Breakdown of Der Werbeanruf scheint ein Betrug zu sein.
sein
to be
ein
a, an (eine)
zu
to (infinitive marker)
scheinen
to seem
der Betrug
the fraud
der Werbeanruf
the telemarketing call
Questions & Answers about Der Werbeanruf scheint ein Betrug zu sein.
How does the grammatical construction scheint ... zu sein work here?
The verb scheinen (to seem or appear) frequently pairs with a zu-infinitive phrase to express an assumption. The conjugated verb scheint sits in the second position of the main clause, while zu sein is pushed to the very end of the sentence.
Why is it ein Betrug and not the accusative einen Betrug?
Because it is linked to the subject by the verb sein (to be). Verbs like sein, werden, and bleiben do not take direct objects. Instead, they take a predicate nominative, meaning the noun that follows them must be in the nominative case, just like the subject (der Werbeanruf).
How is the compound noun Werbeanruf formed?
It combines die Werbung (advertising) and der Anruf (phone call). The suffix -ung is dropped to form the connecting stem Werbe-, creating der Werbeanruf. As with all compound nouns in German, the final word determines the gender (der).
Could I express this same idea using a dass clause?
Yes, you can use an impersonal construction: Es scheint, dass der Werbeanruf ein Betrug ist (It seems that the telemarketing call is a scam). However, using scheinen with zu plus an infinitive, as done in this sentence, is generally considered more elegant and is very common at the B2 level.
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