is a clause alternative to Studenterna verkar förstå lektionen; no mechanical movement analysis is needed to use it.
- Filmen sägs vara väldigt bra.
The movie is said to be very good.
Word by Word: The-movie is-said to-be very good.
A passive raising verb ('sägs'). 'Filmen' is raised from the underlying clause '(att) filmen är väldigt bra'.
- Problemet visade sig vara lättare än vi trodde.
The problem turned out to be easier than we thought.
Word by Word: The-problem showed itself to-be easier than we thought.
Raising with the reflexive verb 'visa sig'. 'Problemet' is the subject of the main clause.
- Det låter som att du har en bra idé.
It sounds like you have a good idea.
Word by Word: It sounds as that you have a good idea.
Låter describes an auditory impression, with formal det and a som att-clause giving its content. The sentence does not require a personal subject referring to the listener.
Common Mistakes
Adding Att In The Ordinary Verkar + Infinitive Pattern
Han verkar att sova.Han verkar sova.Raising verbs like 'verka' are followed directly by the infinitive without 'att'. Control verbs like 'försöka' (try) or 'lova' (promise) allow 'att' but don't require it ('Han försöker (att) sova').
Using a personal subject with an impersonal 'det' construction.
Jag verkar att det är svårt.Det verkar vara svårt. / Jag tycker att det är svårt.Jag verkar att det är svårt does not fit the complements of verka. Use Det verkar vara svårt to say that something seems difficult, or Jag tycker att det är svårt to give your opinion.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Subject-to-subject raising (also known as 'subjektslyft') involves moving the subject of a subordinate clause into the subject position of the main clause. To learn this, you need to understand the impersonal 'det' constructions it replaces, how 'att'-clauses are structured, and how verbs like 'verka' (seem) or 'tyckas' (appear) function with infinitives.
- That-clause structure
Subject-to-subject raising is a transformation of an impersonal 'det'-construction that uses an 'att'-clause (e.g., 'Det verkar som att han...'). Understanding the base structure is essential.
Level 2 - verka + InfinitiveSeem to
The raising construction results in a 'verka + infinitive' structure (e.g., 'Han verkar vara...'). The learner must understand how these verbs function with infinitives.
Level 4
Related Patterns
- Argument structure
In Han verkar sova, han refers to the sleeper but has no separate semantic role with verkar. In Han försöker sova, han refers both to the person trying and to the intended sleeper.
Level 6 - detAnticipatory Det
Formal det appears in several constructions, including Det kommer en buss and Det är viktigt att hon kommer. The det in Det verkar som att hon sover introduces an apparent situation; not every det-construction has the same postponed constituent.
Level 3 - det är...somDet Är...som Construction
Det är Kalle som kommer is a cleft that focuses Kalle. Det verkar som att Kalle kommer instead evaluates an apparent situation; its formal det does not identify the person coming.
Level 3 - Det dansas
Impersonal passives such as Det dansas use formal det. Compare Det verkar som att hon sover: both have formal det, but the passive and the apparent-situation construction have different structures.
Level 6
Practice Subject-to-subject raising in Bubblegum
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