Thread: Where is the subject? (from "The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy")

Where is the subject in this sentences?

Whatever it was raced across the sky in monstrous yellowness, tore the sky apart with mind-buggering noise and leapt off into the distance leaving the gaping air to shut behind it with a bang that drove your ears six feet into your skull.

© The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

Whatever it was
Что бы это ни было пронеслось по небу...

Originally Posted by alexB

Whatever it was
Что бы это ни было пронеслось по небу...

)))!!!
Thanks alexB!

In English the word order is quite fixed. The noun phrase (or word in reference to such) before the verb is the grammatical subject. So in:

(...) with a bang that drove your ears six feet into your skull.

"that" is another subject, in reference to "bang".

Another important rule: a grammatical subject never has a preposition. So in your other post, "by me" could never be the grammatical subject... Outside of sentences such as the previous one, that is, where you talk about the phrase as such.

Thanks for remembering that, bitpicker!!
I simply read it as "Whatever it was raced..." at first. That is, I thought that the passive voice (was raced) was used there. Live and learn...

In fact I either reminded you of the fact or made you remember.

Originally Posted by bitpicker

In fact I either reminded you of the fact or made you remember.

Damn!
OK, I'll remember.

bitpicker, can the verb race ever be used in the passive voice?

You can use any verb which takes a direct object in passive voice. As you can race a car down the street the car can be raced down the street just as well.

Thanks, I see.