Breakdown of Kulissen er langtfra autentisk, men illusionen fungerer i høj grad.
være
to be
men
but
fungere
to work / to function (machines, devices)
langtfra
far from
Questions & Answers about Kulissen er langtfra autentisk, men illusionen fungerer i høj grad.
What exactly does i høj grad add to this sentence compared to just using meget?
i høj grad translates directly to 'to a high degree'. While meget ('a lot' or 'very') would also make grammatical sense, i høj grad elevates the language, making it slightly more formal and precise. It places strong emphasis on the extent of the illusion's success.
Why is langtfra written as one word here?
When used figuratively as an adverb meaning 'not at all' or 'far from being something', it is written as a single compound word: langtfra. If you were talking about actual physical distance, like being far from a city, it would be split into two words: langt fra.
Why use fungerer for 'works' instead of arbejder or virker?
The verb arbejder is strictly for physical or mental labor done by people or busy machines. For things functioning or being effective, you must use fungerer or virker. In this context, fungerer (functions) and virker (has the desired effect) are essentially interchangeable.
Can I place the phrase i høj grad anywhere else in the second clause?
In a main clause like this, prepositional phrases expressing degree naturally sit at the end. However, if you wanted to heavily emphasize the degree, you could move it to the front of that clause. Doing so would trigger the V2 rule, meaning you must invert the verb and subject: men i høj grad fungerer illusionen.