Breakdown of Verkamennirnir halda áfram að skera kornið.
að
to (infinitive marker)
halda áfram
to continue, keep going (halda áfram)
skera
to cut
verkamaðurinn
the worker
Questions & Answers about Verkamennirnir halda áfram að skera kornið.
Why do we need the word að before skera?
The phrase halda áfram (to continue) is followed by að plus the infinitive form of the verb, much like "continue to" in English. Here, it connects the action of continuing directly to skera (to cut).
What does halda áfram literally mean?
The verb halda usually means "to hold" (or "to think"), and the adverb áfram means "forward" or "onwards". So, to continue something in Icelandic is literally to "hold forward"!
How does the ending of verkamennirnir work?
Does the phrase halda áfram affect the case of kornið?
No, kornið (the grain) is not affected by the continuative phrase. It is in the accusative case simply because it is the direct object being acted upon by the verb skera (to cut).