Breakdown of Eine gute Planung gibt uns die Chance, pünktlich zu sein.
sein
to be
geben
to give
gut
good
uns
us
pünktlich
on time
die Planung
the planning
die Chance
the chance
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Questions & Answers about Eine gute Planung gibt uns die Chance, pünktlich zu sein.
Why is Eine gute Planung in the nominative case?
Eine gute Planung is the subject of the main clause. In German, the subject always takes the nominative case.
Why does the adjective gute end with -e instead of -er or -es?
Adjective endings depend on the case, gender, number, and definiteness. Here:
- Planung is feminine singular.
- It’s in the nominative case.
- It’s preceded by the indefinite article eine.
Under these conditions, the adjective takes the -e ending.
Why is uns in the dative case and die Chance in the accusative case?
The verb geben (to give) takes two objects:
- The recipient (uns) is in the dative case.
- The thing given (die Chance) is in the accusative case.
Why is there a comma before pünktlich zu sein?
German punctuation rules require a comma before infinitive clauses introduced by zu. Here, pünktlich zu sein is an infinitive clause functioning as a complement to die Chance.
What role does the infinitive phrase pünktlich zu sein play in the sentence?
It’s an infinitive clause (Infinitivsatz) that completes the meaning of die Chance, explaining what chance we have – namely, to be on time.
Why is the finite verb gibt in second position and pünktlich zu sein at the end?
German main clauses follow the verb-second (V2) rule:
- The finite verb (gibt) occupies the second slot.
- Non-finite elements (like the infinitive clause pünktlich zu sein) move to the end.
Why are Planung and Chance capitalized?
All German nouns are capitalized. Therefore Planung and Chance both begin with a capital letter.
Can I replace Chance with Möglichkeit?
Yes. Möglichkeit is a synonym meaning “possibility.” For example:
Eine gute Planung gibt uns die Möglichkeit, pünktlich zu sein. The overall meaning remains the same.
Why is there no um before pünktlich zu sein when expressing purpose?
When you express purpose directly with a verb, you use um … zu. Here, pünktlich zu sein is not a purpose clause but the complement of the noun Chance, so um is omitted.