Emphasizing the 'at'-clause
In Danish, you can shift the focus of a sentence by moving an entire at-clause (that-clause) to the very front. This emphasizes the information inside the clause, setting it up as the main topic.
When you do this, you must apply the V2 (verb-second) rule.
The V2 Rule with Fronted Clauses
Even though an at-clause contains its own subject and verb, it acts as a single block in the main sentence. When placed at the beginning, the entire clause occupies the first position.
Because the main verb must always be in the second position, it immediately follows the at-clause. This causes the main clause's subject and verb to swap places (inversion). Notice how the main verb immediately follows the comma, unlike in English:
| That the mammal breeds in the forest, the biologist believes. | At pattedyret yngler i skoven, mener biologen. |
| That the badger digs in the ground, we rarely see. | At grævlingen graver i jorden, ser vi sjældent. |
| That the predator defends the territory, both hunters understand. | At rovdyret forsvarer territoriet, forstår begge jægere. |
'at'-clauses as the Subject
When the at-clause is the subject of the sentence, it still occupies position one, followed immediately by the main verb.
| That the hunter hides the observation is strange. | At jægeren skjuler observationen, er mærkeligt. |
| That the camera trap stands in the habitat is practical. | At kamerafælden står i habitatet, er praktisk. |
| That the wild boar comes running in the field surprises the hunter. | At vildsvinet kommer løbende på marken, overrasker jægeren. |