Breakdown of Mój dziadek jest spokojny przed operacją.
być
to be
mój
my
dziadek
the grandfather
spokojny
calm
Questions & Answers about Mój dziadek jest spokojny przed operacją.
Why does operacją end with -ą in this sentence?
The base word for surgery is the feminine noun operacja. The preposition przed (meaning before in time) requires the noun that follows it to be in the Instrumental case. For feminine nouns ending in -a, that means changing the ending to -ą.
We learned to use the Instrumental case after the verb jest. Why is spokojny in the basic Nominative case here?
You only use the Instrumental case after the verb być (to be) when you describe the subject using a noun, for example, 'He is a calm grandfather' (On jest spokojnym dziadkiem). Because spokojny is just an adjective on its own, it stays in the basic Nominative case.
Does the preposition przed only talk about time?
No, przed is also used to talk about physical space, meaning 'in front of'. For example, you could say przed szpitalem (in front of the hospital). In both situations—time and physical location—it forces the noun into the Instrumental case.
If it was my grandmother having surgery, how would the first half of the sentence change?