Dalam tata bahasa Inggris, kalimat dengan subjek atau objek yang terlalu panjang sering terasa janggal, berat, atau sulit dipahami saat dibaca. Di sinilah extraposition berperan. Teknik sintaksis ini memindahkan klausa yang “berat” ke akhir kalimat dan menggantikannya dengan kata ganti semu it di posisi awal. Memahami extraposition ibarat memiliki seni penataan kalimat: Anda tidak mengubah makna, tetapi membuat struktur lebih ringan, alami, dan selaras dengan cara otak penutur asli memproses informasi. Menguasai teknik ini akan meningkatkan kejelasan tulisan akademik, kealamian percakapan, dan skor Anda dalam tes kemahiran bahasa Inggris.
Kosakata Utama
| Istilah | Part of Speech | Arti | Contoh |
|---|---|---|---|
| extraposition | noun | ekstraposisi, pemindahan klausa | Extraposition moves heavy clauses to the end of the sentence. |
| dummy pronoun | noun | kata ganti semu | “It” and “there” are common dummy pronouns. |
| anticipatory it | noun | “it” antisipatif | The anticipatory “it” prepares the reader for the real subject. |
| heavy subject | noun | subjek berat/panjang | A clause acting as a subject can feel heavy at the beginning. |
| end-weight principle | noun | prinsip beban akhir | English prefers to place longer elements at the end of sentences. |
| clause | noun | klausa | Noun clauses, infinitive clauses, and wh-clauses can be extraposed. |
| syntactic shift | noun | pergeseran struktur | Extraposition is a syntactic shift that improves readability. |
Apa Itu Extraposition?
Extraposition adalah proses tata bahasa di mana klausa subjek atau objek yang panjang dipindahkan ke akhir kalimat, dan posisinya di awal digantikan oleh kata ganti semu it (disebut anticipatory it atau dummy it). Tujuannya: menghindari struktur yang “berat” di awal kalimat, sehingga kalimat lebih mudah diproses dan terdengar lebih alami.
| Struktur Asli (Heavy) | Struktur Extraposed (Ringan) | Klausa yang Dipindahkan |
|---|---|---|
| That he failed the exam surprised everyone. | It surprised everyone that he failed the exam. | that-clause |
| To learn a new language takes patience. | It takes patience to learn a new language. | infinitive clause |
| What she said made no sense to me. | It made no sense to me what she said. | wh-clause |
Ciri-ciri extraposition:
- It di awal kalimat tidak merujuk pada benda tertentu (dummy/anticipatory)
- Klausa sebenarnya muncul di akhir kalimat
- Makna tetap sama, tetapi struktur lebih ringan dan alami
- Sangat umum dalam bahasa Inggris, baik lisan maupun tulisan
Pola Utama Extraposition
1. It + be + Adjective + Clause
Pola paling umum dalam bahasa Inggris sehari-hari dan akademik.
| Klausa Asli (Subjek di depan) | Extraposed Structure | Keterangan |
|---|---|---|
| That you arrived early is important. | It is important that you arrived early. | that-clause |
| To finish on time seems difficult. | It seems difficult to finish on time. | infinitive clause |
| What they proposed is unclear. | It is unclear what they proposed. | wh-clause |
2. It + Verb + Object + Clause
Sering muncul dengan verba seperti find, consider, think, make, believe.
| Klausa Asli | Extraposed Structure | Keterangan |
|---|---|---|
| I consider that he is honest strange. | I consider it strange that he is honest. | object extraposition |
| They found to work remotely beneficial. | They found it beneficial to work remotely. | infinitive extraposition |
| We thought what she said irrelevant. | We thought it irrelevant what she said. | wh-clause extraposition |
3. It + be + Noun + Clause
| Klausa Asli | Extraposed Structure | Keterangan |
|---|---|---|
| That the project failed was a disappointment. | It was a disappointment that the project failed. | that-clause |
| To win the championship is a dream. | It is a dream to win the championship. | infinitive clause |
Jenis-Jenis Extraposition
1. Subject Extraposition (Paling Umum)
Klausa yang berfungsi sebagai subjek dipindahkan ke akhir, diganti it di depan.
- ✅ It is obvious that she worked hard.
- ❌ That she worked hard is obvious. (gramatikal, tapi berat)
2. Object Extraposition (Lebih Formal/Jarang)
Klausa objek dipindahkan, it menempati posisi objek langsung.
- ✅ I find it surprising that he resigned.
- ❌ I find that he resigned surprising. (canggung secara alami)
3. Extraposition dengan Infinitive vs Gerund
- Infinitive: ✅ It is relaxing to read before bed.
- Gerund: ❌ It is relaxing reading before bed. (kurang umum; lebih alami: Reading before bed is relaxing.)
- Catatan: Extraposisi lebih alami dengan infinitive. Gerund biasanya tetap di depan sebagai subjek.
Fungsi dan Prinsip di Balik Extraposition
| Prinsip | Penjelasan | Contoh |
|---|---|---|
| End-Weight Principle | Bahasa Inggris cenderung menempatkan unsur terpanjang di akhir kalimat agar lebih mudah diproses | It is essential that all participants submit their reports by Friday. |
| Cognitive Load Reduction | Otak lebih nyaman memproses informasi pendek dulu, baru detail | It is clear what needs to be done. |
| Formal & Academic Tone | Extraposisi memberi kesan objektif dan terstruktur | It has been suggested that the policy be revised. |
| Avoiding Ambiguity | Mencegah kesalahpahaman saat klausa panjang berada di awal | It is obvious to the committee that the deadline was missed. |
Penggunaan dalam Konteks Berbeda
Konteks Akademik dan Penulisan Formal
| Situasi | Contoh Kalimat |
|---|---|
| Latar belakang penelitian | It is widely acknowledged that climate change affects biodiversity. |
| Metode penelitian | It was necessary to collect data from three different regions. |
| Kesimpulan | It can be concluded that the hypothesis is supported. |
| Tinjauan pustaka | It has been argued that social media influences political behavior. |
Konteks Profesional dan Bisnis
| Situasi | Contoh Kalimat |
|---|---|
| Email resmi | It is important to review the contract before signing. |
| Laporan kinerja | It appears that sales exceeded expectations this quarter. |
| Rapat/presentasi | It would be beneficial to allocate more resources to training. |
| Kebijakan perusahaan | It is required that all employees complete the safety module. |
Konteks Percakapan Sehari-hari
| Situasi | Contoh Kalimat |
|---|---|
| Memberi pendapat | It’s weird that he hasn’t replied yet. |
| Mengungkapkan perasaan | It makes me happy to see them succeed. |
| Bertanya sopan | Would it be possible to reschedule the meeting? |
| Menyampaikan fakta | It’s true that prices have gone up recently. |
Konteks Ujian (TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge)
| Tipe Soal | Contoh | Strategi |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | “_ necessary to submit the form early.” a) It is b) That is c) This is | Pilih a) It is (extraposition pattern) |
| Error Recognition | “It seems strange that he refuse to apologize.” | Koreksi: refuses (subject-verb agreement dalam that-clause) |
| Writing Task 2 | Gunakan extraposition untuk variasi kalimat formal | It is evident that education plays a crucial role… |
Kesalahan Umum
| Salah | Benar | Penjelasan |
|---|---|---|
| It is important he submits the report. | It is important that he submits the report. | Dalam konteks formal, “that” biasanya tidak dihilangkan setelah adjective |
| It takes patience learning a language. | It takes patience to learn a language. | Extraposisi lebih alami dengan infinitive, bukan gerund |
| I consider it that he is honest. | I consider it strange that he is honest. / I consider that he is honest (tanpa it). | Jangan campur struktur: pilih object extraposition atau that-clause langsung |
| It is no use to cry over spilled milk. | It is no use crying over spilled milk. | Pengecualian: setelah “no use”, “no good”, “worth”, gunakan gerund |
| It seems like that he is tired. | It seems that he is tired. / It seems like he is tired. | Jangan gabungkan “like” dan “that” |
| It was announced the results yesterday. | It was announced that the results were released yesterday. / The results were announced yesterday. | Pastikan klausa lengkap setelah “it” |
Aturan praktis:
- Jika subjek asli berupa klausa (that/to/wh), gunakan It + pola + klausa di akhir
- Jangan hilangkan it jika klausa sebenarnya tetap dipindahkan ke belakang
- Perhatikan verb agreement dalam klausa yang dipindahkan
- Hindari overuse dalam satu paragraf; variasi struktur tetap penting
Latihan Singkat
A. Ubah kalimat berikut menjadi bentuk extraposed:
- That she won the competition surprised everyone.
- To finish the project on time seems impossible.
- What he suggested makes perfect sense.
- That the meeting was canceled disappointed the team.
- To ignore the warning signs is dangerous.
B. Lengkapi dengan pola extraposition yang tepat:
- It is essential _ (submit) the application before the deadline.
- We find _ strange that he resigned without notice.
- It has been proven _ (exercise) improves mental health.
- They consider _ unfair that some employees work overtime without pay.
- It remains unclear _ caused the system failure.
C. Identifikasi dan perbaiki kesalahan extraposition:
- It is important that he arrive on time.
- I found it difficult understanding the lecture.
- It seems like that she is upset.
- It is no use to argue with him.
- It was suggested that the deadline extended.
D. Terjemahkan ke dalam bahasa Inggris menggunakan extraposition:
- Sangat jelas bahwa kebijakan ini perlu ditinjau ulang.
- Saya merasa aneh bahwa dia tidak menghadiri rapat.
- Diperlukan keberanian untuk mengakui kesalahan.
- Masih belum pasti apakah proyek akan dilanjutkan.
- Mereka menganggap tidak adil bahwa hanya sebagian tim yang diuntungkan.
Kunci Jawaban:
A. Ubah menjadi extraposed:
- It surprised everyone that she won the competition.
- It seems impossible to finish the project on time.
- It makes perfect sense what he suggested. / It makes perfect sense that he suggested it.
- It disappointed the team that the meeting was canceled.
- It is dangerous to ignore the warning signs.
B. Lengkapi dengan pola yang tepat:
- to submit
- it
- that exercise
- it
- what
C. Identifikasi dan perbaiki:
- ✅ Benar (subjunctive “arrive” tepat setelah “important that”)
- I found it difficult to understand the lecture.
- It seems that she is upset. / It seems like she is upset. (hapus salah satu)
- It is no use arguing with him.
- It was suggested that the deadline be extended. / …was extended. (pasti passive/subjunctive)
D. Terjemahan:
- It is clear that this policy needs to be reviewed.
- I find it strange that he did not attend the meeting.
- It takes courage to admit one’s mistakes.
- It remains unclear whether the project will continue.
- They consider it unfair that only part of the team benefited.
Tips Penggunaan
Gunakan tes “bisa dibaca nyaman?”: Baca kalimat keras-keras. Jika subjek awal terasa panjang atau membuat Anda harus membaca ulang, pertimbangkan extraposisi.
- Berat: That the company failed to meet its quarterly targets disappointed investors.
- Ringan: It disappointed investors that the company failed to meet its quarterly targets.
Tips cepat mengingat pola:
- It + be + adjective + that/to/wh clause
- It + verb (find/consider/think/make) + it + adjective + that/to clause
- It + be + noun + that/to clause
- It takes/costs/requires + noun + to clause
Perhatikan register dan konteks:
- Akademik/formal: sangat disarankan, meningkatkan objektivitas
- Percakapan: sangat umum, terdengar alami (It’s weird that…, It’s nice to…)
- Jangan overuse: 1-2 kalimat per paragraf sudah cukup untuk variasi
Hati-hati dengan pengecualian:
- Setelah “no use”, “no good”, “worth”, “fun”: gunakan gerund, bukan infinitive
- ✅ It’s no use crying. ❌ It’s no use to cry.
- Setelah “likely”, “possible”, “probable”: sering gunakan “that” atau infinitive
- ✅ It is likely that he will come. / It is likely to rain.
Latih dengan parafrase: Ambil 3 kalimat dari tulisan Anda yang memiliki subjek klausa panjang. Coba ubah ke bentuk extraposed. Bandingkan mana yang lebih mengalir.
Baca untuk melihat pola: Saat membaca jurnal akademik, artikel berita, atau esai formal, garisbawahi kalimat yang dimulai dengan “It is/It was/It seems/It has been”. Perhatikan klausa apa yang mengikuti. Ini membantu internalisasi pola secara alami.
Rekam dan dengarkan: Ucapkan kalimat dengan dan tanpa extraposisi. Perhatikan bagaimana versi extraposed terdengar lebih ringan dan profesional, terutama dalam presentasi atau diskusi formal.
Catatan Penulis: Extraposition adalah salah satu teknik sintaksis yang paling sering digunakan oleh penutur asli, sering kali tanpa disadari. Menguasainya tidak hanya membuat kalimat Anda lebih gramatikal, tetapi juga lebih selaras dengan prinsip kognitif bahasa Inggris: informasi ringan di depan, detail berat di belakang. Jangan takut bereksperimen: ubah satu kalimat panjang dalam tulisan Anda menjadi struktur extraposed, dan rasakan perbedaannya. Setiap penyesuaian struktur adalah langkah kecil menuju tulisan yang lebih jernih, lebih persuasif, dan lebih profesional.
Semoga materi ini membantu. Silakan bagikan jika bermanfaat, dan tinggalkan komentar jika ada pertanyaan atau topik lain yang ingin dibahas.