Page:A simplified grammar of the Swedish language.djvu/57

Rh suffix-article should be used wherever the English 'the' is required to define the noun; as, jorden är rund, the earth is round; Såg du herrarne? 'did you see the gentlemen?'

The noun agrees in gender and number with its predicate; as, månen är klar, 'the moon is bright;' hästarne voro feta, men oxarne magra, 'the horses were fat, but the oxen were lean.'

In simple sentences the subject noun precedes the verb; as, jag ser flickan, 'I see the girl.' But it follows the verb:—

1. In interrogatives; as, hvarför ligger inte barnet? 'why does not the child go to bed?'

2. In secondary sentences; as, när flickan har något godt, så delar hon alltid med sig åt andra, 'when the girl has anything good, she always shares it with others.'

3. When some assertion made by, or in reference to, the subject precedes the latter; as, det är en öfversättning,, 'it is a translation, I see.'

4. When the subject follows the adverbial part of the sentence; as, samma dag öfversättningen, 'on the same day he read out the translation;' förut  hållit arbetet hemligt för dem, 'before that, he had kept the work a secret from them.'

Elliptically the subject may be put into the accusative with an infinitive; as, han en rik man, 'he was regarded as a rich man;' jag såg henne komma, 'I saw her come.'

The genitive may be expressed by the use, not merely