haben and sein – Auxiliary Verbs in German Grammar SPLIT 3

Question 1

When to use sein as an auxiliary

When conjugating the present perfect, the past perfect and the future perfect the following verbs use sein as the auxiliary:

1. When do we use sein as a auxiliary verb?

Answer 1

intransitive verbs (verbs without a direct object) that express movement and a change of place, for example: gehen, laufen, fahren, …

Example: Er ist gelaufen/He ran

Question 2

When to use sein as an auxiliary

When conjugating the present perfect, the past perfect and the future perfect the following verbs use sein as the auxiliary:

2. When do we use sein as a auxiliary verb?

Answer 2

intransitive verbs that express a change of state, for example: aufwachen, gefrieren, sterben, …

Example: Ich bin eingeschlafen./I fell sleep

Question 3

When to use sein as an auxiliary

When conjugating the present perfect, the past perfect and the future perfect the following verbs use sein as the auxiliary:

3. When do we use sein as a auxiliary verb?

Answer 3

other verbs: bleiben, sein, werden, …

Example: Wir sind zu Hause geblieben/We stayed at home

Question 4

In some cases haben or sein can be used with some verbs. Explain the condition when that can happen.

Answer 4

We have to use verbs of movement like joggen, klettern, schwimmen, tauchen with sein when the focus is on a change of place. If this is not the focus we can use both haben and sein.

Example: Er ist durch den Wald gejoggt./He jogged through the forest

Er ist/hat jeden Tag gejoggt/He jogged every day.

Wir sind auf den Berg geklettert/We climbed on the mountain.

Wir sind/haben fünf Stunden geklettert/We climbed for five hours.

Ich bin zur Insel geschwommen/I swam to the island.

Ich bin/habe Bestzeit geschwommen/I swam my best yime.

Du bist zum Schiffswrack getaucht/You dived to the ship-wreck.

Du bist/hast im Urlaub getaucht/You dived on holiday