Breakdown of En förstörd blandning saknar ofta de basnoter som ger doften liv.
en
a, an (common)
ofta
often
ge
to give
de
the (plural, before adjective)
Questions & Answers about En förstörd blandning saknar ofta de basnoter som ger doften liv.
Why is it de basnoter (indefinite) instead of de basnoterna (definite)?
This is the determinative construction you are currently studying! When de (or den/det) points forward to a restrictive relative clause starting with som, the noun between them stays in the indefinite form. It acts like "those base notes which..." rather than just "the base notes".
Could I say de basnoterna som ger doften liv instead?
In colloquial spoken Swedish, you will sometimes hear people use the definite form here (de basnoterna som). However, in standard written Swedish, the determinative pronoun construction requires the indefinite form (de basnoter som).
Why is ofta placed after the verb saknar?
This is a standard main clause, so the V2 (verb-second) rule applies. The finite verb saknar must be in the second position, pushing the sentence adverb ofta to the third position. If this were a subordinate clause, the BIFF rule would place ofta before the verb.
What is the grammatical role of förstörd here?