Word
شاید طوفان باعث شد که دکل شبکهی برق را از کار انداخته باشد.
Meaning
Perhaps the storm caused the pylon to disable the power grid.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of شاید طوفان باعث شد که دکل شبکهی برق را از کار انداخته باشد.
راrâ
definite direct object marker
شایدshâyad
maybe
کهke
that (conjunction)
برقbarq
electricity
Questions & Answers about شاید طوفان باعث شد که دکل شبکهی برق را از کار انداخته باشد.
Why do we use the past subjunctive انداخته باشد here instead of the present subjunctive?
The verb باعث شدن (to cause) requires its following که (that) clause to be in the subjunctive. We use the past subjunctive (انداخته باشد) instead of the present subjunctive because the resulting action (disabling the power grid) is already a completed, past event. It translates roughly to 'caused the pylon to have disabled the power grid.'
How does the phrase از کار انداخته باشد mean 'to disable'?
It comes from the compound verb از کار انداختن, which literally translates to 'to throw out of work.' This is a very common Farsi idiom used to mean 'to disable,' 'to break,' or 'to put out of commission.'
شاید (perhaps) usually takes a subjunctive verb. Why is the main verb باعث شد in the simple past?
While شاید often takes the subjunctive for present or future possibilities, when you are guessing about a finished event in the past, you can just use the simple past tense. Here, شاید ... باعث شد simply means 'maybe it caused...'. The subjunctive on the second verb is triggered by the causation structure باعث شد که, not by شاید.
What is the exact subject of the second clause, and how does را help us figure that out?
The subject of the که clause is دکل (the pylon). Because شبکهی برق (the power grid) is followed by the direct object marker را, we know the power grid is the thing being disabled. Even though and are next to each other in the sentence, clearly marks who is doing what to whom.