Question 1

Why do we use att before fortsätta in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

This is an example of noun complementation. The phrase att fortsätta (to continue) acts as a complement that completes the meaning of the noun viljan (the desire). Just like in English, you need the infinitive marker att (to) to connect the noun to the specific action it describes.

Question 2

Why isn't there an att before vara later in the sentence?

Accepted Answer

This is a great contrast! We use att after the noun viljan, but we must drop it after måste. The word måste (must) is a modal verb, and in Swedish, modal verbs are followed directly by a bare infinitive without a marker. So it is always måste vara (must be), never måste att vara.

Question 3

Is the noun viljan related to the verb vill (want)?

Accepted Answer

Yes, exactly! En vilja is the noun form of wanting something, meaning a will or a desire. Here it is in the definite form, viljan (the will or the desire).

Question 4

Why does the adjective långsiktig end in -ig instead of -igt?

Accepted Answer

Adjectives must agree with the noun they describe, even when they are separated by a verb phrase like måste vara. Since viljan comes from an en-word (en vilja), the adjective takes the basic en-form långsiktig. If the subject were an ett-word, like arbetet (the work), it would become långsiktigt.

Viljan att fortsätta måste vara långsiktig.

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