Word
Die Skulptur vollendend, poliert er den Marmor außerdem makellos.
Meaning
Completing the sculpture, he furthermore polishes the marble flawlessly.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Breakdown of Die Skulptur vollendend, poliert er den Marmor außerdem makellos.
er
he
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
außerdem
furthermore
polieren
to polish
Questions & Answers about Die Skulptur vollendend, poliert er den Marmor außerdem makellos.
Why does the main verb poliert come immediately after the comma?
The entire participle clause Die Skulptur vollendend occupies the first position in the sentence. In German, the conjugated verb must be in the second position, so poliert is placed directly after the comma, pushing the subject er to the third position.
Does the present participle vollendend need an adjective ending here?
No. You only add adjective endings when a participle is used directly in front of a noun to describe it. Because it is used here as a free participle clause functioning like an adverb, it remains uninflected.
How else could you phrase Die Skulptur vollendend using a normal clause?
You could use a subordinate clause with während or indem, such as Während er die Skulptur vollendet. Free participle clauses are an elegant way to shorten these adverbial clauses, though they are mostly found in written or formal German.
What exactly does makellos mean and how is it formed?
It means flawlessly or immaculately. It is formed from the noun der Makel (flaw or blemish) and the suffix -los (less or without), and it is used here as an adverb to describe how he polishes the marble.