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WORD GRAMMAR
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Verb
- Conjugation in indicative
- Person and number
- Tenses
- Voice
- Mood
- Verb categories
- Valency
- Semantic categories of verbs
- Finite / non-finite verb forms
- Noun
- Adjective
- Adverb
- Article
- Pronoun
- Preposition
- Conjunction
- Particle
- Interjection
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Verb
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SENTENCE GRAMMAR
- Clause types
- Complex clauses
- Constituents of a sentence
- Sentence structure
- Word order in a sentence
- Negation
The object
XA6
In regard to the position of the objects in the Middlefield (Mittelfeld), a sentence can have no more than two objects. Moreover, the adverbial complements are also taken into consideration.
Case 1: dative object + accusative object
The importance in the sequence of a dative and an accusative object lies in the part of speech to which the objects belong i.e. if they are pronouns or nouns.
When the objects are nouns, the following tendency is applicable:
dative object
|
before
|
accusative object
|
Examples | ||
Morgen muss Paul dem Lehrer die Bücher zurückgeben. | first word order type | |
Muss Paul dem Lehrer die Bücher morgen zurückgeben? | second word order type | |
..., dass Paul dem Lehrer die Bücher morgen zurückgeben muss. | third word order type |
There are often variations to this tendency, when syntactic tendencies like old before new or definite before indefinite prevail.
Examples | ||
- Kann ich auch diese Bücher lesen? - Nein, morgen muss Paul die Bücher dem Lehrer zurückgeben. |
old before new | |
Morgen muss Paul die Bücher einem Lehrer zurückgeben. | definite before indefinite |
When one object is a pronoun and the other is a noun, the pronoun stands before the noun, independent of case, following the tendency pronouns before nouns.
Examples | ||
Morgen muss Paul ihm die Bücher zurückgeben. |
pronouns before nouns | |
Morgen muss Paul sie dem Lehrer zurückgeben. |
When the objects are pronouns, the following rule applies:
accusative object
|
before
|
dative object
|
Examples | ||
Morgen muss Paul sie ihm zurückgeben. | first word order type | |
Muss Paul sie ihm morgen zurückgeben? | second word order type | |
..., dass Paul sie ihm morgen zurückgeben muss. | third word order type |
Case 2: dative - or accusative object + prepositional object
When there is a dative - or accusative object and a prepositional object, the following tendency applies:
dative - or accusative object
|
before
|
prepositional object
|
|
Examples | ||
Monika hat mir zum Geburtstag gratuliert. | first word order type | |
Hat Monika mir zum Geburtstag gratuliert? | second word order type | |
..., dass Monika mir zum Geburtstag gratuliert hat. | third word order type |
Examples | ||
Monika hat mich an den Termin erinnert. | first word order type | |
Hat Monika mich an den Termin erinnert? | second word order type | |
..., dass Monika mich an den Termin erinnert hat. | third word order type |
The same tendency applies when a pronominal adverb is in the place of a prepositional object.
Examples | ||
Monika hat mich daran erinnert. | pronominal adverb | |
Monika hat mir dazu gratuliert. |
Case 3: accusative object + genitive object
When there is an accusative object and a genitive object, the following tendency applies:
accusative object
|
before
|
genitive object
|
Examples | ||
Man beschuldigte den Verbrecher des Mordes. | first word order type | |
Beschuldigte man den Verbrecher des Mordes? | second word order type | |
..., dass man den Verbrecher des Mordes beschuldigte. | third word order type |
Case 4: accusative object + accusative object
In the case of two accusative objects, the tendency animate before inanimate applies.
accusative object
|
before
|
accusative object
|
animate
|
|
inanimate
|
Examples | ||
Der Lehrer fragt die Schüler die Vokabeln ab. | first word order type | |
Fragt der Lehrer die Schüler die Vokabeln ab? | second word order type | |
..., dass der Lehrer die Schüler die Vokabeln abfragt. | third word order type |
Case 5: prepositional object + prepositional object
When two prepositional objects exist in sentence, the tendency dative before accusative or animate before inanimate applies.
prepositional object
|
before
|
prepositional object
|
dative
|
accusative
|
|
animate
|
inanimate
|
Examples | ||
Er hat sich bei der Feuerwehr für den schnellen Einsatz bedankt. | dative before accusative | |
Er hat sich beim Kellner über die kalte Suppe beschwert. | animate before inanimate |
Case 6: dative - or accusative object + adverbial
When there is a dative – or an accusative object and an adverbial complement the following tendency applies:
dative - or accusative object
|
before
|
adverbial complement
|
|
Examples | ||
Es geht dem Kranken schlecht. | first word order type | |
Geht es dem Kranken schlecht? | second word order type | |
..., dass dem Kranken schlecht geht. | third word order type |
Examples | ||
Er hängt das Bild an die Wand. | first word order type | |
Hängt er das Bild an die Wand? | second word order type | |
..., dass er das Bild an die Wand hängt. | third word order type |