Editing Danish language (section)

=== Syntax ===
Danish basic constituent order in simple sentences with both a subject and an object is [[Subject–verb–object|Subject–Verb–Object]].{{sfn|Becker-Christensen|2010|p=24}} However, Danish is also a [[V2 word order|V2 language]], which means that the verb must always be the second constituent of the sentence. Following the Danish grammarian [[Paul Diderichsen]]{{sfn|Diderichsen|1974}} Danish grammar tends to be analyzed as consisting of slots or fields, and in which certain types of sentence material can be moved to the pre-verbal (or ''foundation'') field to achieve different pragmatic effects. Usually the sentence material occupying the preverbal slot has to be pragmatically marked, usually either new information or [[Topic and comment|topics]]. There is no rule that subjects must occur in the preverbal slot, but since subject and topic often coincide, they often do. Therefore, whenever any sentence material that is not the subject occurs in the preverbal position the subject is demoted to postverbal position and the sentence order becomes VSO.{{sfn|Haberland|1994|p=336}}

*{{lang|da|Peter (S) så (V) Jytte (O)}}: "Peter saw Jytte"

but

*{{lang|da|I går så (V) Peter (S) Jytte (O)}}: "Yesterday, Peter saw Jytte"

When there is no pragmatically marked constituents in the sentence to take the preverbal slot (for example when all the information is new), the slot has to take a [[Dummy pronoun|dummy subject]] "der".{{sfn|Haberland|1994|p=344}}

*{{lang|da|der kom en pige ind ad døren}}: there came a girl in through the door, "A girl came in the door"

==== Main clauses ====
{{Harvtxt|Haberland|1994|p=336}} describes the basic order of sentence constituents in main clauses as comprising the following 8 positions:

{| style="text-align: center;"
|-
|{{lang|da|Og}}||{{lang|da|ham}}||{{lang|da|havde}}||{{lang|da|Per}}||{{lang|da|ikke}}||{{lang|da|skænket}}||{{lang|da|en tanke}}||{{lang|da|i årevis}}
|-
|And||him||had||Per||not||given||a thought||for years
|-
|0||1||2||3||4||5||6||7
|-
|colspan="8" | "And him Per hadn't given a thought in years"

|}

Position 0 is not part of the sentence and can only contain sentential connectors (such as conjunctions or interjections). Position 1 can contain any sentence constituent. Position 2 can only contain the finite verb. Position 3 is the subject position, unless the subject is fronted to occur in position 1. Position 4 can only contain light adverbs and the negation. Position 5 is for non-finite verbs, such as auxiliaries. Position 6 is the position of direct and indirect objects, and position 7 is for heavy adverbial constituents.{{sfn|Haberland|1994|p=336}}

Questions with [[Interrogative word|wh-words]] are formed differently from yes/no questions. In wh-questions the question word occupies the preverbal field, regardless of whether its grammatical role is subject or object or adverbial. In yes/no questions the preverbal field is empty, so that the sentence begins with the verb.

Wh-question:
*{{lang|da|hvem så hun?}}: whom saw she, "whom did she see?"
*{{lang|da|så hun ham?}}: saw she him?, "did she see him?"

==== Subordinate clauses ====
In subordinate clauses, the word order differs from that of main clauses. In the subordinate clause structure the verb is preceded by the subject and any light adverbial material (e.g. negation).{{sfn|Jensen|2011}} [[Complement clause]]s begin with the particle {{lang|da|at}} in the "connector field".

*''Han sagde, '''at han ikke ville gå''''': he said that he not would go, "He said that he did not want to go"

[[Relative clause]]s are marked by the relative pronouns {{lang|da|som}} or {{lang|da|der}} which occupy the preverbal slot:

*''Jeg kender en mand, '''som''' bor i Helsingør:{{sfn|Haberland|1994|p=345}} "I know a man who lives in Elsinore"