Breakdown of Dem Bericht zufolge ist die Erderwärmung verheerend.
sein
to be
der Bericht
the report
zufolge
according to (often follows the noun)
die Erderwärmung
the global warming
Questions & Answers about Dem Bericht zufolge ist die Erderwärmung verheerend.
Why is zufolge placed after Dem Bericht?
When used to cite an external source of information, zufolge acts as a postposition, meaning it comes after the noun it refers to. In this position, it always requires the dative case, which is why we use the dative form Dem Bericht.
Can zufolge ever come before the noun like a standard preposition?
Yes, but doing so changes the grammatical case. If you place zufolge before the noun, it requires the genitive case instead of the dative. However, for reporting what a source says, the postpositioned dative form is the standard and sounds much more natural in modern German.
Why does the verb ist come right after zufolge?
The entire phrase Dem Bericht zufolge acts as a single block occupying the first position in the sentence. To satisfy the strict German verb-second (V2) rule, the verb ist must take the second position, pushing the subject die Erderwärmung to the third position.
What kind of word is verheerend and how is it formed?
It is a present participle functioning as an adjective. It is formed by taking the infinitive of the verb verheeren (to devastate or ravage) and adding a -d to the end, translating literally to 'devastating'.