Der Studie zufolge wird der Meeresspiegel ansteigen.
According to the study, the sea level will rise.
Breakdown of Der Studie zufolge wird der Meeresspiegel ansteigen.
werden
will (future auxiliary)
die Studie
the study
zufolge
according to (often follows the noun)
der Meeresspiegel
the sea level
ansteigen
to rise (prices, levels, amounts)
Questions & Answers about Der Studie zufolge wird der Meeresspiegel ansteigen.
Why does zufolge come after der Studie instead of before it?
Zufolge is a postposition, meaning it is placed directly after the noun it modifies. When used after the noun to mean 'according to', it always requires the dative case. This is why the feminine noun die Studie changes to der Studie in this sentence.
Can I put zufolge before the noun, like a normal preposition?
You can, but it changes the grammar. If you place zufolge before the noun, it requires the genitive case instead of the dative. Because Studie is feminine, its article happens to be der in both the dative and genitive cases, so it would look exactly the same (Zufolge der Studie). However, for masculine or neuter nouns, the endings would change. Keep in mind that putting it after the noun with the dative is much more common in modern German.
Why does the verb wird come right after zufolge?
In a standard German main clause, the conjugated verb must be in the second position. The entire phrase Der Studie zufolge acts as a single block that occupies the first position. Therefore, the verb wird takes position two, which pushes the subject der Meeresspiegel into position three.
ansteigen is a separable verb. Why isn't the prefix separated here?
This sentence is in the future tense, which is formed by using a conjugated form of werden (in this case, wird) in the second position, and pushing the main verb to the very end of the clause in its infinitive form. Because ansteigen is being used as a full infinitive here, the prefix an- stays attached to the verb.
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