Questions & Answers about Livrädda som de var, gick de in i hissen.
What is the function of putting Livrädda som at the beginning of the sentence?
This is a fronted predicative clause, which is the focus of this lesson. By putting the adjective Livrädda first and following it with som, it creates a concessive or causal meaning, translating roughly to 'Terrified as they were...' or 'Despite being terrified...'. It strongly emphasizes their state of mind in relation to their action.
Why does livrädda end in an -a here?
Adjectives must agree with the noun or pronoun they describe, even when they are moved to the front of the sentence. Since the subject here is the plural pronoun de (they), the adjective takes the plural -a ending. If it were just one person, it would be singular: Livrädd som han var.
Why is the word order gick de instead of de gick in the main clause?
Why does the sentence use in i hissen rather than just i hissen?