Breakdown of Er sagt, die Menschheit werde die Auswirkungen später bemerken.
er
he
sagen
to say
spät
late
bemerken
to notice
werden
will (future auxiliary)
die Menschheit
the humanity
die Auswirkung
the impact
Questions & Answers about Er sagt, die Menschheit werde die Auswirkungen später bemerken.
Why is the verb werde used here instead of wird?
This is the Konjunktiv I (Subjunctive I) form, which is used for formal reported speech. Because the original quote was in the future tense, the reported version uses the Konjunktiv I form of the future auxiliary verb werden. For the third-person singular subject die Menschheit, that form is werde.
Why is there no dass connecting the two clauses?
In German reported speech, you can drop the conjunction dass (that). When you do this, the reported clause takes standard main clause word order rather than sending the conjugated verb to the very end. The verb werde stays in the second position right after the subject die Menschheit.
If we did use dass, where would the verbs go?
If you included dass, it would turn the second half into a subordinate clause and force the conjugated verb to the very end. The sentence would become: Er sagt, dass die Menschheit die Auswirkungen später bemerken werde.
What if the subject was plural? Would we still use the Konjunktiv I form of werden?
If the subject were plural (like die Menschen), the Konjunktiv I form would be werden. Because this looks exactly like the normal present tense, German requires you to substitute it with the Konjunktiv II form würden to make it clear that it is reported speech. For example: Er sagt, die Menschen würden die Auswirkungen später bemerken.
What is the nuance of Auswirkungen compared to other words for effects?
Auswirkungen specifically refers to consequences, impacts, or repercussions of an action or event, often on a larger societal or environmental scale. Other words like Effekte or Wirkungen are more commonly used for direct, immediate, or physical results.
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