Breakdown of Der Vorstand sagt, er solle die Sitzung vorbereiten.
er
he
sagen
to say
sollen
should / ought to
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
vorbereiten
to prepare
der Vorstand
the board (of directors)
die Sitzung
the meeting (formal session)
Questions & Answers about Der Vorstand sagt, er solle die Sitzung vorbereiten.
Why is the verb solle used here instead of soll or sollte?
solle is the Konjunktiv I (Subjunctive I) form of the modal verb sollen. In reported speech, we use sollen in Konjunktiv I to report an imperative or a direct instruction. The board's original direct speech was likely a command like 'Bereiten Sie die Sitzung vor!' (Prepare the meeting!).
Why is solle in the second position? Shouldn't reported speech push the verb to the end?
It does not have to! In German reported speech, you can omit the conjunction dass (that). When you drop dass, the reported speech clause takes normal main-clause word order, keeping the conjugated verb (solle) in the second position. If you included dass, the verb would move to the end: ... dass er die Sitzung vorbereiten solle.
Who does er refer to in this sentence? Can it be the board itself?
Grammatically, er could refer back to der Vorstand (since it is a masculine noun). However, logically and in a real-world context, a board usually delegates tasks. Therefore, er almost certainly refers to a third party, like a male employee or manager who was just mentioned in the wider conversation.
What is the literal meaning of Vorstand?
Vorstand literally comes from the verb vorstehen, meaning to stand in front of or to preside over. It is used to describe the executive board or management committee, referring to the people 'standing at the front' of a company or organization.
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