One Simple Trick to Cure Your German ‘Bandwurmsätze’ in English

Germans love long sentences. Verbs at the end. Clauses stacked on top of each other. Like a linguistic game of Jenga.

And yes, I caught the habit too. When I wrote my Master’s thesis, my professor said:
“Christine, your English looks like it’s been on holiday in Germany for too long.”

He was right. I’d written sentences that went on forever — true ‘Bandwurmsätze’.

❌ “In reference to our last meeting, where we discussed the budget, which still needs approval, I would like to ask if you have already spoken to the finance department.”

The fix?
One idea. One sentence.

✅ “In our last meeting, we discussed the budget. It still needs approval. Have you already spoken to the finance department?”

Shorter. Clearer. Easier.

It’s like swapping a heavy ‘Bandwurm’ for a light snack — easier to digest. 😅

💬 Be honest: do your English sentences sometimes turn into ‘Bandwurmsätze’ too?