Subordinate clauses

What you will practice

• Send the conjugated verb to the end after weil, dass, wenn, and ob.
• Tell weil apart from denn.
• Start a sentence with a wenn clause and keep the next verb second.

Explanation

Verb at the end

After weil, dass, wenn, and ob, the conjugated verb is the last word of the clause: weil ich krank bin, dass er morgen kommt, ob sie Zeit hat. weil ich bin krank keeps the verb in the position English would suggest, and that is the error to avoid.

weil and denn

weil and denn can both give a reason, but the word order is different. denn is a coordinating word. The verb stays second: Ich bleibe zu Hause, denn ich bin krank. weil introduces a subordinate clause, so the verb goes to the end: Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich krank bin. A comma separates the clauses.

The main clause afterward

If the wenn clause comes first, it counts as the first element of the whole sentence. The next clause then begins with its verb: Wenn es regnet, bleiben wir hier. bleiben is in second position in the sentence, even though it is the first word of its own clause. The verb inside the wenn clause is still at the end.

Examples

1. Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich krank bin.I am staying home because I am ill.
2. Ich weiß, dass er morgen kommt.I know that he is coming tomorrow.
3. Wenn es regnet, bleiben wir hier.If it rains, we will stay here.
4. Ich weiß nicht, ob sie Zeit hat.I do not know whether she has time.
5. Ich bleibe zu Hause, denn ich bin krank.I am staying home, for I am ill.

Common mistakes

• A comma belongs before weil, dass, wenn, and ob when they follow the main clause.
• Do not treat denn like weil. After denn, the verb is second, not final.