Breakdown of Ég skipulegg senuna vel til þess að sviðsetningin sé fullkomin.
vera
to be
ég
I
vel
well
skipuleggja
to organize
senan
the scene
fullkominn
perfect
til þess að
so that (in order to)
sviðsetningin
the staging
Questions & Answers about Ég skipulegg senuna vel til þess að sviðsetningin sé fullkomin.
Why do we use the subjunctive sé here instead of the indicative er?
Because of the purpose clause introduced by til þess að (so that). When a purpose clause introduces a new subject—here, the subject changes from ég (I) to sviðsetningin (the staging)—the verb in that subordinate clause must take the subjunctive mood.
Could I just write til að instead of til þess að in this sentence?
Yes, in spoken or casual Icelandic, you will frequently hear til að used even when introducing a new subject with the subjunctive. However, keeping þess makes it til þess að, which is structurally clearer and preferred in formal writing to signal that a full subordinate clause is coming.
Why does the verb skipuleggja look like skipulegg here without a typical present tense ending?
The verb skipuleggja (to plan) is a compound of skipa and leggja. It follows the exact same irregular conjugation pattern as leggja. In the first-person singular present tense, leggja drops its endings to become legg, which makes our compound verb skipulegg.
Why does the adjective fullkomin end in -in instead of -inn?
It is describing sviðsetningin (the staging), which is a feminine noun. The dictionary form of the adjective is the masculine fullkominn, but it must agree with the feminine nominative subject here, so it drops the final n to become fullkomin.
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