3rd Edition

Swedish An Essential Grammar

By Ian Hinchliffe, Philip Holmes Copyright 2020
    234 Pages 4 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    234 Pages 4 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    This fully revised third edition of Swedish: An Essential Grammar incorporates changes proposed to Swedish grammar by Svenska Akademiens grammatik. Examples have been fully updated and the bibliography has been expanded.

    Swedish: An Essential Grammar provides a fresh and accessible description of the language. Explanations are free of jargon and emphasis has been placed on areas of Swedish that pose a particular challenge for English-speaking learners.

    The book offers:

    • a clear, accessible format;

    • authentic examples of language use, taken from a range of media;

    • clear, jargon-free explanations of grammar.

    Suitable for independent study or for class-based tuition, Swedish: An Essential Grammar continues to be an invaluable source to all learners looking to improve their knowledge of Swedish grammar.

    Preface

    Symbols and abbreviations used in the text

    Introduction

    0.1 Some advice for the beginner

    0.2 Similarities between Swedish and English

    0.2.1 Vocabulary

    0.2.2 Grammar

    Chapter 1 Pronunciation

    1.1 Vowels

    1.1.1 Stressed vowels and their pronunciation

    1.1.2 Pronunciation of unstressed vowels

    1.1.3 Vowel length

    1.1.4 Syllable length

    1.2 Consonants and consonant groups

    1.2.1 s, z, c, sc

    1.2.2 j, gj, dj, hj, lj

    1.2.3 r, t, l, x, w

    1.2.4 g, k, sk

    1.2.5 ng, gn, kn, mn

    1.2.6 rs, rd, rt, rn, rl

    1.2.7 Omitting -d, -g, -t, -k, -l

    1.2.8 Omitting -e

    1.2.9 Voiced consonants pronounced unvoiced before -s, -t

    1.2.10 Complete assimilation of -t-

    1.2.11 Written and spoken forms of some common words

    1.2.12 Assimilation

    Chapter 2 Stress and accent

    2.1 Sentence stress

    2.2 Word stress

    2.3 Accent

    2.4 Functions of accent 1 and accent 2

    2.5 Rules for accent 1 and accent 2

    Chapter 3 Nouns

    3.1 Gender and noun type

    3.1.1 Gender

    3.1.2 Gender rules

    3.1.3 Types of noun

    3.2 Indefinite declension

    3.2.1 Indefinite forms

    3.2.2 Plurals

    3.2.3 Plurals – predictability

    3.2.4 Rules for predicting plural forms

    3.3 Plural forms

    3.3.1 Plurals in -or (first declension)

    3.3.2 Plurals in -ar (second declension)

    3.3.3 Plurals in -er (third declension)

    3.3.4 Plurals in -r (fourth declension)

    3.3.5 Plurals in -n (fifth declension)

    3.3.6 Zero plurals (no plural ending, sixth declension)

    3.3.7 Plurals in -s (seventh declension)

    3.3.8 Collective nouns

    3.3.9 Nouns with no plural form or no singular form

    3.4 Differences in number between Swedish and English

    3.4.1 Differences in number

    3.5 Definite declension

    3.5.1 Forms with end article singular

    3.5.2 Forms with end article plural

    3.6 Article use

    3.6.1 End article in Swedish, no article in English

    3.6.2 End article in Swedish, indefinite article in English

    3.6.3 No article in Swedish, definite article in English

    3.6.4 No article in Swedish, indefinite article in English

    3.6.5 End article in Swedish, possessive pronoun in English

    3.6.6 Article use with demonstrative pronouns

    3.6.7 No article after the possessive

    3.7 Genitives

    3.7.1 The genitive

    Chapter 4 Adjectives

    4.1 Adjectives in outline

    4.2 Indefinite declension

    4.2.1 Indefinite forms – regular

    4.2.2 Indefinite forms – variations

    4.2.3 Indeclinable adjectives

    4.2.4 Indefinite constructions

    4.2.5 Agreement and lack of agreement

    4.3 Definite declension

    4.3.1 Definite form of the adjective: -e or -a?

    4.3.2 Definite construction Type 1 – den nya bilen

    4.3.3 Definite construction Type 2 – firmans nya bil

    4.3.4 Definite construction Type 3 – svenska språket

    4.3.5 Definite construction Type 4 – första klass

    4.3.6 Definite constructions – summary chart

    4.4 Adjectival nouns and nationality words

    4.4.1 Adjectival nouns

    4.4.2 Nationality words

    4.5 Comparison of adjectives

    4.5.1 Comparison with -are, -ast

    4.5.2 Comparison with -re, -st

    4.5.3 Irregular comparison

    4.5.4 Comparison with mer, mest

    4.5.5 Comparison – indefinite and definite with -are and -ast

    4.5.6 Use of comparatives and superlatives

    Chapter 5 Pronouns

    5.1 Personal and reflexive pronouns – form

    5.2 Use of personal pronouns

    5.3 Reflexive pronouns

    5.4 Själv

    5.5 Possessive pronouns

    5.6 Non-reflexive and reflexive possessives: hans or sin?

    5.6.1 Non-reflexive forms

    5.6.2 Reflexive forms

    5.6.3 Some special uses of sin, sitt, sina

    5.7 Forms of address

    5.8 Demonstrative pronouns

    5.9 Determinative pronouns

    5.10 Relative pronouns

    5.11 Interrogative pronouns

    5.12 Indefinite pronouns

    Chapter 6 Numerals

    6.1 Cardinal and ordinal numbers

    6.2 Use of cardinal and ordinal numbers

    6.3 Other numerical expressions

    6.4 Clock time

    Chapter 7 Verbs

    7.1 Verb forms in outline

    7.2 The four conjugations

    7.2.1 First conjugation

    7.2.2 Irregular verbs of the first conjugation

    7.2.3 Second conjugation

    7.2.4 Irregular verbs of the second conjugation

    7.2.5 Third conjugation

    7.2.6 Irregular verbs of the third conjugation

    7.2.7 Fourth conjugation: introduction

    7.2.8 Fourth conjugation: gradation series i – e – i

    7.2.9 Fourth conjugation: gradation series y/(j)u – ö – u

    7.2.10 Fourth conjugation: gradation series i – a – u

    7.2.11 Fourth conjugation: gradation series a – o – a

    7.2.12 Fourth conjugation: gradation series ä – a – u

    7.2.13 Fourth conjugation: minor gradation series (mixed)

    7.3 Form and function

    7.4 The infinitive

    7.4.1 Infinitive – verbal use

    7.4.2 Infinitive – nominal use

    7.4.3 Use of the infinitive in English and Swedish

    7.4.4 Translating ‘-ing’ forms

    7.5 Present tense

    7.6 Past tense

    7.7 Perfect tense

    7.8 Pluperfect tense

    7.9 Future tense

    7.10 Participles and supine

    7.10.1 Supine and past participle forms

    7.10.2 Use of the supine and past participle

    7.10.3 Present participle

    7.11 Mood and modal verbs

    7.11.1 Use of modal verbs

    7.11.2 Subjunctive

    7.11.3 Imperative

    7.12 Transitive, intransitive and reflexive verbs

    7.12.1 Transitive and intransitive verbs

    7.12.2 Reflexive verbs

    7.13 -s forms

    7.13.1 Use of -s forms

    7.13.2 Passive

    7.14 Translating verbs

    7.14.1 Some problems in translating English verbs

    7.14.2 Translating the English verb ‘to be’

    7.15 Compound verbs

    7.15.1 Inseparable and separable compound verbs

    7.15.2 Stylistic and semantic differences between separable

    and inseparable compounds

    Chapter 8 Adverbs

    8.1 Forms of adverbs

    8.2 Use of adverbs

    8.3 Adverbs indicating location and motion

    8.4 Some problematic adverbs

    8.5 Discourse particles

    Chapter 9 Interjections

    9.1 Interjections

    Chapter 10 Prepositions

    10.1 Prepositions – introduction

    10.2 The most common Swedish prepositions

    10.2.1 Av

    10.2.2 Från

    10.2.3 För

    10.2.4 I

    10.2.5 Med

    10.2.6 Om

    10.2.7

    10.2.8 Till

    10.2.9 Under

    10.2.10 Vid

    10.3 Translating prepositions

    10.3.1 Some common English prepositions and their Swedish equivalents

    10.3.2 Translating ‘in, on, at’, etc. in expressions of time

    10.3.3 Prepositions in expressions of time – summary

    10.3.4 Translating ‘in, on, at’ in expressions of place

    10.3.5 Translating ‘of’

    Chapter 11 Conjunctions

    11.1 Coordinating conjunctions

    11.2 Subordinating conjunctions

    11.3 Other subordinators

    11.4 Some problematic conjunctions

    Chapter 12 Word order and sentence structure

    12.1 Word classes and sentence elements

    12.2 Simplified introduction: Four basic rules

    12.3 Sentence types

    12.4 Main clause structure

    12.5 Link position

    12.6 Extra positions

    12.7 Main clause positions (sentence elements)

    12.7.1 Subject and formal subject

    12.7.2 Finite verb

    12.7.3 Non-finite verb

    12.7.4 Clausal adverbial

    12.7.5 Other adverbials

    12.7.6 Objects and complements

    12.7.7 Verb particle

    12.7.8 Passive agent

    12.7.9 Main clause structure – extended positional scheme with examples

    12.8 Moving elements within the main clause

    12.8.1 Topicalization

    12.8.2 Weight principle

    12.8.3 Adverbial shift

    12.8.4 Unstressed objects

    12.8.5 Position of inte

    12.8.6 Passive transformation

    12.8.7 Existential sentence

    12.8.8 Cleft sentence

    12.9 Subordinate clauses

    12.9.1 Subordinate clause as an element in the main clause sentence

    12.9.2 Subordinate clause structure

    12.9.3 Three types of subordinate clause with main clause structure

    Chapter 13 Word formation

    13.1 Compounding

    13.2 Affixation

    13.3 Abbreviation

    Chapter 14 Orthography

    14.1 Upper-case or lower-case letters?

    14.2 Spelling of words ending in -m, -n

    Chapter 15 Punctuation

    15.1 Comma

    15.2 Full stop

    15.3 Colon

    15.4 Exclamation mark

    15.5 Apostrophe

    15.6 Direct speech conventions

    15.7 Hyphen

    Chapter 16 Written and spoken Swedish

    16.1 Words frequently omitted in spoken Swedish

    16.2 Words and constructions frequently found in
    spoken Swedish

    16.3 Words usually found only in written Swedish

    Linguistic terms

    A note on Finland-Swedish

    Short bibliography

    Index

    Biography

    Ian Hinchliffe, a former lecturer in Swedish, is a freelance translator, copywriter and founder member of the Swedish Association of Professional Translators.

    Philip Holmes, Reader Emeritus in Scandinavian Studies at the University of Hull, UK, was for many years also a freelance language editor and translator.