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Linguaholic

Questions about dependent clauses


Macnerd

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I like the forum name - Linguaholic! That's what i am.

I'd love to create a language. I've spent hours on YouTube & Wikipedia & Google learning about languages & grammar. I've adopted some of the German grammar rules like verb placement in dependent clauses & verb second position in sentences.

I know that in German the verb goes at the end of a dependent clause. Well, I have a "worst case scenario" for you. Suppose that there's a noun clause that's modified by an adjective clause which is modified by an adverb clause! What's the word order? I can't provide an example so I hope that you can.

 

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A week ago I asked a question. I have yet to receive an answer. Why hasn't my question been answered? Your forum isn't the only German language forum on the internet. Is this the way that you treat all members of this forum? Since you haven't bothered to answer my question, I'll ask the question on another German language forum.

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This forum has grown very inactive since last summer, meaning it can take a long time to answer a question these days.
It's not the way we treat all members, it's simply the way any kind of forum works these days sadly.

I know a bit of German, but not as much.
However, since Dutch grammar is nearly identical (except that there are no cases in Dutch and genders are almost unnecessary), I would be able to answer your question too, but with Dutch examples.

The most basic word order is SVO, but as you said, longer sentences tend to be SOV.
For example (red = subject, green = verb, gold = object, blue = adjective, anything else = black):
Ik vind forums leuk.
Ik vind forums leuk, omdat ik daar veel aan heb.
Ik vind forums leuk, omdat ik daar veel aan heb, want er zijn veel leden.

So as you can see, there is no 1 answer for everything, but at the same time, these are the standard rules.
I hope this helps you a bit.

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I apologize for my remarks. I have a tendency to put my foot in my mouth. Unfortunately, patience isn't one of my virtues.

This is Google's translation of "Ik vind forums leuk, omdat ik daar veel aan heb, want er zijn veel leden."

I think forums like because I have that much, because there are many members.

How accurate a translation is that?

I think that German is a neat language in the way it does syntax, but it is difficult to learn because of the cases & syntax. I've spent hours on Wikipedia & YouTube & the internet learning about languages & grammar & syntax because I'd love to create a language.

So now I'm a member on 2 language forums!

 

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The correct translation is:
I like forums, because they are very useful, because there are lots of members.

So I would classify it as inaccurate, but I do admit my sentence is not an easy sentence to translate for automatic translators. :P

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  • 4 years later...

In German, relative clauses are set off by commas.

English relative clauses can be restrictive or non-restrictive. Restrictive relative clauses are not set off by commas. Non-restrictive relative clauses are set off by commas. The non-restrictive relative clause can be removed & the sentence is still complete.

Are ALL German relative clauses set off by commas? Does German have restrictive relative clauses? How would one indicate a restrictive clause in German? Does German distinguish restrictive relative clauses from non-restrictive relative clauses?

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