Breakdown of Die Straßenbahn kommt immer pünktlicher an.
immer
always
ankommen
to arrive
pünktlich
on time / punctual
die Straßenbahn
the tram
Questions & Answers about Die Straßenbahn kommt immer pünktlicher an.
How is the comparative formed for the word "punctually" here?
The base word is pünktlich (punctual or punctually). To make it comparative, you just add -er to the end to get pünktlicher. Notice that German simply adds -er rather than using a separate word like "more".
What is the special meaning of immer combined with a comparative word here?
While the literal translation is "always more punctually", combining immer with a comparative word like pünktlicher is the standard German way to say "more and more". It means the tram's punctuality is continuously improving.
Why is the word an at the very end of the sentence?
It belongs to the separable verb ankommen (to arrive). In a standard sentence, the conjugated part of the verb (kommt) stays in the second position, while the prefix (an) gets kicked to the very end of the clause.
Why doesn't pünktlicher need a grammatical ending, like pünktlichere?
Because it is functioning as an adverb here, describing how the tram arrives. Adverbs never take grammatical case endings in German, even in their comparative form. You would only add an ending if the word was sitting directly in front of a noun, like die pünktlichere Straßenbahn (the more punctual tram).