12.3 Review — word order in all clause types — Epoché
What this lesson reviews German word order in every type of clause: statements with something other than the subject in front, questions and commands with the verb first, the sentence bracket, subordinate clauses with the verb at the end, infinitive clauses, the double infinitive, conditions without wenn , relative clauses, and the order of pronouns and nicht in the middle field. Word order was the first great lesson of this course, and it remains the surest sign of whether a learner thinks in German or translates from English. Sentences from this lesson, before the explanation. Read the German aloud; all of them come back below. German English Vergiss nicht, die Fenster zuzumachen. [1] Remember to shut the windows. Vergessen Sie nicht, die Tür zuzumachen. [2] Don't forget to close the door. Ich weiß, dass du mich hast kommen sehen. [3] I know you saw me coming. Ich habe etwas gesehen, was ich nicht hätte sehen sollen. [4] I've seen something I shouldn't have seen. Ich muss mich dafür entschuldigen, dass ich so lange nicht mehr geschrieben habe. [5] I must apologize for not having written for such a long time. Ich glaube nicht, dass ich mich geirrt habe. [6] I don't believe I was wrong. Prerequisites : 12.2 — and in practice the word-order lessons of volume 2, from 2.1 Grammar and 2.2 Grammar to 2.22 Grammar and 2.38 Grammar . Work through the sections in order and score yourself at the end. The twenty sentences are short, but together they contain every position a verb can take in German: first, second and last, alone or in a cluster of three. If you can say for each one why the verb stands where it stands, the long sentences of the readings in the last phase will hold no structural surprises. Twenty sentences All twenty are real sentences from the corpus. Translate them, and then mark for each the position of the finite verb (first, second or last) and the reason. German English Den Brief hat sie geschrieben. [7] She wrote the letter. Wann kommst du an? [8] When do you arrive? Hast du das Buch gelesen? [9] Have you read that book? Ruf mich später an! [10] Ring me later. Ich habe ihn nicht gefragt. [11] I haven't asked him. Ich glaube, dass sie 40 ist. [12] I guess that she is 40. Er niest, weil er eine Allergie hat. [13] He's sneezing because he has an allergy. Ich weiß nicht, ob er kommt. [14] I don't know whether he comes or not. Obwohl es regnete, ging sie aus. [15] Even though it was raining, she went out. Obwohl er müde war, arbeitete er. [16] Even though he was tired, he worked. Ich kam, um sie zu sehen. [17] I came to see her. Ich habe vergessen, es ihr zu sagen. [18] I forgot to tell her. Ich habe vergessen, die Fenster zuzumachen. [19] I forgot to close the windows. Er hätte mehr arbeiten sollen. [20] He should have worked harder. Ich habe etwas gesehen, was ich nicht hätte sehen sollen. [4] I've seen something I shouldn't have seen. Wäre ich reich, würde ich den Armen helfen. [21] Were I rich, I would help the poor. Ich rufe an, weil meine Kreditkarte gestohlen wurde. [22] I'm calling because my credit card has been stolen. Das ist der Mann, den ich gestern sah. [23] That's the man I saw yesterday. Ich habe mehr Geld als du. [24] I have more money than you. Obwohl krank, ging er zur Schule. [25] He was sick, but he went to school. The twenty fall into groups. Numbers 1 and 2 keep the verb second after a fronted object and a question word. Numbers 3 and 4 put the verb first in a yes-no question and a command. Number 5 shows a bracket with a pronoun and nicht inside it. Numbers 6 to 8 are subordinate clauses with the verb last. Numbers 9, 10 and 20 put a subordinate clause in front, so that the main verb follows at once. Numbers 11 to 13 are infinitive clauses. Numbers 14 and 15 are double infinitives. Number 16 is a condition without wenn . Number 17 has a passive at the end of a subordinate clause, number 18 a relative clause, and number 19 a comparison after the verb. Dictation Five sentences to write from hearing or from the English. Each has a trap in the order. Ring me later. (Where does the prefix go in a command?) Even though it was raining, she went out. (What comes straight after the comma?) I forgot to tell her. (Two pronouns, and where does zu stand?) Were I rich, I would help the poor. (Two clauses, both with the verb first.) I'm calling because my credit card has been stolen. (The order of the two verbs at the end.) Read aloud Read these five twice each. Word order in speech is carried by rhythm: the verb at the end of a clause, or the verb that follows a front clause, should come without a pause. Den Brief hat sie geschrieben. — stress on Brief , the fronted object. Obwohl es regnete, ging sie aus. — no pause after the comma; ging follows at once. Ich habe vergessen, die Fenster zuzumachen. — zu inside the verb, stress on the prefix. Er hätte mehr arbeiten sollen. — three verbs, the modal last and unstressed. Wäre ich reich, würde ich den Armen helfen. — two verb-first clauses in a row. Find the mistake Five sentences, each with exactly one error in word order. Correct it and name the rule. Gestern ich habe ihn gesehen. Ich weiß, dass er ist müde. Ich habe vergessen, zu es ihr sagen. Er hätte sollen mehr arbeiten. Ich habe nicht ihn gefragt. (no contrast intended) All five follow English order. English keeps subject and verb together after a front adverb; puts the verb after the subject in every clause; puts to directly before the verb; orders should have worked from left to right; and puts not before the object. In German each of these positions is fixed by a different rule, and each rule has its own lesson. Practice Read and translate. Read them aloud, then translate each into English: Wenn ich genug Geld hätte, würde ich das Buch kaufen. [26] / Wenn ich du wäre, würde ich nicht mehr mit ihm reden. [27] / Ehrlich gesagt: Ich weiß nicht, für wen dieses Buch geschrieben wurde. [28] / Er war gestern nicht in der Schule, weil er krank war. [29] / Ich dachte, ich hä