Breakdown of В офисе прорвало трубу, так что мы работаем дома.
дома
at home
мы
we
работать
to work
в
in / to (direction)
офис
office
труба
the pipe
так что
so / with the result that (conjunction)
прорвать
to burst
Questions & Answers about В офисе прорвало трубу, так что мы работаем дома.
Why is прорвало in the neuter form while трубу is in the accusative case? Shouldn't the pipe be the subject?
In Russian, accidents and natural disasters are often expressed using impersonal sentences. Instead of using the pipe as a regular subject, the sentence implies an unknown force burst the pipe. The verb прорвало takes the default neuter past tense, and трубу is the direct object in the accusative case.
Since this lesson is about так что, could I just use поэтому here instead?
Yes, but they function slightly differently. Так что is a conjunction that tightly links the two parts into one complex sentence, emphasizing a direct and factual result. Поэтому is an adverb meaning therefore, which expresses a heavier logical conclusion and is often used to start a brand new sentence.
Is the comma required before так что?
Yes. Because так что introduces a subordinate clause of consequence, you must separate the two clauses with a comma. Notice that the comma goes right before так and never between так and что in this specific construction.
Why do we see the perfective verb прорвало paired with the imperfective verb работаем?
This sequence perfectly captures cause and effect across different times. The perfective прорвало describes a sudden, fully completed action in the past. The imperfective работаем describes your ongoing, present state as the direct factual consequence of that past event.
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