Deshalb schreibt der Lehrer jedes wichtige Wort groß an die Tafel.

Therefore the teacher writes every important word in large letters on the board.

Breakdown of Deshalb schreibt der Lehrer jedes wichtige Wort groß an die Tafel.

• deshalb: therefore
• schreiben: to write
• groß: large
• wichtig: important
• an: on
• der Lehrer: the teacher
• jedes: every
• das Wort: the word
• die Tafel: the board

Questions & Answers about Deshalb schreibt der Lehrer jedes wichtige Wort groß an die Tafel.

Why is Deshalb at the very beginning of the sentence, and what effect does it have on the word order?

In German main clauses, if you start with anything other than the subject (here Deshalb, meaning “therefore”), the finite verb must still occupy the second position. This causes inversion:

1. Deshalb (first element)
2. schreibt (verb in second position)
3. der Lehrer (subject follows the verb)

Why is it jedes wichtige Wort and not something like jeden wichtigen Wort?

• Wort is a neuter noun in the accusative case (it’s the direct object of schreibt).
• The determiner jed- (“every”) behaves like a der‑word and triggers weak adjective endings.
• For neuter accusative:
  • jedes (neuter form of jed-)
  • wichtige (weak ending -e)
  Putting them together gives jedes wichtige Wort.

Why are Lehrer, Wort and Tafel capitalized?

In German, every noun is always capitalized, no matter where it appears in a sentence. Since Lehrer, Wort and Tafel are all nouns, each one begins with a capital letter. Adjectives (e.g. wichtige) remain lowercase.

What part of speech is groß in this sentence, and why doesn’t it get an ending?

Here groß functions as an adverb of manner, describing how the teacher writes the words (i.e. in large letters). Adverbs in German do not take adjective endings. If it were an attributive adjective modifying a noun (e.g. ein großes Wort), it would need an ending.

Why do we say an die Tafel (accusative) instead of an der Tafel (dative)?

The preposition an can take either accusative (motion toward) or dative (location).

• Accusative (an die Tafel) expresses movement onto the board (the teacher writes onto the surface).
• Dative (an der Tafel) would describe location without motion (e.g. “The teacher is standing at the board”).

Could we use auf die Tafel instead of an die Tafel, and is there a difference?

You can technically say auf die Tafel schreiben, but in everyday German an die Tafel schreiben is more idiomatic for writing on a blackboard or whiteboard. Auf focuses on “on top of,” whereas an emphasizes “onto the vertical surface.”

Can we change the position of groß in the sentence, for example to before jedes wichtige Wort?

German word order is relatively flexible, but the most natural sequence is:

1. Verb (schreibt)
2. Direct object (jedes wichtige Wort)
3. Manner adverb (groß)
4. Prepositional phrase (an die Tafel)
   You could say Deshalb schreibt der Lehrer groß jedes wichtige Wort an die Tafel, but it shifts the emphasis onto groß and sounds marked. The original order keeps the focus on jedes wichtige Wort being written in large letters.

What’s the difference between deshalb, deswegen and darum?

All three are causal adverbs meaning “therefore” or “that’s why.” They are interchangeable in most contexts and all trigger verb-second word order when placed at the beginning of a main clause. Any nuance is purely stylistic or regional.