Breakdown of Später korrigiert der Lehrer den Fehler.
später
later
der Lehrer
the teacher
der Fehler
the mistake
korrigieren
to correct
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Questions & Answers about Später korrigiert der Lehrer den Fehler.
Why is Später placed at the very beginning of the sentence instead of next to the verb?
In German you can front time adverbs (like später) for emphasis or style. When any element other than the subject appears first, you must still keep the finite verb in second position. So Später comes first and korrigiert stays in position two.
Could I also say Der Lehrer korrigiert später den Fehler?
Yes. Placing the subject first (Der Lehrer) and the time adverbial after the verb (später) is perfectly normal. Word order is more flexible in German, but the verb still needs to be in the second slot.
Why is den Fehler in the accusative case?
Korrigieren is a transitive verb—it takes a direct object. The masculine noun Fehler must be in the accusative, so its article changes from der to den.
Why is korrigiert in the present tense when “later” suggests the future?
German often uses the present tense to refer to near-future events, especially when a time adverbial like später makes the timing clear. You don’t need a separate future tense.
What does the verb korrigieren mean exactly, and does its usage differ from English?
Korrigieren means “to correct” or “to mark/correct errors.” Like English, it’s transitive. You use it for correcting mistakes in tests, texts, or behavior.
Why is the finite verb always in second position, even if I start with a time adverb?
In main clauses, German follows the V2 rule: the conjugated verb must occupy the second slot, regardless of what you put in the first slot (subject, time, place, object, etc.).
Can I make this sentence passive, and what changes?
Yes. The passive version is Später wird der Fehler korrigiert. Here wird korrigiert is the passive verb form, and der Fehler becomes the subject (nominative). The focus shifts from “the teacher” to “the error.”