Breakdown of Nachdem ich die Präsentation bearbeitet hatte, schrieb ich eine E-Mail an den Chef.
ich
I
haben
to have
schreiben
to write
die E-Mail
the e-mail
der Chef
the boss (male)
an
at, on (vertical) / to (addressee) / of (in quantity/stock expressions)
nachdem
after
die Präsentation
the presentation
bearbeiten
to edit
Questions & Answers about Nachdem ich die Präsentation bearbeitet hatte, schrieb ich eine E-Mail an den Chef.
Why is bearbeitet hatte (had edited) used here instead of just bearbeitet habe (have edited)?
The conjunction nachdem (after) requires a strict sequence of tenses. Because the main action of writing the email (schrieb) happened in the past, the action that happened before it must be in the past perfect (Plusquamperfekt): bearbeitet hatte. If the main clause were in the present tense, you would use the present perfect (habe) in the nachdem clause instead.
Why does the helping verb hatte go at the very end of the first clause?
Nachdem is a subordinating conjunction. It kicks the conjugated verb of its clause—in this case, the helping verb hatte—all the way to the end, even past the past participle bearbeitet.
Why does the second part of the sentence start with the verb schrieb instead of the subject ich?
The entire nachdem clause acts as a single block that takes up the first position in the sentence. Because the conjugated verb in a German main clause must always take the second position, schrieb has to come right after the comma, pushing the subject ich to the third position.
Why does the sentence use an den Chef (accusative) instead of the dative an dem Chef?
The preposition an is a two-way preposition. When used to mean directing a communication to someone, it implies a direction or destination, which triggers the accusative case. Since Chef is a masculine noun, it takes the accusative article den.
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