To build suspense or focus on the action in a bustling scene, German often uses es as a "dummy" subject placeholder.
Place es in the first position, keep the conjugated verb in its strict second position, and push the real (logical) subject right after the verb.
| A performance is taking place in the circus. | Es findet eine Vorstellung im Zirkus statt. |
| A monkey is sitting in the circus ring. | Es sitzt ein Affe in der Manege. |
Verb Agreement
Even though es is in the first position, the verb always agrees with the logical subject. If the real subject is plural, the verb must be plural too.
| Acrobats are balancing in the air. | Es balancieren Akrobaten in der Luft. |
| Many clowns are juggling in the circus ring. | Es jonglieren viele Clowns in der Manege. |
When to use it
This stylistic structure is often used to set a scene or describe a setting where many things are happening at once. It functions similarly to "there is" or "there are" in English but can be used with almost any action verb to make your storytelling feel more dynamic.
| Many things are happening in this circus. | Es passieren viele Sachen in diesem Zirkus. |
| There is a lot of tension in the air. | Es liegt viel Spannung in der Luft. |
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