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Opening sentence of Bis mindestens März 2027: Grenzkontrollen sollen erneut verlängert werden, tagesschau.de, 18 August 2026. Quoted for study. The words are the publisher's; the analysis is ours.
Meaning
Federal Interior Minister Dobrindt wants to extend the checks at Germany's external borders once again.
Word for word: Federal-interior-minister Dobrindt wants the checks at the German external borders again to extend.
The sentence reports that Interior Minister Dobrindt intends to prolong border controls yet again; typical of news reporting.
A main clause with verb-second word order: the subject 'Bundesinnenminister Dobrindt' fills the first position, and the finite modal verb 'will' stands in second position, with the dependent infinitive 'verlängern' sent to the end of the clause. 'die Kontrollen' is a definite accusative object; 'an den deutschen Außengrenzen' is a dative prepositional phrase (dative plural after the two-way preposition 'an' expressing location); 'erneut' is a modal adverb modifying the infinitive.
Rules at work(5)
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Bundesinnenminister Dobrindt will
The subject phrase occupies the prefield and the finite verb will stands in second position, the hallmark of a German main clause.
In a German main clause the finite verb is always the second element. The first element can be the subject, but it can just as easily be a time expression, an object or a whole subordinate clause; whatever it is, it counts as one element and the verb follows it. This is why putting something other than the subject first pushes the subject after the verb.
Does this rule belong on this sentence? -
will ... verlängern
The modal wollen is conjugated finitely while the lexical verb appears as a bare infinitive at the end of the clause.
The six modals können, müssen, dürfen, sollen, wollen and mögen say something about the main verb rather than naming an action. The modal is the finite verb in second position and the main verb goes to the end of the clause as an infinitive.
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die Kontrollen
Kontrollen is the direct object of verlängern and therefore accusative.
The accusative marks the direct object: the thing the action is done to. Only the masculine changes visibly, from der to den and from ein to einen, which is why the masculine is where accusative errors show.
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an den deutschen Außengrenzen
An expresses static location here, so it governs the dative plural den deutschen Außengrenzen rather than the accusative.
An, auf, hinter, in, neben, über, unter, vor and zwischen take the accusative when the phrase answers where to, and the dative when it answers where. The distinction is movement across a boundary against position, not motion against stillness.
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den deutschen Außengrenzen
After the definite article den the adjective deutsch takes the weak dative plural ending -en.
After a definite article the adjective ending is e in the five nominative and accusative singular slots and en everywhere else, because the article has already shown the case and gender.
Does this rule belong on this sentence?
Words(11)
- der Bundesinnenminister
Federal Minister of the Interior
nounC1pl. Bundesinnenministergen. Bundesinnenministersweak declension
Official title; compounds with Bundes- name federal ministers.
- der Dobrindt
Dobrindt (German surname)
nounC2pl. Dobrindtsgen. Dobrindtsstrong declension
- wollen
to want, to want to
verbA1wollen, wollte, hat gewolltmit habenmodal
Wollen has no umlaut in its conjugation: ich will, wir wollen.
- die
the
determinerA1definite
- die Kontrolle
control, check
nounB1pl. Kontrollengen. Kontrolleweak declension
In the plural often means systematic checks such as border or identity checks.
- an
on, at, by
prepositionA1governs accusative or dative
Dative for points in time and location (am Montag), accusative for direction.
- den
the
determinerA1definite
- deutsch
German
adjectiveA1deutscher, am deutschesten
- die Außengrenze
external border
nounB2pl. Außengrenzengen. Außengrenzemixed declension
- erneut
again, once again
adverbB2temporal
- verlängern
to extend, to prolong
verbB1verlängern, verlängerte, hat verlängertmit habenweak