Questions & Answers about När de svärmar surrar de och slår med vingarna.
This lesson is about action-focused pseudo-clefts. How would we rewrite this sentence to emphasize the actions using that structure?
To put the focus entirely on the actions of buzzing and flapping, you can use a Vad... gör är att... (What... does is to...) structure. The sentence becomes: Vad de gör när de svärmar är att surra och slå med vingarna. Notice how the conjugated verbs surrar and slår change to their infinitive forms, surra and slå, after är att.
Why does the word order switch to surrar de instead of de surrar?
This is the V2 (verb-second) rule in action. The entire subordinate clause När de svärmar acts as the first block of information in the sentence. Therefore, the main clause must immediately follow with its verb (surrar) to keep the verb in the second position, pushing the subject (de) after it.
Why does the sentence use vingarna (the wings) instead of a possessive pronoun like sina vingar (their wings)?
In Swedish, when it is obvious whose body part or clothing is being referred to, you typically use the definite form rather than a possessive pronoun. Since it is clear the subjects are flapping their own wings, vingarna is the most natural choice.
Is slår med the standard way to say flap?