Ich lese jede Zeile des Zeitplans noch einmal sorgfältig.

I read every line of the schedule carefully once more.

Breakdown of Ich lese jede Zeile des Zeitplans noch einmal sorgfältig.

• ich: I
• lesen: to read
• noch einmal: once more
• jede: every
• die Zeile: the line
• der Zeitplan: the schedule
• sorgfältig: carefully

Questions & Answers about Ich lese jede Zeile des Zeitplans noch einmal sorgfältig.

Why is the finite verb lese placed immediately after ich, and not at the end of the sentence?

In a German main clause (Hauptsatz), the finite verb must occupy the second position (the V2 rule). The first position can be any element (subject, adverbial phrase, etc.), but the verb always comes second. Here, ich is first, so lese follows right away. Only in subordinate clauses (with conjunctions like weil or dass) does the verb shift to the end.

Why is the infinitive lesen changed to lese in ich lese?

German verbs are conjugated to match person and number. In the present tense for first person singular (ich):

1. Take the infinitive stem (les-).
2. Add the ending -e.
   So lesen → les
   • e = lese.

Why do we say jede Zeile (singular) instead of alle Zeilen (plural)?

• jede Zeile means “each line,” emphasizing reading each line individually.
• alle Zeilen means “all lines” as a group, with a more collective sense.
  Both are grammatically correct; jede simply highlights the idea of going line by line.

Why is Zeitplan in the genitive case (des Zeitplans), and how is that formed?

The phrase expresses a possessive or “of” relationship: “the line of the schedule.” In German, that relationship uses the genitive case. For a masculine noun like Zeitplan:

• The definite article der becomes des in genitive singular.
• The noun itself typically adds -s or -es: Zeitplan → Zeitplans.
  Hence jede Zeile des Zeitplans.

What does noch einmal mean, and what other words could I use instead?

noch einmal = “once more,” “again.”
Possible alternatives:

• wieder (“again,” more neutral/general)
• erneut (more formal or literary)
• nochmal (colloquial contraction of noch einmal)

Why is noch einmal placed before sorgfältig in this sentence?

German adverbs typically follow the sequence Time – Manner – Place.

• noch einmal is a time/frequency adverb (“once more”).
• sorgfältig is a manner adverb (“carefully”).
  So noch einmal comes first (when/again), then sorgfältig (how).

Is sorgfältig an adjective or an adverb here, and why doesn’t it change form?

In this sentence, sorgfältig functions as an adverb modifying the verb lese (“read carefully”). Adverbs in German are not inflected—they remain in their base form, unlike adjectives that agree with nouns.

Can I start the sentence with Sorgfältig or Noch einmal to change the emphasis, and what happens to the verb position?

Yes. German allows you to front almost any element for emphasis, but you must still keep the finite verb in the second position. For example:

• Sorgfältig lese ich jede Zeile des Zeitplans noch einmal.
• Noch einmal lese ich jede Zeile des Zeitplans sorgfältig.
  In both cases, lese remains in slot two, and ich moves to slot three.