Gradbøjningen hjælper mig med at skrive bedre.

to write

Breakdown of Gradbøjningen hjælper mig med at skrive bedre.

• med: with
• at: to
• mig: me
• hjælpe: to help
• bedre: better
• gradbøjningen: the comparison

Questions & Answers about Gradbøjningen hjælper mig med at skrive bedre.

What does gradbøjningen mean in this sentence?

Gradbøjningen is a compound noun, combining grad (“degree”) and bøjning (“inflection” or “conjugation”). It refers to the process of changing a word’s form to indicate different degrees (such as positive, comparative, and superlative). In this sentence, it’s presented as something that assists the speaker in writing better.

Why is the phrase med at skrive used after hjælper mig?

In Danish, when expressing that something helps someone perform an action, the construction hjælper [someone] med at [verb] is standard. Here, med at skrive translates to “with writing” or “to write,” showing that gradbøjningen assists the speaker in the act of writing.

What role does the word bedre play, and why is it positioned at the end of the sentence?

Bedre is an adverb meaning “better” that modifies the infinitive skrive (“to write”). Its placement at the end is typical in Danish, where adverbs often follow the main verb or the entire verb phrase, emphasizing the improved quality of the speaker’s writing.

How does the word order in this Danish sentence compare to that in English?

The sentence follows a subject-verb-object pattern similar to English: gradbøjningen (subject) comes first, followed by hjælper (verb), then mig (object). The phrase med at skrive bedre functions as an adverbial phrase. The main difference is the use of the preposition med and the infinitive marker at before skrive, which is specific to Danish.

Is gradbøjningen a common term in everyday Danish or more of a technical term?

Gradbøjningen is more of a technical or grammatical term. It specifically refers to the way certain words (like adjectives) change form to express different degrees. While native speakers might not frequently use the term in everyday conversation, it’s important for understanding Danish grammar, especially when learning about adjective inflection.

Why is the infinitive marker at necessary before skrive, and how does that compare to English usage?

In Danish, the infinitive form of a verb is typically preceded by at (comparable to “to” in English), making at skrive equivalent to “to write.” However, unlike English—where you can say “help me write better”—Danish grammar requires the marker at before the infinitive in constructions like hjælper mig med at skrive bedre.