Breakdown of Die Zeitung berichtete, sie würden das Versprechen niemals umsetzen.
sie
they
die Zeitung
the newspaper
werden
will (future auxiliary)
niemals
never (emphatic)
berichten
to report (give an account)
das Versprechen
the promise
umsetzen
to implement
Questions & Answers about Die Zeitung berichtete, sie würden das Versprechen niemals umsetzen.
Why does this sentence use würden umsetzen instead of Konjunktiv I for reported speech?
In reported speech, we normally use Konjunktiv I. For the third-person plural (sie), the Konjunktiv I form of umsetzen is setzen um. However, this is identical to the regular present tense. When Konjunktiv I looks exactly like the normal present tense, we use the replacement rule (Ersatzform) to make it clear we are reporting speech. That is why we shift to Konjunktiv II, using würden umsetzen.
Could we use the pure Konjunktiv II form setzten um instead of the würden form?
Grammatically, yes, the pure Konjunktiv II is sie setzten um. But there is a problem: setzten um is identical to the simple past tense (Präteritum). To avoid confusion with the past tense and clearly show reported speech, German speakers almost always use the würden + infinitive form here instead.
Why is there no dass (that) connecting the two halves of the sentence?
In German reported speech, you can drop the word dass. When you leave out dass, the reported clause acts like a normal main clause, so the conjugated verb (würden) stays in the second position. If we used dass, the verb would move to the end: Die Zeitung berichtete, dass sie das Versprechen niemals umsetzen würden.
Is umsetzen a separable verb, and if so, why isn't it separated here?
Yes, umsetzen (to implement) is a separable verb. However, because it is used here with the helper verb würden, it must appear in its full infinitive form at the very end of the sentence. Separable prefixes only detach when the verb is conjugated and acting as the main verb in the clause.
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