German mod 2 Flashcards
Definition of a clause ?
A clause is a group of words that tells you two things. First, it has a subject: that’s who or what is doing something. Second, it has a predicate: that’s the action the subject is doing.[1]
“They run” is a clause. It tells you the who (they) and the action (run).
“They run to the store” is also a clause. The “action” uses more words, but it’s still one idea.
“My dog is a good boy” is also a clause. The word “is” (or “are”) counts as an “action.”
Definition of a phrase ?
A phrase doesn’t have enough info to be a clause. A clause always tells you that someone (or something) is doing something. If a group of words doesn’t do this, it is a phrase.[2] A phrase only tells us one little thing.
The sentence “After work, my dad cooks dinner” has one phrase and one clause.
The clause is “my dad cooks dinner.” It has a subject (“my dad”) and an action (“cooks dinner”).
The phrase is “After work.” It doesn’t tell us about a subject or an action.
What are conjunctions ?
A conjunction is a part of speech that is used to connect words, phrases, clauses, or sentences. Conjunctions are considered to be invariable grammar particle, and they may or may not stand between items they conjoin.
There are only a few common conjunctions, yet these words perform many functions: They present explanations, ideas, exceptions, consequences, and contrasts. Here is a list of conjunctions commonly used in American English:
And As Because But For Just as Or Neither Nor Not only So Whether Yet
What is a subordinating clause ?
Subordinating conjunctions are parts of speech that join dependent clauses to independent clauses. Sometimes referred to as subordinators or subordinate conjunctions, these important words and phrases may also introduce adverb clauses.
Subordinating conjunctions are essential parts of complex sentences with include at least two clauses, with one of the clauses being main (independent) and the other being subordinate (dependent).
There is only one rule to remember about using subordinate conjunctions:
A subordinate conjunction performs two functions within a sentence. First, it illustrates the importance of the independent clause. Second, it provides a transition between two ideas in the same sentence. The transition always indicates a place, time, or cause and effect relationship. For example: We looked in the metal canister, where Ginger often hides her candy.
In the following examples, the subordinating conjunctions are in bold for easy identification:
‘As’ Sherri blew out the candles atop her birthday cake, she caught her hair on fire.
Sara begins to sneeze ‘whenever’ she opens the window to get a breath of fresh air.
‘When’ the doorbell rang, my dog Skeeter barked loudly.
What are coordinate conjunctions ?
The coordinate conjunctions do not modify the position of the verb in the clause. The most common ones are:
Explain aber with some examples
aber
It means “but”.
Die Hose ist schön, aber zu klein
The pants are pretty but too small
Er ist klug, aber faul
He’s smart but lazy
Das Angebot ist super, aber wir haben keine Zeit
The offer is great but we don’t have time
Explain denn with examples
denn
It means then/because, etc.
Ich weinte, denn ich hatte kein Geld
I cried because I didn’t have money
Synonymns: weil
Explain oder with examples
oder
Means “or”
Ich weiß nicht, ob ich lachen oder weinen soll
I don’t know whether I should laugh or cry
Wer fängt an, du oder ich?
Who starts, you or me?
Explain sondern with examples
sondern
Means “but” or “but rather”
Das Haus ist nicht alt, sondern neu
The house is not old but new
Explain und with examples
und
It means “and”
Meine Freunde und ich wollen ins Kino gehen
My friends and I want to go to the cinema
What are subordinate conjunctions ?
Subordinate conjunctions help to form subordinate clauses. One of the most interesting things about German is that the verb is placed in the last position of the clause in subordinate clauses
What is als ?
als
It means “when” if it is a subordinate conjunction. Careful: It’s used only in the past and when the past event only took place one time (temporal conjunction)
Als ich Kind war, wohnte ich in München
When I was a child, I lived in Munich
“Als” is also used for the construction of the comparative of superiority:
Er ist stärker als ich
He is stronger than me
What is bevor ?
bevor
It means “before” (temporal conjunction to show previous action or event)
Woran denkst du, bevor du einschläfst?
What do you think about before you fall asleep?
What is bis ?
bis
It means “until” (temporal conjunction to show subsequent action or event) “Bis” can act as a subordinate conjunction:
Warte, bis du gesund bist
Wait until you are healthy
or as a preposition:
Bis in den Tod
until death
What is dass ?
dass
It can be translated into English as “that” and is used to start a new subordinate clause.
Ich denke, dass die deutsche Sprache kompliziert ist
I think that the German language is complicated
das vs dass
dass vs das
Sometimes English speakers confuse “das” (relative pronoun) and “dass” (conjunction). The reason for this is because we use “that” for both words.
“das” is used to make relative clauses, which are used to give more information about a noun (Example: the noun “book”):
Das ist das Buch, das ich gerade lese
This is the book that I am reading
dass is to make common subordinate clauses where more information is given with a verb (Example: the verb to say)
Ich habe dir gesagt, dass er heute kommt
I told you that he’s coming today
What is weil ?
weil
It means “because” (causal conjunction)
Sie arbeitet heute nicht, weil sie krank ist
She doesn’t work today because she’s sick
Synonyms: denn
What is wenn ?
wenn
It means “if” but only in certain cases. For example: “If you want to go with us, you can.” Expressing doubt would require “ob”. For example: “ I don’t know if you’d like to come with us.” It also means “whenever” (conditional conjunction)
Wenn du möchtest, kannst du Deutsch lernen
If you want, you can learn German (context of “if” or “in case”)
Wenn ich singe, fühle ich mich viel besser
If I sing, I feel much better (context of “whenever I sing…”)
Common mistakes: Confusing the use of “wenn” and “ob”.
What is ob ?
ob
It means “whether/if” in the context of indirect questions or to show doubt.
Er hat dich gefragt, ob du ins Kino gehen möchtest
He asked you if you wanted to go to the cinema
Common mistakes: Confusing the use of ob and wenn
What is wie ?
wie
It means “how” (modal conjunction):
Ich weiß nicht, wie ich es auf Deutsch sagen kann
I don’t know how to say it in German
or for expressions of equality:
Peter ist so dünn wie Tomas
Peter is as thin as Tomas
What is wo ?
wo
It means “where” (local conjunction)
Ich weiß nicht, wo er Deutsch gelernt hat
I don’t know where he learned German
