Breakdown of Anstatt dass der Lehrer aufpasst, schummeln die Schüler.
der Lehrer
the teacher
aufpassen
to pay attention
schummeln
to cheat
der Schüler
the pupil, the school student
Questions & Answers about Anstatt dass der Lehrer aufpasst, schummeln die Schüler.
Why do we use anstatt dass here instead of anstatt ... zu?
We use anstatt dass (instead of ... that) when the two clauses have different subjects. In this sentence, the first subject is the teacher (der Lehrer), and the second is the students (die Schüler). If the subject were the exact same in both parts (for example, 'The students cheat instead of paying attention'), you would use the infinitive structure anstatt aufzupassen instead.
Why is aufpasst written as one word at the end? Isn't aufpassen a separable verb?
Yes, aufpassen (to pay attention) is a separable verb. In a normal main clause, the prefix splits off (like Der Lehrer passt auf). However, anstatt dass is a subordinating conjunction, which kicks the conjugated verb to the very end of its clause. When a separable verb is pushed to the end like this, its prefix and stem join back together into a single word.
Why does the second part of the sentence start with the verb schummeln?
This happens because of the German 'verb second' (V2) rule. The entire first clause (Anstatt dass der Lehrer aufpasst) counts as block number one for the whole sentence. To keep the main verb in the second position overall, the main clause must immediately start with its verb (schummeln), followed by its subject (die Schüler).
Could I also say statt dass?