Breakdown of Askan är farlig, dock är byn helt säker.
vara
to be
byn
the village
farlig
dangerous
säker
sure
Questions & Answers about Askan är farlig, dock är byn helt säker.
Why does the verb come before the subject in dock är byn?
Could I just use men (but) to connect these clauses instead?
Yes, but the word order would change! men is a coordinating conjunction, which means it sits outside the V2 structure (often called "position zero"). If you used men, the subject would come right after it: ..., men byn är helt säker. Using dock is slightly more formal and a great way to add variety to your B2-level writing.
If I replace dock with varför (which is why) to show a logical consequence, how does the grammar change?
The meaning would shift from a contrast to a result. More importantly, when varför is used as a consecutive relative adverb to link clauses, it acts as a subjunction introducing a relative clause. This means it takes straight word order (subject before verb), unlike dock! For example: Askan är farlig, varför byn är utrymd (The ash is dangerous, which is why the village is evacuated).
Why does säker not have a -t at the end, even though it comes after helt?