Breakdown of Die Temperatur steigt, demzufolge sterben viele Insekten aus.
viel
much / a lot
steigen
to rise (go up, increase)
die Temperatur
the temperature
demzufolge
as a result
das Insekt
the insect
aussterben
to go extinct
Questions & Answers about Die Temperatur steigt, demzufolge sterben viele Insekten aus.
Why does the verb sterben come immediately after demzufolge?
demzufolge is an adverbial connector meaning as a result or consequently. Unlike coordinating conjunctions like und or aber which sit outside the clause in position zero, adverbial connectors take up the first position in the clause. To maintain the strict verb-second (V2) rule in German main clauses, the conjugated verb sterben must come right after it, pushing the subject viele Insekten to position three.
Could I place demzufolge somewhere else in the second half of the sentence?
Yes, because demzufolge functions as an adverb, its placement is flexible. You can put the subject in the first position and move the adverb after the verb, like this: ..., viele Insekten sterben demzufolge aus. Both word orders are perfectly correct and sound natural.
Why is aus sitting by itself at the very end of the sentence?
It is the separable prefix of the verb aussterben (to die out / to go extinct). Even though the second clause starts with the connector demzufolge, it still follows standard main clause rules. The conjugated stem sterben stays in position two, and the separable prefix aus gets kicked to the very end of the clause.
Is it mandatory to use a comma before demzufolge?
No, you have other punctuation options. Because demzufolge connects two independent main clauses, you can use a comma, a semicolon, or even start a brand new sentence with a period: Die Temperatur steigt. Demzufolge sterben viele Insekten aus. In formal writing, a period or semicolon is often preferred to break up longer thoughts.
Learn Die Temperatur steigt, demzufolge sterben viele Insekten aus and more in German
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free