C2.1 · fillBlank
C2.1 · Konnektoren: indes, wiewohl, zumal, gleichwohl, mithin
The C2 connectors are rarely new in meaning — most of them have a B2 twin (aber, obwohl, weil, trotzdem, deshalb) — but they differ in register, in the exact logical relation they express and, crucially, in the word order they trigger. This quiz drills 16 sentences: indes / indessen as adversative “however” and as temporal “meanwhile”; wiewohl, obschon, obgleich and wenn auch as elevated concessive connectors; zumal (da) for “especially as”; gleichwohl, nichtsdestoweniger and dessen ungeachtet as concessive adverbs with verb-second order; mithin and somit for a logical conclusion; insofern als and the split insoweit …, als for restriction; allein as literary “but” outside the clause; and respektive. Every cue gives the English meaning and the word-order slot you must fill, and every synonym that fits both is accepted.
Three word-order classes
Subordinators send the verb to the end: wiewohl, obschon, obgleich, obzwar, zumal, insofern als. Adverbs take position 1 (verb second) or sit in the middle field: indes, indessen, gleichwohl, nichtsdestoweniger, dessen ungeachtet, mithin, somit, folglich. Coordinators stand outside the clause (position 0) and change nothing: aber, doch, allein.
- Wiewohl er die Risiken kannte, unterschrieb er den Vertrag. Although he knew the risks, he signed the contract.
- Die Studie weist methodische Mängel auf; gleichwohl liefert sie wertvolle Hinweise. The study has methodological flaws; nevertheless it provides valuable pointers.
gleichwohl is not a subordinator in standard German: “…, gleichwohl sie wertvolle Hinweise liefert” is marked as wrong.
indes / indessen: two meanings
Adversative “however” (= jedoch), usually in the middle field: Die Betroffenen warten indes bis heute darauf. Temporal “meanwhile” (= währenddessen, unterdessen), usually in position 1: Indessen bereitete der Gastgeber das Dessert vor. The context decides which reading is meant.
- Der Minister versprach rasche Hilfe; die Betroffenen warten indes bis heute darauf. The minister promised swift help; those affected, however, are still waiting for it.
- Die Gäste plauderten im Salon. Indessen bereitete der Gastgeber in der Küche das Dessert vor. The guests were chatting in the drawing room. Meanwhile the host was preparing dessert in the kitchen.
zumal: the reason that tips the balance
zumal (da / weil) adds a further, decisive reason to something already stated: “especially as, all the more since”. It is subordinating, so the verb goes to the end, and the zumal-clause normally follows the main clause.
- Wir sollten das Angebot annehmen, zumal die Konditionen kaum noch besser werden dürften. We should accept the offer, especially as the terms are unlikely to get any better.
- Die Absage überrascht, zumal da der Verein erst im Mai seine Teilnahme zugesagt hatte. The cancellation is surprising, all the more since the club had only confirmed its participation in May.
mithin, insofern als, allein, respektive
mithin (formal “consequently”) draws a logical conclusion, like somit and folglich. insofern als / insoweit als restrict a claim (“in so far as”); the two halves can also be split: nur insoweit bindend, als … . allein at the head of a clause is an elevated “but” and does not invert. respektive (bzw.) links items that correspond one to one.
- Der Beschuldigte war zur Tatzeit im Ausland; er kann die Tat mithin nicht begangen haben. The accused was abroad at the time of the offence; consequently he cannot have committed it.
- Er wollte helfen, allein ihm fehlten die Mittel. He wanted to help, but he lacked the means.
How to remember it
- Subordinators (wiewohl, obschon, zumal, insofern als) → verb at the end.
- Adverbs (indes, gleichwohl, dessen ungeachtet, mithin) → verb second or in the middle field.
- allein = aber in position 0: no inversion.
- indes can mean “however” or “meanwhile” — read the context.
C2 connectors: meaning and word order
| Connector | Meaning | Word order | Neutral equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| indes / indessen | however; meanwhile | adverb (verb second / middle field) | jedoch; währenddessen |
| wiewohl / obschon / obgleich | although | verb at the end | obwohl |
| wenn auch | albeit | before an adjective or clause | obwohl |
| zumal (da) | especially as | verb at the end | vor allem weil |
| gleichwohl / nichtsdestoweniger | nevertheless | adverb (verb second / middle field) | trotzdem |
| dessen ungeachtet | regardless of that | adverb (verb second) | trotzdem |
| mithin / somit | consequently | adverb (verb second / middle field) | deshalb, also |
| insofern als | in so far as | verb at the end | soweit |
| allein | but (literary) | position 0 | aber |
| respektive | respectively | between parallel items | beziehungsweise |
Words you need
- indes / indessen however; meanwhile
- wiewohl although (elevated)
- obschon although (elevated)
- zumal especially as
- gleichwohl nevertheless
- dessen ungeachtet regardless of that
- mithin consequently, hence
- insofern als in so far as
- allein but, yet (literary)
- respektive respectively
In context
Die Kommission legte ihren Bericht fristgerecht vor; die Regierung zögert indes mit der Umsetzung. Wiewohl die Befunde eindeutig sind, will man zunächst weitere Gutachten abwarten – zumal im Herbst Wahlen anstehen. Die Opposition hält das für taktisch motiviert; gleichwohl räumt auch sie ein, dass einzelne Empfehlungen teuer wären. Der Bericht ist mithin nicht nur ein fachliches, sondern auch ein politisches Dokument. Handeln wollen alle, allein über das Wie herrscht Uneinigkeit.
The commission submitted its report on time; the government, however, is hesitating to implement it. Although the findings are clear, it intends to wait for further expert opinions first – especially as elections are due in the autumn. The opposition considers this tactically motivated; nevertheless it too concedes that some recommendations would be expensive. The report is therefore not only a technical but also a political document. Everyone wants to act, but there is disagreement about how.
Mistakes English speakers make
- Die Studie hat Mängel, gleichwohl sie wertvolle Hinweise liefert. → Die Studie hat Mängel; gleichwohl liefert sie wertvolle Hinweise. gleichwohl is an adverb in standard German: it triggers verb-second order, not verb-final.
- Wir nehmen das Angebot an, zumal sind die Konditionen gut. → Wir nehmen das Angebot an, zumal die Konditionen gut sind. zumal is a subordinator: the finite verb goes to the end.
- Er wollte helfen, allein fehlten ihm die Mittel. → Er wollte helfen, allein ihm fehlten die Mittel. As a conjunction, allein stands in position 0 like aber; the clause keeps its normal order.
C2 reading (following the argument through elevated connectors) and C2 writing, where precise and varied connectors count towards coherence; reformulation tasks often ask you to replace one connector with another of the same meaning and adjust the word order.
Konnektor
indes — adversative (middle field)
Der Minister versprach rasche Hilfe; die Betroffenen warten bis heute darauf. (however — adverb in the middle field)
The minister promised swift help; those affected, however, are still waiting for it.
English: however