Breakdown of Jag tycker att det första penseldraget verkar vara ytligt.
jag
I
vara
to be
det
the (with ett-words)
första
first (adjective)
Questions & Answers about Jag tycker att det första penseldraget verkar vara ytligt.
Why is there no att before vara in the phrase verkar vara?
The verb verkar (seems) is acting as a semi-modal of impression here. Just like true modal verbs (such as kan or vill), it drops the infinitive marker att and connects directly to the following infinitive verb, vara.
Why does the speaker use tycker for 'think' instead of tror?
Tycker is used because the speaker is expressing a subjective, personal opinion about art. If they were guessing a factual piece of information they were unsure about (for example, guessing the year a painting was made), they would use tror instead.
Why does the adjective ytligt end with a -t?
It is describing the noun penseldraget. Because the root word drag is an ett word (neuter gender), the adjective ytlig (superficial) must take the -t ending to match it.
How does the compound word penseldraget get its gender?