Breakdown of Gagnrýnandinn er þekktur fyrir góðar greinar.
vera
to be
góður
good
fyrir
for (fyrir þig)
greinin
the article
þekktur
known
gagnrýnandinn
the critic
Questions & Answers about Gagnrýnandinn er þekktur fyrir góðar greinar.
Why does the preposition fyrir trigger the accusative case here (góðar greinar) instead of the dative?
The adjective þekktur pairs with the preposition fyrir to mean "known for." When fyrir is used to mean "for" in the sense of a reason, cause, or characteristic, it takes the accusative case. It usually only takes the dative when it means "in front of" or "ago".
What is the base form of the noun gagnrýnandinn, and how is its definite article formed?
The base word is gagnrýnandi (critic), which is a masculine noun ending in -andi. These nouns are often formed from verbs to describe a person doing an action. To make it definite ("the critic") in the nominative case, you simply add -nn to the end, resulting in gagnrýnandinn.
Why is the adjective þekktur in the masculine singular form?
Even though it comes after the verb er, þekktur (known) is an adjective describing the subject of the sentence, gagnrýnandinn (the critic). Since the critic is masculine, singular, and in the nominative case, the adjective must match it exactly.
Why is it góðar greinar and not góða greinar?
The noun grein (article) is a feminine noun. Here it is in the plural accusative form (greinar) because of the preposition fyrir. The adjective góður (good) must match this gender, number, and case, and the feminine accusative plural form of góður is góðar.
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