Breakdown of Ebeveynler, başarılı olmak şartıyla çocuklarını bazı işlerden muaf tutabilir.
çocuk
child
iş
work
olmak
to be
başarılı
successful
Questions & Answers about Ebeveynler, başarılı olmak şartıyla çocuklarını bazı işlerden muaf tutabilir.
Why is it "olmak şartıyla" instead of "olmaları şartıyla", given that the children (not the parents) are the ones who need to be successful?
When the person meeting the condition is different from the subject of the main sentence (ebeveynler), you would strictly expect the verbal noun: başarılı olmaları şartıyla (on the condition of their being successful). However, because the children are already the direct object of the main clause (çocuklarını), Turkish often takes a shortcut. Using the infinitive -mAk is perfectly natural and common here because context makes it 100% obvious who is supposed to meet the condition.
How is the word "şartıyla" constructed grammatically?
It is built from the noun şart (condition). It gets the 3rd person possessive suffix -ı to link it to the preceding infinitive (forming a compound meaning "the condition of..."), a buffer letter -y-, and the instrumental suffix -la (with). Literally, it translates to "with the condition of". The synonymous grammar point koşuluyla is built the exact same way using the word koşul.
Why does "işlerden" take the ablative (-den) case here?
It pairs with the compound verb muaf tutmak (to hold exempt). Just like in English where you are exempt from doing something, Turkish uses the ablative case to mark the thing you are freed or excused from. Therefore, bazı işlerden muaf means "exempt from some chores/tasks".
Can we break down the double "-ı" suffixes on "çocuklarını"?