Questions & Answers about In der Umfrage mag ein Fünftel den Snack nicht.
Why is Fünftel capitalized in this sentence?
In German, fractional numbers like ein Fünftel (a fifth) or zwei Drittel (two thirds) act as neuter nouns (das Fünftel), so they must be capitalized. They are usually formed by adding -tel to numbers up to 19, and -stel for 20 and above.
Since people are taking the survey, why is the subject ein Fünftel and not in the plural?
The fractional noun ein Fünftel is the grammatical subject here, not the implied people. Because it is a singular neuter noun, it takes the singular verb mag. If you said zwei Fünftel (two fifths), the verb would be plural: mögen.
Why does the verb mag come before the subject ein Fünftel?
This is the standard verb-second rule. Because the sentence starts with the prepositional phrase In der Umfrage in the first position, the conjugated verb mag must take the second position. The subject ein Fünftel gets pushed to the third position.
Why is nicht placed at the very end of the sentence?
When nicht negates the entire action of the sentence (here, the fact that they like the snack), it belongs at the end. It must come after the specific accusative object den Snack.