Breakdown of Wir gießen die Tomaten, sodass sie gut wachsen und wir sie ernten können.
und
and
gut
good / well
wir
we
sie
they
die Tomate
the tomato
können
can / to be able to
gießen
to water
sodass
so that (as a result)
ernten
to harvest
wachsen
to grow
Questions & Answers about Wir gießen die Tomaten, sodass sie gut wachsen und wir sie ernten können.
Why use sodass here instead of damit, since both can mean "so that"?
damit strongly focuses on the intention or purpose ("in order that"), while sodass focuses on the result or consequence. In this sentence, both would actually work! Using sodass highlights the natural result of the watering: the tomatoes will grow, and we will be able to harvest them.
Why does the conjugated verb können go at the very end of the sentence?
The word sodass kicks off a subordinate clause, which pushes the conjugated verb to the end. The word und just connects two parts of that same subordinate clause. Because the "verb at the end" rule carries over across the und, the conjugated verb können must go at the end of its section, right after the infinitive ernten.
In the last part, why is the order ernten können and not können ernten?
In a normal main clause, the conjugated modal verb können would come before the infinitive (wir können sie ernten). But in a subordinate clause, the conjugated verb is pushed to the absolute end. So, können moves past the infinitive ernten and lands at the very back.
The word sie appears twice. How do we know what it refers to?
Both times, sie refers to die Tomaten (the tomatoes). Because die Tomaten is plural, we use the plural pronoun sie. In the first case (sie gut wachsen), it acts as the subject "they". In the second case (wir sie ernten), it acts as the object "them".
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