Word Order Rules — V2, Subordinate Clauses and TMP

German word order follows specific rules that differ significantly from English. Mastering these rules is essential for GCSE German, as incorrect word order can lose marks even when your vocabulary and grammar are correct. This lesson covers the V2 rule, inversion, subordinate clauses and the TMP rule.

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1. The V2 Rule (Verb-Second)

In German main clauses (statements), the conjugated verb is always the second element (V2).

Position 1	Position 2 (VERB)	Rest
Ich	spiele	gern Fußball.
Morgen	spiele	ich Fußball.
Am Wochenende	spiele	ich gern Fußball im Park.
Normalerweise	stehe	ich um sieben Uhr auf.

Notice: If something other than the subject comes first (e.g. a time expression), the subject and verb swap (inversion) to keep the verb in second position.

graph LR
    A["Position 1<br/>(any element)"] --> B["Position 2<br/>(VERB - always!)"]
    B --> C["Rest of<br/>sentence"]
    style B fill:#c0392b,color:white

Inversion Examples