Breakdown of Der Redner ging auf die Frage nicht ein.
die Frage
the question
nicht
not
der Redner
the speaker (person)
eingehen auf
to go into, to respond to
Questions & Answers about Der Redner ging auf die Frage nicht ein.
Why is ging used here when the English translation says 'respond'?
The verb is actually the separable verb eingehen. When used with the preposition auf (auf etwas eingehen), it means 'to address', 'to go into', or 'to respond to' a topic or question.
Why does auf take the accusative (die Frage) here instead of the dative?
The fixed expression eingehen auf always requires the accusative case. You can think of it as the speaker's attention moving toward the question, which triggers the accusative for the two-way preposition auf.
Why is nicht placed right before ein?
When negating an entire action, nicht moves as close to the end of the clause as possible. However, the separable prefix ein must take the absolute final position, forcing nicht to sit directly in front of it.
How does auf die Frage eingehen differ from die Frage beantworten?
Die Frage beantworten simply means 'to answer the question.' Auf die Frage eingehen implies engaging with, addressing, or exploring the question. This sentence means the speaker completely ignored or dodged the question.
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