German sentence structure is famously flexible. While the conjugated (finite) verb must stay in Position 2 of a main clause, Position 1 can hold almost anything you want to emphasize. You can highlight an action itself by moving a past participle or an infinitive to the very front of the sentence.
Emphasizing Past Participles
In the perfect tense, the conjugated helper verb (haben or sein) takes Position 2. To emphasize the completed action, you can move the past participle to Position 1. This often creates a strong contrast, similar to saying "Learn it I never did, but..." in English.
| I have never learned billiards, but I like the cue. | Gelernt habe ich Billard nie, aber ich mag den Queue. |
| I haven't taken a shot yet, because the cue needs chalk. | Gestoßen habe ich noch nicht, denn der Queue braucht Kreide. |
This emphatic fronting is perfect for contrasting an expected outcome with reality, often followed by aber (but) or a similar conjunction.
| She didn't miss the ball, but it was a foul. | Verfehlt hat sie die Kugel nicht, aber es war ein Foul. |
Emphasizing Infinitives
You can apply the exact same strategy to sentences with modal verbs. The conjugated modal verb stays firmly in Position 2, while the infinitive takes Position 1.
| One would have to calculate the stroke in order to win the game. | Kalkulieren müsste man den Stoß, um das Spiel zu gewinnen. |
| He wanted to pocket the cue ball via the cushion, but he had bad luck. | Einlochen wollte er die Spielkugel über die Bande, aber er hatte Pech. |
This structure is also a great way to clarify intentions by emphatically stating what someone did not want to do.
| The professional didn't want to pocket the cue ball, but rather just roll it. | Einlochen wollte der Profi die Spielkugel nicht, sondern nur rollen. |
