expletive construction
/ˈeksplɪtɪv kənˌstrʌkʃən/
'there is' or 'it is' constructions that delay the real subject
expletive construction in a sentence
“There are many reasons to act. (Weak.) Many reasons compel us to act. (Strong.)”
Origin of expletive construction
Latin expletivus (serving to fill out)
Related Words
redundancy
unnecessary repetition of meaning
verbosity
using more words than necessary
hedging
qualifiers that weaken certainty unnecessarily
throat-clearing
unnecessary preamble before the main point
active voice
the subject performs the action, creating direct and vigorous prose
strong verbs
specific, vivid verbs that replace weak verb + adverb combinations