Grammar

Types of Sentences II

Simple Sentence

A simple sentence consists of a subject-predicate configuration.

Die Alpen liegen im Süden Deutschlands.

Compound Sentence

A compound sentence is made up of two or more independent clauses.

Sentence Connector

A sentence connection is made up of parallel independent (main) clauses (equal, coordinated). The main clauses can be connected to one another in various ways. This will affect the sentence word order, e.g. in a statement as a second verb phrase:

without a connector (conjunction, connecting adverb):

		1^st	2^nd
Er war bei uns,		er	hat	von seiner Reise erzählt.

with a conjunction (e.g.: und, oder, aber):

		1^st	2^nd	3^rd
Er war bei uns,		*und*	er	hat von seiner Reise erzählt.

(also often shortened:
Er war bei uns und hat von seiner Reise erzählt.)

with a connecting adverb (e. g.: zuerst, dann, danach, schließlich, deshalb, darum):

		1^st	2^nd	3^rd
Wir haben Kaffee getrunken,		*dann*	hat	er von seiner Reise erzählt.

with a conjunction and a connecting adverb:

		0	1^st	2^nd	3^rd
Wir haben Kaffee getrunken		*und*	*dann*	hat	er von seiner Reise erzählt.

A conjunction does not take a sentence position, whereas a connecting adverb does.

Complex Sentence

A complex sentence is made up of a main clause and (at least) one subordinate clause. A subordinate clause is grammatically dependent on the main clause. In this case, the conjugated verb form takes the final position. If a second (unconjugated) verb aside from the conjugated verb also appears in the subordinate clause, e.g. an infinitive or a participle, it is found in front of /preceding the conjugated verb in the position before the final position.

Subjunctional Clause

Subordinate clauses can be initiated by subjunctions/subjunctors, e.g. through the subjunctions dass or ob.

1^st	2^nd	0	1^st	2^nd	3^rd	last
Ich	weiß,	*dass*	er	morgen		*kommt*
Ich	hoffe,	*dass*	er	morgen	*kommen*	*kann*
Sie	erzählt,	*dass*	sie	gestern	*gekommen*	*ist*
Er	fragt,	ob	wir	abends	*kommen*	*werden*

The conjugated verb form is found in the first position of the main clause when the subordinate clause precedes the main clause.

		1^st
Dass er morgen kommt,		*weiß*	ich .

Instead of the dass -subordinate clause, an infinitive group (infinitive sentence) with zu can be formed, but only after certain words (verb, noun, adjective, adverb). This is possible, predominantly, when the subject of the main clause and the subject of the dass -subordinate clause are the same (e.g. referring to the same person), e.g.:

Ich verspreche dir, dass ich dich morgen besuche. → Ich verspreche dir, dich morgen zu besuchen.

The infinitive group is more concise and often stylistically superior. A comma comes before the infinitive group.

A relationship of cause and effect exists between the main clause and the weil subordinate clause (causal relationship). The effect is found in the main clause, and the cause is found in the weil subordinate clause. Warum?, Weshalb?, and Aus welchem Grund? are used to ask about the cause or weil subordinate clause.

Main Clause: Result/Effect		Subordinate Clause: Cause
Sie blieb zu Hause,		weil sie krank war.

A relationship of conditions and possible consequences exists between the main clause and the wenn subordinate clause (conditional relationship). The possible consequence is named in the main clause and the condition in the subordinate clause.
Unter welcher Bedingung? In welchem Fall? are used to ask about the cause or wenn subordinate clause.

Main Clause: Possible Consequence		Subordinate Clause: Condition
Sie bleibt zu Hause,		wenn sie krank wird.

A relationship of action and goal, objective or intent exists between the main clause and the damit -subordinate clause (final relationship). The action is mentioned in the main clause, the goal/objective/intent in the subordinate clause. Wozu? Mit welchem Ziel? Mit welchem Zweck? Mit welcher Absicht? (coll. also: Warum?) are used to ask about the damit -subordinate clause.

Main Clause: Action		Subordinate Clause: Goal/Objective/Intent
Ich muss rechtzeitig zum Bahnhof gehen,		damit ich den Zug nicht verpasse.

Instead of using the subjunction damit + subordinate clause, it is possible to use the subjunction um … (zu) + infinitive (infinitive group, infinitive sentence) with the same ultimate meaning. This is only possible when the quasi-subject of the infinitive group (not expressed) is identical to the subject of the main clause, e.g.:

Wir fahren ans Meer, damit wir uns erholen.

Wir fahren ans Meer, um uns zu erholen.

The infinitive group with the subjunction um … (zu) is, in this case, stylistically superior.

If the subjunction obwohl introduces the subordinate clause, a relationship of non-effective condition (reason) and an unexpected result exists between the subordinate and the main clause (concessive relationship). You can ask the questions Trotz welcher Voraussetzung? Trotz welches Umstands? of the obwohl -subordinate clause:

Subordinate Clause: Non-Effective Condition		Main Clause: Unexpected Result
Obwohl es regnet,		gehen wir spazieren.

(This relationship can also be expressed in a second main clause (of a sentence connection, i.e. a conjunction) with the conjunction aber or the connecting adverb trotzdem, e.g.:

Es regnet, aber wir gehen spazieren.

Es regnet, trotzdem gehen wir spazieren.)

When the subordinate clause is introduced with the subjunction wie or als, a relationship of comparison can be intended between the main clause and the wie/als subordinate clause (modal/comparative relationship). The main clause describes a characteristic, the subordinate an object or action of comparison. Wie? Im Vergleich womit/wozu? are used to ask about the subordinate clause.

Main Clause: Characteristic		Subordinate Clause: Object/Action of Comparison
Der Film war (nicht) so gut,		wie ich gedacht hatte.
Der Film war besser,		als er in der Zeitung beurteilt wurde

The subjunctions seit and seitdem introduce a temporal subordinate clause. This describes an event in the past that is either relevant in the present or continues into the present, e.g.:

Main Clause: Action	Subordinate Clause: Action (Past → Present)
Ich komme viel schneller ins Internet,	seitdem/seit ich einen DSL-Anschluss habe.

Relative Clause

The relative clause is a(n) (introduced) subordinate clause in a complex sentence. It is introduced by a relative pronoun or a relative adverb. The relative pronoun or adverb refers to a noun or pronoun in the main clause (reference word or antecedent).
A relative clause divulges characteristics of the reference word. It is always an attribute of the reference word (attribute sentence).

Wie heißt der Mann, der gestern hier war?

Deutsch ist eine Sprache, die ich sehr mag.

Das Auto, das in der Garage steht, ist kaputt.

Das ist ein Thema, für das ich mich sehr interessiere.

Dort steht sie, mit der ich gestern gesprochen habe.

Ich habe das, was du gesagt hast, nicht verstanden.

Hier ist das Haus, wo (= in dem) ich wohne.

Question Word Sentences (w-word sentences)

A subordinate clause can also be introduced with a question word (w-word), e.g.:

Der Gast erzählt uns, was er beruflich macht.

Der Mann fragt, wie lange die Reise dauert.

Un-introduced Subordinate Clauses

Subordinate clauses without an introductory word position the conjugated verb form
in the 2nd position following verbs referring to speaking, thinking, and feeling (second verb phrase), e.g.:

		1^st	2^nd	3^rd
(Ich weiß, dass du das schaffst.) ↔ Ich weiß,		du	*schaffst*	das.

in the 1st position (first verb phrase) of a conditional subordinate clause, e.g.:

(Wenn Sie mehr Informationen brauchen, ( dann) klicken Sie auf „Übungshilfe“.) ↔
1^st	2^nd	3^rd
*Brauchen*	Sie	mehr Informationen, (dann) klicken Sie auf „Übungshilfe“.