Breakdown of Alt andet lige er det sandsynligt at forsvaret vinder kampen.
være
to be
det
it (neuter)
at
that
kampen
the match
vinde
to win
alt andet lige
all else being equal
sandsynlig
probable
forsvaret
the defense
Questions & Answers about Alt andet lige er det sandsynligt at forsvaret vinder kampen.
What makes alt andet lige a pragmatic absolute clause in this context?
An absolute clause is a phrase that modifies the whole sentence but stands grammatically independent from it, usually without a finite verb. Here, alt andet lige (literally 'all else equal') acts pragmatically to set the baseline condition for the whole statement, matching the English 'all things considered'.
Why does the verb er come right after alt andet lige instead of the subject det?
This is a classic example of the Danish V2 (verb-second) rule. Because the phrase alt andet lige occupies the first grammatical position in the main clause, the verb er must take the second position, which pushes the subject det to the third spot.
Can I put alt andet lige at the end of the sentence instead?
Yes, you can absolutely say Det er sandsynligt at forsvaret vinder kampen, alt andet lige. Placing it at the beginning strongly emphasizes the condition upfront, whereas placing it at the end makes it feel more like an afterthought.
Why is there a -t at the end of sandsynligt?
The adjective sandsynlig (probable or likely) takes the -t suffix to agree with the neuter dummy pronoun det. This neuter agreement is standard when an adjective describes a general state of affairs introduced by det er... followed by an at-clause.
How is the definite form forsvaret constructed here?
It stems from the neuter noun et forsvar (a defense). To make it definite (the defense), the neuter suffix -et is attached to the end of the word, forming forsvaret.
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