1. 前置(fronting)的定义。
前置是一个用于实现标识主题(marked theme)作用的术语，实现手段是通过将某一项移入到句首位置，而移动后的位置显得与规范语序不一样。前置又称为前置焦点(front-focus)或者前置(preposing)。
2. 前置的类型。
2.1 一种前置常常是一个完整的句子元素，前置原因可能是对已知的上下文做出的响应（echo）。
（You should take up swimming for relaxation）(你应该开始游泳放松了。)
Relaxation you call it. (你称它“放松”。)
换句话说，前置项可能是上下会话中最期望看到的项（期望对方给出这样的回应）：
Wilson his name is. 他的名字叫Wilson。
An utter fool she made me feet. 他让我变成一个十足的傻瓜。
Really good meals they serve at that hotel. 那家旅馆的饭菜真的很好。
似乎在提醒说话者，这个前置的主题元素是首要事项，会话的其余部分延迟考虑。在英语书面语中可能会插入一个逗号，用以表明非主题部分几乎就是上下文环境中这种已知状态的放大标识：Wilson， his name is.
指后照应(cataphora)(又称顺向照应，指前文已有提及，这里再次提到，例如“前文所述”；常用的指后照应词有“that”，“the foregoing”)的“the foregoing”(“前述事项”)明显具有口语的味道，但是，前置(fronting)在口语和传统写作资料中都非常通用，通常用于安排子句的顺序，以便使得句尾焦点落在信息的最重要的部分，并提供与已发生内容的直接联系：
(1) That much the jury had thoroughly appreciated. (陪审团对此深表赞赏。)
还原为规范语序之一，如：The jury had that much thoroughly appreciated.
(2) Most of these problems a computer could take in its stride.
(这些问题中的大多数计算机都能轻而易举地解决。)
还原为规范语序之一，如：A computer could take in its stride most of these problems.
(3) This latter topic we have examined in Chapter 3 and need not reconsider.
后一个问题我们在第三章已经讨论过了，不需要再重新考虑。
还原为规范语序之一，如：We have examined this latter topic in Chapter 3 and need not reconsider.
(4) To this list may be added ten further items of importance.
(在这个清单上还可以再加上十项重要的事项。)
还原为规范语序之一，如：It may be added ten further items of importance to this list.
(5) This I shall prefer to call the SIGNIFICANCE or (more explicitly) TOTAL SIGNIFICANCE of a piece of language.
我更倾向于称其为一段语言的意义或(更明确地)一段语言的全部意义。
还原为规范语序之一，如：
I shall prefer to call this the SIGNIFICANCE or (more explicitly) TOTAL SIGNIFICANCE of a piece of language
在这些例子中的确定项that,this和these表明，以这种方式标识的主题通常更多用于表达已知的信息。
2.2 在类似的场景中，常常发现使用-ing分词前置。
Sitting at her desk in deep concentration was my sister Flora. She looked as though she had spent a sleepless night.
我妹妹弗洛拉正聚精会神地坐在她的书桌前。她看上去好像度过了一个不眠之夜。
还原为规范语序之一，例如：
My sister Flora is sitting at her desk in deep concentration. She looked as though she had spent a sleepless night.
2.3 一种更为明显的前置出现在相当矫饰的修辞中，包括新闻写作的强烈色彩。常用于指出子句之间的两个成分，或者两个相邻子句之间相关但形成对比的部分之间的平行关系。这种前置部分可以从韵律学角度(prosodically)标识为标识主题(marked theme)或者标识焦点(marked focus)，后者典型地带有分割焦点，在语法上，他们可以充当任何句法成分：
2.3.1 充当直接宾语或者介词补语(prepositional complement)（介词宾语和介词补语是一个意义，都是将介词短语的含义补充完整）。
His face not many admired (或 were enamoured of )，while his character still fewer could praise.
没有多少人迷恋/钦佩他的脸，而能赞扬他的性格的人就更少了。
还原为规范语序之一，如：
Not many admired (或 were enamoured of ) his face，while still fewer could praise his character.
2.3.2 充当主语补语或者宾语补语。
Traitor he has become and traitor we shall call him.
他已经变成了叛徒，我们应该叫他叛徒。
还原为规范语序之一，如：
He has become traitor, and we shall call him traitor.
2.3.3 充当谓语修饰语(predication adjunct)(或称状语)。
(1) Defiantly they have spoken but submissively they will accept my terms.
他们虽然嘴上很强硬，但将会顺从地接受我的条件。
还原为规范语序之一，如：
They have spoken defiantly but will accept my terms submissively.
(2) He might agree under pressure: willingly he never would.
他可能在压力下同意，但他绝不会心甘情愿地这么做。
还原为规范语序之一，如：
He might agree under pressure: he never would willingly.
(3) In London I was born and in London I shall die.
我生于London，也将在London去世。
还原为规范语序之一，如：
I was born in London and shall die in London.
2.3.4 充当谓语(predication)。
They have promised to finish the work，and finish it they will.
他们答应完成这项工作，他们一定会完成的。
还原为规范语序之一，如：
They have promised to finish the work，and they will (finish it).
括号部分其实可以省略。
2.3.5 另一种前置——倒装的情况。
对于谓语和谓语修饰语前置的情况，如果主语不是人称代词，我们经常发现它是主谓倒装结构:
(1) Into the stifling smoke we plunged. (ASV结构，状语+主语+谓语结构)
我们跳入呛人的烟雾中。
还原为规范语序之一，如：
We plunged into the stifling smoke.
(2) Into the stifling smoke plunged the desperate mother.(VS结构，谓语+主语)
绝望的母亲跳进了呛人的烟雾中。
主谓倒装了。
像下面的句子，在新闻媒体中很通用，事实上，前置谓语在很大程度上似乎取决于将主语推到句尾焦点的期望，同时利用句子的提前部分“设置场景”：
(1) Addressing the demonstration was a quite elderly woman.
对示威发表讲话的是一位相当年长的妇女。
还原为规范语序之一，如：
A quite elderly woman was addressing the demonstration.
(2) Shot by nationalist buerrillas were two entirely innocent tourists.
被民族主义游击队枪杀的是两个完全无辜的游客。
还原为规范语序之一，如：
Two entirely innocent tourists were shot by nationalist buerrillas.
甚至对于分裂句(cleft sentence)，本身是一种焦点策略，受前置的约束：
They hoped that Herbert Frost would be elected and Frost indeed it was that topped the poll.
他们希望Herbert Frost能当选，事实上，Frost在民意调查中高居榜首。
还原为规范语序之一，如：
They hoped that Herbert Frost would be elected and indeed it was Frost that topped the poll.
上面句中，it be + 名词/代词 that 强调结构，这是谓语主格，Frost是主语(或主语补语)，可以看成逻辑主语，可以替换it，it是先行主语。把后一句单独拎出来分析：
It was Frost that topped the poll，正式一点应该是：it was Frost who topped the poll.
改写一下：
Frost topped the poll. (常规的主谓宾。)
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