Breakdown of Schreiben Sie das Passwort auf, damit niemand es vergisst!
es
it
Sie
you (formal)
vergessen
to forget
niemand
no one
das Passwort
the password
aufschreiben
to write down
damit
so that
Questions & Answers about Schreiben Sie das Passwort auf, damit niemand es vergisst!
Why is the verb vergisst at the very end of the sentence?
The word damit (so that) is a subordinating conjunction. This means it creates a dependent clause and forces the conjugated verb (vergisst) to go to the very end of that clause.
Could I use um ... zu (in order to) here instead of damit?
No, because the two halves of the sentence have different subjects. The subject of the first part is Sie (you), but the subject of the second part is niemand (nobody). You can only use um ... zu when the subject is the same in both parts. When the subjects are different, you must use damit.
Why is the word auf placed right before the comma?
It belongs to the separable verb aufschreiben (to write down). In a main clause, like the command Schreiben Sie ... auf, the prefix (auf) separates from the verb and jumps to the end of that clause.
What conjugation does niemand (nobody) use?
Niemand is always treated as a third-person singular subject, exactly like er, sie, or es. That is why the verb is conjugated as vergisst (forgets).
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