Modern German Grammar: A Practical Guide, Second Edition

A statement such as

Am Sonntag wird es ja wieder regnen.

On Sunday it is bound to rain again.

is an expression of resignation (emphasized by ja and wieder) – in the context here this

means that the following Sunday is expected to be as rainy (and hence as boring and

uneventful) as all the previous ones.

89.2 Assumptions in a scientific context are conveyed by Subjunctive I or II, depending on
the construction.

 See 39.4b (p. 97) for this use.

‘A’ sei die Länge einer Seite im Dreieck.

Let ‘A’ be the length of one side in a triangle.

Such a hypothesis, particularly where it is not strictly scientific, can also be introduced

as follows:

Gesetzt den Fall, die Theorie stimmt/stimmte, dann würde sich die

Erde jedes Jahrzehnt um ein paar Grad erwärmen.

Assuming the theory is correct, the earth would get a few degrees warmer

every decade.

Angenommen, er hat alles gewusst, dann hätte er ihr Bescheid sagen

müssen.

Assuming he knew everything he should have let her know.

The conclusion deduced from the assumption must be in the conditional. Instead of a

conclusion there may be a question:

Angenommen, sie hat recht mit ihrer Behauptung, was würdest du ihr

raten?

Assuming she is right in her assertion, what would you advise her to do?

89.3 Expressing a condition when it can and is likely to be fulfilled

 See 39.8 (p. 101).

A condition which can be fulfilled is expressed by using a wenn clause. In English, such

a condition could be introduced by either ‘if ’ or ‘when’:

Wenn es regnet, gehen wir nicht in die Berge.

If it rains we won’t go walking in the mountains.

Wenn sie den Manager ruft, kommt er sofort.

When she calls for the manager he comes immediately.

 See also^82 (p. 296) for cause and effect.

Wenn can be avoided by beginning the subordinate clause with the verb and

introducing a so at the beginning of the main clause. This results in a much more

formal style which tends to be found in written German:

Regnet es, so gehen wir nicht in die Berge.

Ruft sie den Manager, so kommt er gleich.

 See also 8.5 (p. 12) for this construction.

89

Expressing assumptions