German Word Order

Here are a few handy hints for getting word order correct in the main clause of a sentence:

• The basic rule is time, manner, place, which means any time phrases are written first (after the verb), and information about location comes at the end of the sentence, but still before the second verb, if there is one.
• For example: Mein englischer Brieffreund hat letzten Sommer mit seiner Familie eine Ferienwohnung direkt in Füssen gemietet.
• Subject verb time manner place verb
• I also noticed that mit phrases always seem to come before other manner phrases, such as the object of the sentence, as we can see in the example above.
• Phrases can be moved to the front of the sentence to add emphasis.
• For example: Direkt in Füssen hat mein englischer Brieffreund letzten Sommer mit seiner Familie eine Ferienwohnung gemietet.

The wider reading thing worked well...

... Or not! I think it was a good idea, but one that doesn't work too well in practice. It's not as though I haven't been doing wider reading - I have, just not with this blog in mind. I actually bought a book which is directly related to behavioural epigenetics, which is a good read, and I will attend another psychology conference next week, and went on a biology trip last Monday. In fact, right now I've just taken a break from some additional German grammar work, and my chemistry individual investigation requires me to become an expert on aspirin. Perhaps I can find another use for this blog... storage of brief revision notes and useful links, perhaps?