Breakdown of Er bandamaðurinn að krefjast þess að fulltrúinn hafi valdið?
vera
to be
það
it / there (existential) / the one (n)
að
that (conjunction)
hafa
to have
valdið
the power
krefjast
to demand
bandamaðurinn
the ally
fulltrúinn
the representative
Questions & Answers about Er bandamaðurinn að krefjast þess að fulltrúinn hafi valdið?
Why do we use the form hafi instead of the regular present tense hefur?
hafi is the present subjunctive form of hafa (to have). We use the subjunctive here because the main verb krefjast (to demand) expresses a requirement or wish. In Icelandic, when an að (that) clause follows a verb of demanding, wishing, or suggesting, the verb inside that clause must be in the subjunctive mood.
What is the purpose of the word þess right before the að clause?
The verb krefjast always requires the thing being demanded to take the genitive case. Since you cannot apply a grammatical case to a whole sentence clause, Icelandic uses the genitive placeholder pronoun þess (of it) to satisfy the verb's rule. Literally, the sentence says: Is the ally demanding of it, that...
Is krefjast a reflexive verb because of the -st ending?
It is a middle voice verb. The -st ending originally came from reflexive pronouns, but here it simply forms a new dictionary word. The base verb krefja exists, but krefjast is the much more common way to say that someone is demanding a right, action, or thing for themselves.
Why does the sentence say Er ... að krefjast instead of just using the present tense verb Krefst?
This uses the vera að plus infinitive structure, which creates the present continuous tense. It emphasizes that the ally is actively in the middle of making this demand right now, mirroring the English continuous structure (is demanding), rather than stating a general, recurring fact.
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