Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Ken Wheeler
Series Editor: Jayne de Courcy
PerfectBound An e-book from HarperCollins Publishers 7785 Fulham Palace Road Hammersmith, London W6 8JB First published 2001 HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd, 2001 Ken Wheeler asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work Acrobat eBook Reader edition v 1. April 2001 ISBN: 0-00-712984-X All rights reserved. You have been granted a non-exclusive, nontransferable licence to access and read the text of this e-book onscreen. Unless expressly authorised no part of this text may reproduced, stored in an information retrieval system, or transmitted, down-loaded, de-compiled or reverse engineered in any form or by any means now known or hereinafter invented without the express prior permission of the publishers. Design by Gecko Limited www.fireandwater.com/ebooks
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Contents
Get the most out of your Instant Revision e-book ________________iv Die Schule________________________________________________1 Mein Haus, mein Zimmer ____________________________________5 Essen und Gesundheit ______________________________________9 Selbst, Familie und Freunde ________________________________13 Freizeit und Ferien________________________________________17 Freunde und Geselligkeit __________________________________21 Die Stadt, die Umgebung, das Wetter __________________________25 Einkaufen ______________________________________________29 Wie kommt man dahin? ____________________________________33 Ausbildung und Beruf______________________________________37 Am Arbeitsplatz __________________________________________41 Ausland und Tourismus ____________________________________45 Die Welt ________________________________________________49 Nouns __________________________________________________53 Adjectives ______________________________________________57 Pronouns ______________________________________________61 Indefinites and demonstratives ______________________________65 Intensifiers and interrogatives ______________________________66 Number, quantity, dates and time ____________________________69 Prepositions ____________________________________________73 Conjunctions ____________________________________________74 Present tense ____________________________________________77 Past tenses ______________________________________________81 Future tense ____________________________________________85 The conditional and the subjunctive __________________________86 Modal verbs ____________________________________________89 Infinitives and the passive __________________________________90 Listening ______________________________________________93 Speaking________________________________________________99 Reading ______________________________________________107 Writing ________________________________________________115 Acknowledgements ______________________________________123 iii
Grammar
G
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Check yourself questions find out how much you know and boost your grade
Each Check yourself is linked to one or more facts page. The numbers after the topic heading in the Check yourself tell you which facts page the Check yourself is linked to. The questions ask you to demonstrate the types of skills you will need to use in the exams. They will show you what you are good at and what you need to improve on. The reverse side of each Check yourself gives you the answers plus tutorial help and guidance to boost your exam grade. There are points for each question. The total number of points for each Check yourself is always 20. When you check your answers, fill in the score box alongside each answer with the number of points you feel you scored.
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G G
Use this Instant Revision e-book on your own or revise with a friend or relative. See who can get the highest score!
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DIE SCHULE
In der Schule lerne ich ... Betriebswirtschaft Fremdsprache (n) Handarbeit/Nhen Informatik Technik Turnen Wirtschaftslehre Ich besuche eine Gesamtschule. der Kindergarten die Grundschule das Gymnasium die Realschule die Hauptschule die Bibliothek die Aula das Klassenzimmer das Lehrerzimmer die Turnhalle die Werkstatt Ich trage ... einen grauen Pullover eine rote Krawatte eine dunkle Hose/einen dunklen Rock ein weies Hemd/eine weie Bluse In Deutsch habe ich ein Eins. Ich habe meine Prfung bestanden. Ich bin in Mathe durchgefallen. Die Noten 1 sehr gut 2 gut 3 befriedigend 4 ausreichend 5 mangelhaft 6 unbefriedigend At school I learn ... business studies foreign language(s) needlework/sewing IT technical studies gymnastics economics I go to a comprehensive school. nursery, kindergarten primary school grammar school type of secondary school secondary modern school library hall classroom staffroom gym workshop I wear ... a grey pullover a red tie dark trousers/a dark skirt a white shirt/blouse I get top marks in German. I passed my exam. I failed in maths.
GOING FURTHER
Higher Level candidates should always express positive opinions about what they learn, and about what they want to do in the future.
Franzsisch macht mir Spa, weil wir oft Spiele machen. Meine Lehrer sind in Ordnung, besonders der Mathelehrer. Er ist jung und sehr lustig. Ich treibe gern Sport und spiele Hockey in der Schulmannschaft. Ich bin ziemlich gut in Kunst, weil ich gern zeichne und male. Naturwissenschaften finde ich schwer, aber ich versuche mein Bestes. Ich lerne seit vier Jahren Deutsch. French is fun because we often play games. My teachers are OK, especially the maths teacher. He is young and very funny. I enjoy sport and play hockey for the school. Im quite good at art, because I enjoy drawing and painting. I find science difficult but I do my best. Ive been learning German for four years. I usually walk to school, except when it rains. At lunchtime I meet my friends in the playground. I do my homework as soon as I come from school. I shall leave school in July. In September I shall go to technical college/into the sixth form. I would like to work in the summer holidays to earn some money. I shall study German, history and business studies. Id like to go university but dont yet know what I will study.
School routine
Ich komme normalerweise zu Fu in die Schule, auer wenn es regnet. In der Mittagspause treffe ich mich mit Freunden auf dem Schulhof. Ich mache meine Hausaufgaben, sobald ich nach Hause komme.
Future plans
Im Juli werde ich die Schule verlassen. Im September werde ich auf die Berufsschule/in die Oberstufe gehen. Ich mchte in den Sommerferien arbeiten, um Geld zu verdienen. Ich werde Deutsch, Geschichte und Betriebswirtschaft studieren. Ich mchte auf die Uni gehen, aber ich wei noch nicht, was ich studieren werde.
Check yourself
Die Schule
A Say in German: 1 My favourite subject is geography. (1) 2 I dont get very good marks in science. (1) 3 We do English in the library. (1) 4 A lesson lasts 50 minutes. (1) B Answer in German: 5 Wann beginnt die Schule/der Unterricht? (1) 6 Welche Fcher lernst du in der Schule? (1) 7 In welchen Fchern bist du gut? (1) 8 In welchem Fach bist du am schwchsten? (1) 9 Was sind deine Lieblingsfcher? (1) C Schreiben Sie Stze! 10 11 12
Mittwoch
9.00 - 10.00 11.00 - 12.00 2.00 - 3.0
(2)
(2)
(5)
SCORE
TOTAL 4
GOING FURTHER
Notice these ways of improving your performance from Foundation to Higher Level.
G
Use adjectives:
We have a comfortable couch and two large armchairs. There we have an enormous old dining table. In the corner there is a music centre with a CD-player.
Wir haben ein bequemes Sofa und zwei groe Sessel. Dort haben wir einen enormen, alten Etisch.
G
Use more than one clause, and add either main or subordinate clauses:
We have no dining room and almost always eat in the kitchen, which is very large. My parents say my room is always untidy, but thats not true. I spend quite a lot of time in my bedroom. I do my homework there, listen to music, read or just laze about. I normally get up at 7 oclock. I go to the bathroom. I wash./I shower. I quickly get dressed. I go into the kitchen and I have breakfast with my sister. I usually have toast and jam and a cup of tea. I get my books/things together and leave the house at about 8.
Wir haben kein Ezimmer und essen fast immer in der Kche, die sehr gro ist. Meine Eltern sagen, mein Zimmer ist immer in Unordnung, aber das stimmt nicht. Ich verbringe ziemlich viel Zeit in meinem Zimmer. Ich mache dort meine Hausaufgaben, hre Musik, lese oder faulenze.
Daily routine
Ich stehe normalerweise um sieben Uhr auf. Ich gehe ins Badezimmer. Ich wasche mich./Ich dusche. Ich ziehe mich schnell an. Ich gehe in die Kche und ich frhstcke mit meiner Schwester. Ich esse gewhnlich Toast mit Marmelade und trinke eine Tasse Tee. Ich packe meine Bcher/Sachen zusammen und verlasse das Haus so gegen acht Uhr.
Check yourself
Mein Haus, mein Zimmer
A Answer in German: 1 Wie weit wohnst du von der Schule? (1) 2 Wie kommst du zur Schule? (1) 3 Wohnst du in einem Haus oder in einer Wohnung? (1) 4 Wie hilfst du zu Hause? (1) 5 Was machst du in deinem Zimmer? (1) B Try to say three sentences for each of these more open-ended questions: OR Kannst du deine Wohnung beschreiben? OR Erzhl mir etwas ber dein Haus. (3) 7 Wie sieht dein Schlafzimmer aus? (3) 8 Was machst du morgens, bevor du in die Schule kommst? (3) C Say in German:
9 We have a comfortable living room, where we always watch TV. (1) 10 I have some bookshelves next to my bed. (1) 11 I have dinner with my family in the dining room. (1) 12 I usually go to bed around 10 oclock. (1) 13 I have a shower before I have breakfast. (1) 14 My friend calls for me at quarter past eight. (1)
SCORE
TOTAL 8
ESSEN
UND
GESUNDHEIT
Im (very) hungry. Im thirsty. What do you like (to eat/to drink)? What would you like to eat/to drink? I like (eating/drinking) ... I would like ... (The correct way to call the waiter or waitress) Have you a table free/for three? I would like to sit in the corner/by the window/on the terrace. I would like the menu. I would like to order. Sausage and chips twice. I would like a small portion of ... That was delicious/excellent. That tasted very good. Have you made a reservation? Im just coming./Im on my way. Have you chosen? What would you like? Anything else? May I recommend ...? Would you like to try ...? We have no more of that. Did you enjoy it? Do you want to pay together or separately? The glass/plate is not clean. Theres a spoon missing. Why is it taking so long? The food is cold. The bill is not correct.
Difficulties
Das Glas/Der Teller ist nicht sauber! Es fehlt ein Lffel. Warum dauert es so lange? Das Essen ist kalt. Die Rechnung stimmt nicht.
ESSEN
Health
UND
GESUNDHEIT
My finger/leg hurts. I have hurt my leg/my hand. I am ill. I dont feel well. I feel hot/cold/sick/dizzy. I have a headache. I have ear/toothache. I have a stomach upset. I have a cold. Ive had a temperature for two days. May I have an appointment? Have you any tablets for toothache? How often must I take them? Whats wrong? How long have you had ...? Ill give you a prescription. Take one tablet/teaspoonful three times a day before a meal. Lie down. Have a rest.
Mir tut der Finger/das Bein weh. Ich habe mir am Bein/an der Hand weh getan. Ich bin krank. Ich fhle mich unwohl. Mir ist hei/kalt/bel/schwindlig. Ich habe Kopfschmerzen/Kopfweh. Ich habe Ohrenschmerzen/ Zahnschmerzen. Ich habe eine Magenverstimmung. Ich habe eine Erkltung/einen Schnupfen. Ich habe seit zwei Tagen Fieber. Kann ich einen Termin haben? Haben Sie Tabletten gegen Zahnschmerzen? Wie oft mu ich sie einnehmen ? Was ist los?/Was feht Ihnen denn? Wie lange haben Sie schon ...? Ich schreibe Ihnen ein Rezept. Nehmen Sie eine Tablette/einen Teelffel dreimal tglich vor dem Essen. Legen Sie sich hin. Ruhen Sie sich aus.
Helping a friend
Meinem Freund/Meiner Freundin geht es nicht gut. Er/Sie hat die Grippe. Der Junge hat sich am Bein verletzt. Er/Sie ist auf dem Schulhof hingefallen. My friend is not feeling well. He/She has the flu. The boy has hurt his leg. He/She fell over in the playground.
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Check yourself
Essen und Gesundheit
A Say in German: 1 Im very hungry but I dont like cheese. (1) 2 Are you thirsty? What would you like to drink? (1) 3 Have you a table for four by the window? (1) B Fill in the grid using the words below:
Vorspeise
Uwe (hat Hunger!) Cornelia (kein Bier) Monika (it kein Fleisch) (achtet auf ihre Linie!)
Hauptgericht
Nachspeise
(it nichts Ses)
Getrnke
(mu fahren)
(12)
Answer in German:
7 Ask the question:
11 12 1 10 9 8 2
?
7 6 5
3 4
(1)
(1)
1 Wo.
(1)
11
SCORE
Hauptgericht
Rindergulasch Erbsen Pommes Frites Thunfisch gemischter Salat Schweinekotelett gemischter Salat Reis
Nachspeise
Kseplatte
Getrnke
Rotwein Kaffee Sprudel Kaffee
Cornelia Monika
Ksesalat
(12) This is only one possible set of answers. You are told that Uwe is hungry so make sure you give him three courses and a drink. Cornelia doesnt eat meat, so would probably eat the fish dish. Dont forget that she has to drive, so she cant drink alcohol. Monika is watching her figure, so has no starter and only a yoghurt for dessert. Perhaps nobody will eat the Schokoladentorte. C 4 Ich habe Halsschmerzen. (1) 5 Ich habe mich am Bein verletzt. (1) 6 (Das habe ich) Seit einer Woche. (1) Remember that in role-plays you dont always need to use a full sentence answer. 7 Wann (or Wie oft) mu ich die Tabletten einnehmen? (1) 8 Wo ist die (nchste) Apotheke? (1) Remember that you can use nchste to mean nearest as well as next.
TOTAL 12
S E L B S T, FA M I L I E
Wie heit du? Ich heie Charlotte. Wann bist du geboren? Ich bin 1982 geboren. Wann hast du Geburtstag? Ich habe am 4ten Mrz Geburtstag. Hast du Geschwister? Ich habe zwei Brder und zwei Schwestern.
UND
FREUNDE
Whats your name? My names Charlotte. When were you born? I was born in 1982. When is your birthday? My birthdays on the 4th of March. Do you have any brothers or sisters? I have two brothers and two sisters.
The following German nouns follow the obvious gender unless you see m, f or n in brackets.
Baby (n) Ehefrau/mann Ehepaar (n) Einzelkind Erwachsene Freund Freundin Geschwister (pl) Grovater/mutter Junge Kind Kusine/Cousine Jugendliche (m/f) Leute (pl) Mdchen (n) Mensch Mutti Neffe Oma/Opa Onkel Person (f) Schwager Schwgerin Sohn Tante Tochter Vater Verlobte (m/f) Verwandte (m/f) Vetter/Cousin (m) baby wife/husband married couple only child adult (m/f) friend (m) friend (f) brothers and sisters grandfather/mother boy child cousin (f) young person people girl person mum nephew grandma/grandad uncle person brother-in-law sister-in-law son aunt daughter father fianc(e) relative cousin (m)
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GOING FURTHER
Wie siehst du aus? Ich bin ziemlich gro/klein/schlank. Ich habe lange/kurze, schwarze/blonde Haare. Ich habe braune/blaue Augen. ledig/verheiratet geschieden verlobt mnnlich weiblich allein arm bse dumm faul fleiig freundlich glcklich intelligent lustig klug reich unfreundlich Mein Bruder interessiert sich fr Rugby und Tischtennis. Ich komme mit meiner Schwester gut aus. Ich verstehe mich gut mit meinem Onkel. Ich streite mich mit meinem Bruder. Ich bekomme fnf Pfund Taschengeld pro Woche. Ich arbeite im Supermarkt/im Geschft am Samstag. Ich verdiene sehr gut/drei Pfund pro Stunde/zwanzig Pfund pro Tag. Ich brauche es fr ... Ich spare fr ... Ich gebe es fr ... aus CDs/Zeitschriften neue Kleider What do you look like? I am quite tall/small/slim. I have long/short, black/blond hair. I have brown/blue eyes. single/married divorced engaged male female alone poor angry, naughty stupid lazy hard-working friendly happy intelligent funny clever wealthy unfriendly My brother is interested in rugby and table-tennis. I get on well with my sister. I get on well with my uncle. I argue with my brother. I get five pounds a week pocket money. I work in the supermarket/in the shop on Saturday. I earn very good money/3 an hour/20 a day. I need it for ... I am saving for ... I spend it on ... CDs/magazines new clothes
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Check yourself
Selbst, Familie und Freunde
A You meet your penfriend Irene. Write a description of her family. Try to mention everyone.
ihr ihre ................ ................ Berti Helga ihr ih............. ................ ................ Frank Maria ih............. ................ Anna ih............. ................ Stefan ih............. ................ Freddy
Irene
(5)
Say in German:
1 EITHER Say how much pocket money you get and what you do to earn it. OR Say where you work and how much you earn per hour/day. (2) 2 Then say what you spend your money on. (3) C 3 4 5 6 7 Say in German: I get on well with my brother. (2) My parents and I dont get on very well. (2) My aunt works in the sports department at Woolworths. (2) My father has no brothers or sisters. He is an only child. (2) My mother and I like collecting coins. (2)
15
SCORE
TOTAL 16
FREIZEIT
Free time
UND
FERIEN
I go into town/shopping. I go to the cinema/the disco/the theatre. I go to the youth club/the stadium. museum zoo fair concert shopping centre castle I like doing sport (in general). I like playing football, volleyball, etc. I play the piano/guitar/violin. I like going fishing/swimming/jogging.
Ich gehe in die Stadt/einkaufen. Ich gehe ins Kino/in die Disco/ins Theater. Ich gehe zum Jugendklub/zum Stadion. das Museum der Zoo die Kirmes das Konzert das Einkaufszentrum das Schlo Ich treibe gern Sport. Ich spiele gern Fuball, Volleyball, usw. Ich spiele Klavier/Gitarre/Geige. Ich gehe gern angeln/schwimmen/joggen.
Ich interessiere mich fr .... Ich lese gern. Ich bastele gern. Ich sammele ....
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FREIZEIT
Holidays
UND
FERIEN
This topic gives you the opportunity to use tenses confidently and appropriately when talking about your holiday last year, where you normally go, or what you are planning for the future. Use the perfect tense for actions and the imperfect for the weather and feelings:
Letzten Sommer bin ich mit meiner Familie nach Frankreich gefahren. Wir haben auf einem Campingplatz an der Kste gezeltet. Das Wetter war toll, und ich fand das Essen sehr lecker. Ich bin/Wir sind gereist/geblieben ... Ich habe/Wir haben bernachtet/ verbracht ... Normalerweise fahren wir ans Meer. Jedes Jahr besuchen wir meine Groeltern in Brighton. Nchsten Sommer werden wir nach Schottland fahren. Wir wollen dort zelten und mchten gern einige Schlsser besichtigen. Last summer I went to France with my family. We camped at a campsite on the coast. The weather was great and I found the food delicious. I/We travelled/stayed ... I/We stayed/spent (time) ... We usually go to the sea. Each year we visit my grandparents in Brighton. Next year were going to Scotland. We want to camp there and wed really like to visit some castles.
Notice how you can use wollen and mchten to convey future ideas, as well as the straightforward werden.
in den Weihnachtsferien/zu Weihnachten in den Osterferien/zu Ostern in den Pfingstferien/zu Pfingsten at Christmas at Easter at Whitsun
Remember to use phrases wherever possible to express: When: in den Sommerferien, am Wochenende, nchste Woche How: mit dem Wagen, mit der Bahn, mit der Fhre Where: nach Wales, nach Deutschland, in die Schweiz
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Check yourself
Freizeit und Ferien
A Answer in German: 1 Was machst du am Wochenende? (1) 2 Gehst du oft in die Disco? (1) 3 Was machst du mit deinen Freunden? (1) 4 Was hast du fr Hobbys? (1) B 5 Match the pictures to the captions: 6
a) Ich intessiere mich sehr fr Informatik. (1) b) Ich gehe freitags mit meinen Freunden ins Kino. (1) c) Ich gehe jeden Montag zum Jugendklub. (1) d) Ich segele am Wochenende mit meinen Eltern. (1) C Describe your holiday last year. Say how you travelled, where you went, where you stayed, what the weather was like and at least one thing you did.
(12)
19
SCORE
A 1 Ich treffe mich am Wochenende mit meinen Freunden. (1) 2 Nicht so oft. Vielleicht einmal im Monat. (1) 3 Wir bummeln uns meistens in der Stadt herum. (1) 4 Ich male und zeichne ganz gern. (1) B 5 Ich gehe freitags mit meinen Freunden ins Kino. (1) Notice the order of the Time, Manner, Place phrases. 6 Ich segele am Wochenende mit meinen Eltern. (1) 7 Ich intessiere mich sehr fr Informatik. (1) 8 Ich gehe jeden Montag zum Jugendklub. (1) C Letzten Sommer bin ich zwei Wochen mit meiner Familie in Irland gewesen. Wir sind mit dem Wagen gefahren und haben die Fhre von Holyhead genommen. Die berfahrt war ziemlich ruhig und hat nur fnf Stunden gedauert. Wir haben unsere Zelte auf einem tollen Campingplatz an der Kste aufgeschlagen. Das Wetter war meist sonnig, und wir konnten fast jeden Tag schwimmen. (12) This is a very important topic which you must prepare carefully. Although you might want to learn the phrases by heart, you may not have the opportunity to say it all without interruption, so make sure you can answer the simple questions below individually if required. This allows you to give a more confident performance in conversation and will score more marks. Wo bist du letzten Sommer hingefahren? Wie bist du gefahren? Wo hast du bernachtet? Wo seid ihr geblieben? Wie war das Wetter? Was hast du dort gemacht?
TOTAL 20
FREUNDE
UND
GESELLIGKEIT
Leute treffen
Gr Gott! Servus! Tsch! Darf ich ... vorstellen? Das ist .... Es freut mich (Sie kennenzulernen)!
Hello! (regional) Hello! (regional) Bye! May I introduce ... ? This is .... Im pleased/A pleasure (to meet you).
Abschied nehmen
Gute Fahrt! Gute Heimfahrt! Guten Appetit! Schlaf gut! Komm gut nach Hause! Bis dann. Bis gleich. Bis morgen. Bis nachher. Bis spter. Viel Glck! Viel Spa! Entschuldigung! Hoffentlich! Frohe Weihnachten!
Have a good journey! Have a good journey home! Enjoy your meal! Sleep well! Get home safely! See you then. See you soon. See you tomorrow. See you later. See you later. Good luck! Have fun! Excuse me!/Sorry! I hope so. Happy Christmas!
Frohe Ostern!
Happy Easter!
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FREUNDE
UND
GESELLIGKEIT
Shall we go to the cinema/pool, etc? When shall we meet? When shall we meet? I dont mind/Its all right by me. It doesnt matter. How about a game of football? Why dont we go to the cinema? (suggesting an alternative) I (dont) fancy going into town. Do you feel like it? When? on Monday the whole day (for) half an hour today this morning this afternoon in May/June, etc. every day every week on Mondays, etc. tomorrow tomorrow morning I didnt understand that. I dont know. Could you repeat that please? Could you spell that please? What does that mean (in English)? Could you speak more slowly please? How do you say ... in German?
Suggesting meetings
Wie wre es mit einem Fuballspiel? Wollen wir nicht lieber ins Kino? Ich habe (keine) Lust, in die Stadt zu gehen. Hast du Lust dazu? Wann? am Montag den ganzen Tag eine halbe Stunde heute heute vormittag/morgen heute nachmittag im Mai/Juni, usw. jeden Tag jede Woche montags, usw. morgen morgen frh
Difficulties
Ich habe das nicht verstanden. Ich wei nicht. Noch mal, bitte. Knnten Sie das buchstabieren, bitte? Was bedeutet das (auf englisch)? Knnten Sie bitte langsamer sprechen? Wie sagt man ... auf deutsch?
22
Check yourself
Freunde und Geselligkeit
A Which is the odd-one-out? 1 Tsch! Bis morgen! Gr dich! Auf Wiedersehen! (1) 2 Gute Reise! Quatsch! Schnen Abend! Viel Spa! (1)
3 Viel Spa! Viel Glck! Entschuldigung! Frohe Weihnachten! (1) 4 am Freitag morgen frh gestern nchste Woche (1) 5 Prima! Ausgezeichnet! Schade! Klasse! (1) B Complete this conversation: Gr dich, Brigitte! .............................. (1) Wie gehts? .............................. (1) Und dir? OK, danke. Darf ich meinen Kusine, Hannah, vorstellen? .............................. (1) Wo kommst du denn her? Ich komme aus Bonn. Ich bin erst gestern gekommen. Wollen wir in die Disco gehen? .............................. (1) Sagen wir am Samstag gegen neun Uhr. OK. .......................... Tsch! (1) Angela: Brigitte: Angela: Brigitte: Angela: Brigitte: Angela: Hannah: Angela: Brigitte: Angela: Brigitte: C
6 Greet your friend, Julia. (2) Julia: Hallo! Was machst du denn heute? 7 Suggest an activity. (2) Julia: Nein, ich habe keine Lust dazu. 8 Suggest an alternative. (2) Julia: OK. Wann treffen wir uns? 9 Say a time and a place. (2) Julia: Fein. Bis dann. 10 Say Cheerio. (2)
23
SCORE
TOTAL 24
D I E S T A D T, D I E U M G E B U N G , DAS WETTER
Ich wohne in Newtown. in einem Dorf in einer Stadt in einer Grostadt in einer Siedlung auf dem Lande Newtown liegt im Norden/Sden/Osten/Westen. in Nordengland, Sdengland, usw. nicht weit von London in der Nhe von Birmingham an der Sdkste in den Bergen an der Themse Die Stadt/Das Dorf ist ... relativ klein ziemlich gro ziemlich ruhig sauber/schmutzig angenehm I live in Newtown. in a village in a town in a city on an estate in the country Newtown is in the north/south/east/west. in the north/south of England, etc. not far from London near Birmingham on the south coast in the hills on the Thames The town/The village is ... relatively small quite large rather quiet clean/dirty pleasant
The weather You need to be able to describe weather in the present and the past.
Es ist/war ... sonnig neblig bewlkt/wolkig kalt khl warm hei trocken na strmisch Es regnet/regnete. Es schneit/Es schneite. Der Wind kommt aus dem Westen. It is/was ... sunny foggy cloudy cold cool warm hot dry wet stormy It is/was raining. It is/was snowing. The wind is from the west.
25
GOING FURTHER
Wie findest du deine Stadt? Wohnst du gern in Newtown? Ich wohne sehr gern in Newtown, weil die Landschaft in der Umgebung so schn ist. Es gibt schne Wanderwege am Flu entlang/im Wald. Was magst du nicht? Das Dorf hat weder Kino/Theater noch Disco/Sportzentrum. Ich finde den Jugendklub auch nicht so gut, aber man kann mit dem Bus in die nchste Stadt fahren. Der grte Nachteil ist, da ich meine Freunde in der Stadt nicht so schnell besuchen kann. Man sollte hier ein Sportzentrum bauen. Man knnte hier ein Schwimmbad hinstellen. How do you like your town? Do you like living in Newtown? I like living in Newtown, because the countryside around is so beautiful. There are nice walks along the river/in the woods. What dont you like? The village has neither cinema/theatre nor a disco/sports centre. I dont think much of the youth club, but you can catch a bus to the next town. The biggest disadvantage is that I cant visit my friends in town so easily. They ought to build a sports centre here. They could build a swimming pool here. weather report weather forecast brighter period thunderstorm 20 degrees centigrade high/low pressure system highest/lowest temperature rain, (shower), precipitation shower (the) heat/cold dry, i.e. no rain or showers from time to time increasing(ly)
26
Check yourself
Die Stadt, die Umgebung, das Wetter
A Say in German: 1 We live in a small town in the Midlands. (1) 2 Its quite pretty, though very busy with traffic. (1) 3 Theres not a lot for young people to do. (1) 4 The nearest town is five miles away. (1) 5 There are lots of tourist attractions nearby. (1) B Answer in German:
NW
You live in a town with the following things to do and visit. Suggest in German some things which you could do with a friend and his parents. (10)
Remember that you can either suggest going to the place or doing the appropriate activity. Dont forget to account for the weather. You could start some sentences with: Wenn es kalt ist, .... Wenn das Wetter schn ist, ....
27
SCORE
TOTAL 28
EINKAUFEN
Buying food and drink
Ich mchte/Ich htte gern ... ein Kilo/1Kg pfel ein Pfund Birnen ein halbes Kilo Kirschen 200 Gramm Wurst fnf Scheiben Schinken ein Stck Kse eine Schachtel Pralinen ein Paket Waschpulver ein Pckchen Kaffee eine Tube Zahnpasta eine Tafel Schokolade eine Flasche Sprudel eine Dose Limonade eine Tte (n) eine Tragetasche ein bichen/etwas mehr/weniger genug Ist gut so. Stimmt so. Was darf es sein, bitte? Werden Sie schon bedient? Welche Gre haben Sie? Sonst noch etwas? Haben Sie sonst noch einen Wunsch? I would like ... a kilo of apples 500 grammes of pears half a kilo (500g) of cherries 200 grammes of sausage five slices of ham a piece of cheese a box of chocolates a packet of washing powder a small packet of coffee a tube of tooth paste a bar of chocolate a bottle of mineral water a can of lemonade a bag a carrier bag a little/a bit more/less enough Thatll do. Thats fine. What would you like? Are you being served? What size are you? Anything else? Would you like anything else?
Colours
rot schwarz orange wei gelb lila grn rosa blau purpur red black orange white yellow violet green pink blue purple
29
EINKAUFEN
Buying clothes
der Anzug (zge) der Badeanzug die Badehose die Bluse der Grtel die Handschuhe das Hemd (en) die Hose das Kleid (-er) die Kleider die Krawatte suit swimsuit trunks blouse belt gloves shirt trousers dress clothes tie der Mantel () " die Mtze der Pulli (s) der Regenmantel der Rock (Rcke) die Strumpfhose die Sandalen die Schuhe die Stiefel die Pantoffeln die Sportschuhe coat cap pullover raincoat skirt tights sandals shoes boots slippers trainers
aus ... Baumwolle Kunststoff Leder Wolle die Gre eine Nummer grer/kleiner
made of ... cotton man-made fibre leather wool size a size bigger/smaller Do you accept cheques? Can I pay by credit card? I only have a 100 mark note. Have you change for a 50 mark note? Where can I change some money? I would like to change some travellers cheques. Do I have to pay a charge? Where do I sign? Do you have your passport with you? How much is a postcard to England? I would like to send this parcel to Scotland. How long does it take? Four stamps at 80 pfennigs, please.
30
Check yourself
Einkaufen
A 1 Ich mchte eine Dose Ksekuchen, bitte. (1) 2 Geben Sie mir ein Pfund Streichhlzer, bitte. (1) 3 Haben Sie eine Schachtel Weiwein, bitte? (1) 4 Und dann htte ich gern ein Glas Kirschen. (1) 5 Ich mchte ein Stck Cola, bitte. (1) B Say in German: 6 Have you the same jeans in black? (1) 7 That is too bright (colourful). Have you something darker? (1) 8 That is much too small (for me). Have you one two sizes bigger? (1) 9 Im looking for a present for my sister. (1) 10 Can you wrap the flowers, please? (1) C Auf der Post: Wie sagt man? 11 12
The goods and quantities have got mixed up. Correct the sentences.
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
31
SCORE
TOTAL 32
33
At the station
Bitte Vorsicht auf Gleis 8. Es hat Einfahrt der Zug von Mnchen. Bitte Vorsicht auf Gleis 10. Der Zug nach Bonn fhrt gleich ab. Bitte einsteigen und Tren schlieen. Bitte Vorsicht beim Einsteigen. Die Tren schlieen automatisch. Der Zug hat 5 Minuten Versptung.
34
Check yourself
Wie kommt man dahin?
A Say in German: 1 Take the third on the left and go past the town hall. (1) 2 Straight over at the lights and its opposite the market. (1) 3 The police station is on the left at the crossroads. (1) 4 Left at the second (set of ) lights, then first right. (1) 5 Youll see it directly ahead of you. (1)
B Complete this telephone conversation: Stimme: Hier Fleischauer. Sie: Wir haben ein P. Stimme: Was ist dann los ? Sie: Die B fen nicht mehr r.. Knnen Sie uns a? Stimme: Ja, aber nicht sofort. Sie: Wann k Sie? Stimme: In einer Stunde. Wo s Sie ? Sie: Wir sind auf der B9 e 3Km a von Koblenz. Wir fahren R. Bonn. (10 ) C Describe the incident outlined in these pictures: Was ist geschehen? (What happened?) Wie ist das geschehen? (How did it happen?)
(10) Try to write at least one sentence about each picture. You can set the scene by adding a weather sentence at the beginning, e.g. Es war herrliches Wetter, als ich in die Stadt ging.
35
SCORE
TOTAL 36
AUSBILDUNG
UND
BERUF
I work as an assistant in the supermarket. My mother works as a bus driver. My father has a job as an engineer. My mother is a doctor by profession. chemist doctor baker builder farmer postman director chemist electrician factory worker bus-/taxi-/lorry-driver butcher hairdresser cook/chef nurse/male nurse teacher mechanic policeman civil servant dentist My sister works ... in an office/in a laboratory in a company in industry on the railways with computers is self-employed is unemployed is employed at ... is employed (i.e. she works)
Ich arbeite als *Verkufer(in) im Supermarkt. Meine Mutter arbeitet als *Busfahrerin. Mein Vater hat eine Stelle als *Ingenieur. Meine Mutter ist *rztin von Beruf. Apotheker Arzt Bcker Bauarbeiter Bauer Brieftrger Direktor Drogist Elektriker Fabrikarbeiter Bus-/Taxi-/Lastwagen-Fahrer Fleischer/Metzger Friseur Koch Krankenschwester/Krankenpfleger Lehrer Mechaniker Polizist Staatsbeamte(r) Zahnarzt Meine Schwester arbeitet ... im Bro/im Labor in einer Firma in der Industrie bei der Bahn mit Computern ist selbstndig ist arbeitslos ist angestellt bei ... ist berufsttig
37
AUSBILDUNG
UND
BERUF
Im staying on at school/in the sixth form. First of all Im going to do my A-levels in German, English and biology. Ill know better in two years, what I would like to study. I am going/would like to go ... to further education college to (a technical) university to (an academic) university (in order) to study art/maths/ management. (in order) to do a course on electronics. I am doing an apprenticeship at ... I would like to become a pilot, because the salary is so good. the wage the hourly rate because I like working with people. with animals with computers with money with machines with cars employee fireman businessman/woman engineer sailor actor soldier vet shop assistant
38
Check yourself
Ausbildung und Beruf
A Which is the odd-one-out? Friseur Metzger Bauarbeiter Brieftrger Lehrerin Arzt LKW-Fahrer Fuballspieler (1) Verkuferin (1) Gemsehndler (1) Augenrztin (1) Schaffner (1) 1 Bauer 2 Bcker
10
3 Blumenhndler 5 Schiffskapitn B
6 My mother is an actress. (1) 7 My cousin works as a waiter. (1) 8 My sister works at Lloyds. (1) 9 My aunty is a taxi driver. (1) 10 My brothers work for themselves. (1) C Beschreiben Sie Ihre Zukunftsplne. (Say what you are going to do at school next year and why, what you would like to study at university and what job you would like to have and why.)
(10)
39
SCORE
TOTAL 40
AM ARBEITSPLATZ
You should be able to write a simple letter for a job application:
Ich bin am 14. Januar 1983 geboren. Ich bin Englnder(in)/Waliser(in)/ Schotte (Schottin)/Ire(Irin). Ich lerne seit fnf Jahren Deutsch. Ich habe Ihre Anzeige in der Tageszeitung gelesen. Ich knnte zum 1. September anfangen. Knnten Sie mir bitte weitere Details zuschicken? Betrifft das Angebot (-e) die Bewerbung sich bewerben die Staatsangehrigkeit der Familienstand ledig/verheiratet/geschieden das Geburtsdatum/geboren am ich fge bei/ich lege bei das Schulzeugnis der Lebenslauf die Unterlagen (pl) das Lichtbild der Empfehlungsbrief (-e) Ich interessiere mich fr ... I was born on the 14th January 1983. Im English/Welsh/Scottish/Irish. Ive been learning German for five years. I read your advertisement in the daily paper. I could start on the first of September. Could you please send me further details? concerning (at the top of a letter/fax/e-mail, etc.) offer application to apply nationality marital status single/married/divorced date of birth I enclose school report curriculum vitae (cv) details/particulars photo reference Im interested in ...
You should be able to make arrangements to be contacted, or have information sent by phone, fax or e-mail:
Ich bin unter dieser Nummer/auf meinem Handy zu erreichen. Rufen Sie mich bitte an! Bitte schicken Sie ein Fax. das Faxgert Haben Sie ein Modem? I can be contacted on this number/ on my mobile. Please phone me. Please send a fax. fax machine Have you a modem?
41
AM ARBEITSPLATZ
You should be able to take or leave messages at your place of work:
Hier Schmidt. Darf ich ihn/sie sprechen, bitte? Es tut mir leid. Frau Bergemann ist im Moment geschftlich unterwegs. Herr Kolbitz ist nicht im Bro/auer Haus. Kann/Darf ich ihm/ihr etwas ausrichten? Knnten Sie ihm/ihr bitte etwas ausrichten? Ich schreibe ihm/ihr einen Zettel. Ich lege ihm/ihr einen Zettel auf den Tisch. Ich sage/gebe ihm/ihr Bescheid. Er/Sie ist jeden Moment/in einer halben Stunde wieder da. Lesen Sie die Betriebsanleitung. einschalten, ausschalten der Computer/PC/Laptop betriebsbereit drcken der Drucker (-) das Memory/der Speicher der Netzanschlu (schlsse) der Rechner die Software speichern die Tastatur (en) weiter das Zeichen (-) der Anrufbeantworter (-) das Handy (s) This is Mr/Ms Smith speaking. May I speak to him/her, please? Im sorry. Mrs Bergemann is out on business at present. Mr Kolbitz is not in the office. Can/May I take/give him/her a message? Could you please give him/her a message? Ill write him/her a note. Ill put a note on his/her desk. Ill give him/her the message. He/She will be back any minute/in half an hour. Read instructions for use (machines). to switch on, switch off computer/PC/lap-top ready to print printer memory mains (power) connection calculator software to save keyboard continue sign, character answering machine mobile phone
42
Check yourself
Am Arbeitsplatz
A 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11
Was bin ich von Beruf? (Choose from the list below.) Man it, was ich mache. (1) Ich arbeite in einer Werkstatt. (1) Ich bringe Ihnen Nachrichten. (1) Ich schreibe tglich etwas fr Sie. (1) Ich habe keine Geschwister, aber man nennt mich Schwester. (1) Ich mache etwas krzer. (1) Manchmal arbeite ich auf der Strae, manchmal im Wagen. (1) Ich sitze den ganzen Tag lang. (1) Ich arbeite, whrend ich fliege. (1) Ich stehe meistens an einer schwarzen Tafel. (1) Mechaniker Lehrerin Bcker Verkufer Stewarde Fotograf Taxifahrer Krankenschwester Friseur Brieftrger Journalistin Polizistin Sekretrin
B 11 12 13 14 15 C
Say in German: Can you pass this on to Mrs Fischer, please? (1) Are you sending it by post or by fax? (1) Ill give her the message straight away. (1) Hes supposed to be back in the office around 3. (1) Have you an appointment with Mr Preis? (1) Complete this form:
Bitte in Druckschrift schreiben Familienname........................ Vorname ................................. geboren am............................................................................. Staatsangehrigkeit....................................................... Adresse Strae ....................................................................... Ort.......................................... PLZ.......................... Telefonisch zu erreichen? ja/nein tagsber .................................. abends .................................
(5)
43
SCORE
6 7 8 9 10
Knnen Sie das bitte Frau Fischer weitergeben? (1) No need for a word for to with Mrs Fischer. You could use sagen instead of weitergeben. 12 Schicken Sie es per Post oder per Fax? (1)
13 Ich sage ihr sofort Bescheid. (1) Bescheid is never translated on its own, but is very common with the verbs sagen, geben and wissen. 14 Er sollte gegen drei Uhr wieder im Bro sein. (1) Use gegen instead of um when you dont need to be exact about the time. 15 Haben Sie einen Termin mit Herrn Preis? (1) C Bitte in Druckschrift schreiben
JENNINGS MARY Familienname........................ Vorname ................................. 6 JUNI 1982 geboren am............................................................................. BRITISCH Staatsangehrigkeit....................................................... HONEY END LANE Adresse Strae ....................................................................... RG3 4EL READING Ort.......................................... PLZ.......................... Telefonisch zu erreichen? ja/nein 0118 959011 0118 9110959 tagsber .................................. abends .................................
(5) The completion of your personal details is easy, but the official language of forms can sometimes be confusing. Although you will encounter this exercise as a writing test, it is much more a test of reading, and you need to have learned the specific vocabulary required on forms such as the one above.
TOTAL 44
AUSLAND
UND
TOURISMUS
How did you travel? We flew. We travelled by train. by ferry by car by coach The journey/flight took seven hours. The ferry crossing was very calm/rough. We had to change trains in Brussels. We left/arrived at 7 in the morning/evening.
Wie sind Sie gefahren? Wir sind geflogen. Wir sind mit der Bahn gefahren. mit der Fhre mit dem Auto/Wagen mit dem Reisebus Die Fahrt/die Reise/der Flug dauerte sieben Stunden. Die berfahrt war sehr ruhig/strmisch. Wir muten in Brssel umsteigen. Wir sind um sieben Uhr morgens/abends abgefahren/ angekommen. At the campsite Wir haben einen Zeltplatz gefunden. die Anmeldung die Gebhr (en) Wir haben das Zelt aufgeschlagen/abgebaut. In the Youth Hostel der Herbergsvater/die Herbergsmutter Die Herbergseltern waren sehr freundlich. Wir haben Schlafscke geliehen. Der Schlafraum (rume) war im ersten Stock. Es war verboten, nach zehn Uhr laute Musik zu spielen. At the hotel Wir haben uns gleich angemeldet. Wir hatten zwei Zimmer reserviert. Das Hotel war leider voll. Die Empfangsdame war hilfsbereit. Sie hat uns ein anderes Hotel empfohlen. Wir haben Halbpension/Vollpension gehabt.
We found a place for the tent (a pitch). the reception/office fees/charges We put up/took down the tent.
warden (male and female) The wardens were very friendly. We hired sleeping bags. The dormitory was on the first floor. It was forbidden to play loud music after 10 oclock. We checked in straight away. We had reserved two rooms. The hotel was unfortunately full. The receptionist was helpful. She recommended us another hotel. We went half board/full board.
45
AUSLAND
UND
TOURISMUS
What is there to see and do in the area? What ought we to see here? Have you a street map, please? Can you recommend a reasonable hotel in the area? Can you hire bikes somewhere? Can we do a guided tour of the town? (in a bus or on foot) We would like to visit the castle/palace. The old town is world famous. From the Rhine tower you have a magnificent view. There is the wonderful palace. Dsseldorf is ... considerably larger than ... much more beautiful than ... more lively at night than ... quite different from ... Dsseldorf has ... more large department stores than better public transport than more and bigger museums than I found the ... great/funny (odd)/funny (ha-ha)/ astonishing/depressing. The sights were ... extremely interesting more expensive than I had expected even more welcoming than I had hoped
In the tourist office Was gibt es hier in der Nhe zu sehen und zu tun? Was sollte man hier sehen? Haben Sie einen Stadtplan, bitte? Knnen Sie ein preiswertes Hotel in der Nhe empfehlen? Kann man irgendwo Fahrrder leihen? Kann man eine Stadtrundfahrt/einen Stadtrundgang machen? Wir mchten gern das Schlo besichtigen. Die Altstadt ist weltberhmt. Vom Rheinturm hat man eine traumhafte Aussicht. Es gibt das zauberhafte Schlo. Dsseldorf ist ... weitaus grer als ... viel schner als ... nachts lebendiger als ... ganz anders als ... Dsseldorf hat ... mehr groe Kaufhuser als ein besseres Verkehrsnetz als mehr und grere Museen als ... Ich fand das ... ganz toll/ komisch/lustig/erstaunlich/ deprimierend. Die Sehenswrdigkeiten waren ... hchst interessant teurer als ich ewartet hatte noch freundlicher als ich gehofft hatte
46
Check yourself
Ausland und Tourismus
12
A Complete this account with past participles: 1 Wir sind mit dem Zug nach London ... und dann mit der U-Bahn nach Heathrow. ( ) 2 Wir sind um 2 Uhr nachmittags ... und sind um 3.30 Uhr in Dsseldorf ... . (1) 3 Wir hatten unsere Pltze in der Jugendherberge schon ... , und haben uns gleich ... . (1) 4 Wir sind in die Stadt ... und haben das Verkehrsamt ... . (1) 5 Dort haben wir einen Stadtplan ... , und sind dann zum Rheinturm ... . (1) 6 Wir sind gegen 7Uhr zur JH ... und haben zu Abend gegessen. ( ) reserviert angekommen zurckgekommen gelaufen gekauft angemeldet gegangen abgeflogen gefahren gefunden Say in German: The crossing was quite calm, but took longer than 4 hours. (2) The receptionist was friendlier than I had expected. (2) The wardens recommended a snack bar which was quite cheap. (2) 10 We picked up a town map at the tourist office on our way. (2) 11 We were not allowed to play music after 10 at night. (2) C Use adjectives to complete the following: 12 Die Aussicht vom Hotelfenster war ... . (1) 13 Ich fand das Essen dort ... . (1) 14 Mir war das Museum ... . (1) 15 Ich glaube, die Altstadt ist ... . (1) 16 Die Unterkunft in der Jugendherberge halte ich fr ... . (1) And use one of these adverbs in front of your chosen adjective: ziemlich uerst etwas ganz relativ weitaus durchaus B 7 8 9
47
SCORE
TOTAL 48
D I E W E LT
Land England Schottland Wales Irland Deutschland sterreich die Schweiz Belgien Frankreich Holland (die Niederlande) Italien Spanien Amerika (die Vereinigten Staaten) die Trkei Person Englnder/in Schotte/in Waliser/in Ire/Irin Deutsche sterreicher/in Schweizer/in Belgier/in Franzose/sin Hollnder/in Italiener/in Spanier/in Amerikaner/in Trke/in Staatsangehrigkeit englisch schottisch walisisch irisch deutsch sterreichisch schweizerisch belgisch franzsisch hollndisch italienisch spanisch amerikanisch trkisch
49
D I E W E LT
Green issues
die Umwelt umweltfreundlich bleifreies Benzin der Altglascontainer (-) die Altkleidersammlung (en) die Wiederverwertung/das Recycling die Mllverwertung das Klima environment environmentally friendly unleaded petrol bottle bank collection of old clothes (for recycling) recycling waste recycling climate healthy/unhealthy smoking drugs alcohol vegetarian What is your opinion? I think it is awful/terrible. We ought to do something. We must do more to avoid that.
Health issues
gesund/ungesund das Rauchen das Rauschgift (e) der Alkohol der(die) Vegetarier(in) Was meinen Sie dazu? Ich finde es schrecklich/furchtbar. Wir sollten etwas machen. Man mu mehr machen, um das zu vermeiden. Ich war sehr berrrascht zu hren, ... Wir waren schockiert, als wir die Nachricht(en) hrten, ... Ich war traurig/froh, als ich hrte, ... Ich halte es fr uerst wichtig, ... Ich kann es nicht leiden, ...
50
Check yourself
Die Welt
A Say in German: 1 In the Football World Cup Scotland played against Italy. (1)
13
2 In Germany there has been further flooding on the River Oder. (1) 3 Skiing in Switzerland is relatively expensive. (1) 4 There was another earthquake in Turkey yesterday. (1) 5 The famine in Africa is getting worse. (1) B Describe the event shown in these pictures:
6 I think it is awful that people still smoke in restaurants. (1) 7 I was pleased to hear that smoking is forbidden on trains. (1) 8 My friends and I were shocked to find out how many small children smoke. (1) 9 I think it is extremely important that children do not see their parents smoking. (1) 10 Everybody should do something for their own health. (1)
51
SCORE
TOTAL 52
NOUNS
Gender
All German nouns are masculine, feminine or neuter. It is essential to register the gender of a noun before you use it in speaking and writing, otherwise a number of associated errors may follow. Although certain examinations allow the use of a dictionary, this inevitably slows you down and it is much better to learn some guidelines. Here are some notes on gender which may help you: G Masculine words (der/ein) Male people and animals: Manager, Lwe Days, months, seasons: Samstag, Juli, Herbst Compass points/most types of weather: Sden, Regen G Feminine words (die/eine) Female people and animals: Tante, Lwin Names of numbers: Eins, Million G Neuter words (das/ein) Young people and animals: Kind, Baby, Lamm Measurements: Meter, Kilo, Liter Letters of the alphabet: ein groes S Colours: Grn Languages: Englisch Words borrowed from other languages: Caf, Hotel G There are, however, a few common nouns which go quite against the above guidance: die Person person das Frulein young woman, miss das Mdchen girl das Mitglied member G The following endings also give a guide to the gender:
Masculine
-ig -ling -ant -er, -or -ismus
Feminine
-ion -ie, -ik, -in -anz, -enz -ette -ur -age
Neuter
-um -ment -icht -ett
Note that with compound nouns it is the second or last part of the word that determines the gender (and plural): der Stundenplan timetable die Bushaltestelle bus-stop das Schwimmbad swimming pool
53
NOUNS
Plurals
Masculine nouns
G
Most form the plural with an -e; some add an umlaut to the last vowel: Stadtplan Stadtplne G If the noun ends in -el, -en or -er, it is usual for it to stay the same in the plural.
Feminine nouns
G G G G
Virtually all form their plural by adding -n or -en. Common exceptions are Mutter Mtter and Tochter Tchter. Most neuter nouns add an -e to form their plural. The other common plural form is an umlaut and -er.
Neuter nouns
Cases
The definite and indefinite articles alter their form according to the function of the noun in the sentence. (Also after prepositions - see PREPOSITIONS.)
Masculine
Nominative (subject) Accusative (direct object) Genitive (of) Dative (to/for) der ein den einen des eines dem einem
Feminine
die eine die eine der einer der einer
Neuter
das ein das ein des eines dem einem
Plural
die die der den
The nominative is used for the subject of the verb: Der Wagen ist neu. The car is new. Ein Wagen ist teuer. A car is expensive. The accusative is used for the direct object of the verb: Sie sucht einen Bleistift. She is looking for a pencil. The genitive denotes possession, and is used where we frequently use an apostrophe in English: Die Farbe des Wagens ist grn. The colour of the car is green. The dative expresses the idea of to or for in English: Ich gab dem Lehrer meine Hausaufgabe. I gave my homework to the teacher.
54
Check yourself
Nouns
A Gender? Write der, die or das:
Figur Frulein Rot Kilo Mdchen Tante Information Manager Mikrofon Baby Regen Januar Lehrling Englisch Sden Kind Hotel Republik
14
Feminine
die eine
Neuter
Plural
die
(12 = 6)
55
SCORE
die Figur das Frulein das Rot das Kilo das Mdchen die Tante
die Information der Manager das Mikrofon das Baby der Regen der Januar
der Lehrling das Englisch der Sden das Kind das Hotel die Republik
(6) You should have been able to work all these out from the table on the NOUNS card. Dont forget that the majority of feminine words you encounter will end in -e and form their plurals with an -n. Concentrate on recognising masculine and neuter words. If you are learning vocabulary from a list, say the words aloud, so that your ears as well as your eyes get used to the correct version. This is particularly helpful for learning the adjective endings in the nominative and accusative. B vegetables das Gemse trousers die Hose
potatoes drinks subjects friends (m) friends (f) people traffic Kartoffeln Getrnke Schulfcher Freunde Freundinnen die Leute (pl) der Verkehr glasses teeth 2 kilos fingers feet rooms loads of (colloq) die Brille Zhne zwei Kilo Finger Fe Zimmer eine Menge
(8) Just as in English, the definite article is not always required. If you say Ich mag die Bohnen, it implies that the listener knows which beans you are talking about. Perhaps you simply mean Ich mag Bohnen, which implies that you like beans in general. Think carefully before using die in the plural. C Check your answers against the table on the NOUNS card. (6) Try to see the patterns which emerge in this table. Even if you cant retain it all in your mind for instant access when you are speaking, you can at least use it in your written work.
TOTAL 56
ADJECTIVES
Agreement of adjectives
Adjectives in German need no agreement when they come after the noun, (unlike in French): Mein Zimmer ist klein. My room is small. However, adjectives must show their agreement in gender and case when they come immediately before the noun: Ich habe ein kleines Zimmer. I have a small room. The following chart will give you all the endings you need. You may have seen it as two separate tables for definite and indefinite articles.
Masculine
Nominative (subject) Accusative (direct obj.) Genitive (possessive) Dative (to/for) der ein den einen des eines dem einem -e -er -en -en -en1 -en1 -en -en
Feminine
die eine die eine der einer der einer -e -e -e -e -en -en -en -en
Neuter
das ein das ein des eines dem einem -e -es -e -es -en1 -en1 -en -en
Plural
die die der den -en -e -en -e -en -er -en2 -en2
1 In the genitive singular, masculine and neuter, add -es to nouns of one syllable, and -s to longer nouns. 2 In the dative plural, the article, adjective and noun all end in -n or -en.
G
dieser this jener that jeder each, every welcher? which? Dieser Tisch ist grer als jener. This table is bigger than that one. Sie spielt jede Woche. She plays every week. Welches Auto magst du am liebsten? Which car do you like most?
G
The adjective endings after kein and after possessive adjectives (see over) follow the same pattern as the endings after the indefinite article, except in the plural where the ending is always -en: Wir haben keine roten pfel mehr. We have no more red apples. Unser neues Auto ist grn. Our new car is green.
57
ADJECTIVES
Possessive adjectives
Singular: mein dein Ihr sein ihr sein my your (familiar) your (formal) his her its Plural: unser euer Ihr ihr our your (familiar) your (formal) their
To see whether sein or ihr might mean its, simply look back to see which noun or person it refers to, as the possessive adjective depends on the gender of that noun or person: Die Katze hat ihr Futter gefressen. The cat ate its food. Der Hund hat sein Futter gefressen. The dog ate its food. G Always look carefully at Ihr and ihr. With a capital it nearly always means your, unless at the beginning of a sentence. G Unlike other adjectives you will meet, the possessive follows the pattern of the indefinite article ein, eine, ein:
Masculine
Nom. Acc. Gen. Dat. mein Hund meinen Hund meines Hundes meinem Hund
Feminine
meine Katze meine Katze meiner Katze meiner Katze
Neuter
mein Pferd mein Pferd meines Pferdes meinem Pferd
Plural
meine Tiere meine Tiere meiner Tiere meinen Tieren
This is easy to follow for dein and sein, but less so for ihr, unser, euer, etc. Just remember to add the same ending to each one, as if it were mein. That includes adding no ending: Mein Hund heit Kim. Wie heit euer Hund? My dog is called Kim. What is your dog called?
58
Check yourself
Adjectives
A Complete the adjective endings in this passage:
15
Make sure you think about the gender and case of each item carefully before answering. Ich ging mit mein[1] lter[2] Schwester durch die gro[3] Tren des modern[4] Kaufhauses und nahm den glsern[5] Aufzug in den zweit[6] Stock. Sie suchte sich eine neu[7] Bademtze unter den viel[8] Sonderangeboten aus. Dann nahm sie ihr[9] Geldbeutel aus mein[10] alt[11] Einkaufstasche und zahlte an der nchst[12] Kasse. Wir hatten beid[13] gro[14] Hunger und bestellten zwei enorm[15], lecker[16] Eisbecher. (16 = 8) B 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Say in German: What is your father called? (familiar plural form) (1) Please take our bags with you. (1) The girl is going to the cinema with her boyfriend. (1) Their dogs are running around in our garden. (1) Have you brought your guitar, Jens? (1) Have they bought your car? (1) Have you bought their car? (1)
C Correct the errors in the English: 24 Das ist die Kusine meiner Mutter. That is my cousins mother. (1) 25 Sie ist froh, da wir eure Katze gefunden haben. She is pleased that we have found her cat. (1) 26 Bitte nehmt eure Taschen mit und gebt sie ihnen. Please take our bag with you and give it to her. (1) 27 Meine Brder haben ihre Vettern vor dem Kino getroffen. My brother met his cousin outside the cinema. (1) 28 Die Leute haben Ihre Mntel vergessen. The people have forgotten their coats. (1)
59
SCORE
TOTAL 60
PRONOUNS
A pronoun replaces a noun, and you need to know who or what the noun is, before you can decide whether you need a masculine, feminine, neuter or plural pronoun.
Accusative
mich dich Sie ihn sie es einen uns euch Sie sie
Dative
mir dir Ihnen ihm ihr ihm einem uns euch Ihnen ihnen
Reflexive
mich/mir dich/dir sich sich sich sich sich uns euch sich sich
The accusative and dative pronouns are used exactly as nouns in the same case, and after prepositions in the same way. Accusative: Sie kennen mich. Dative: Kauf mir ein Eis, bitte. Ich besuche ihn. Wie gehts dir? fr ihn bei uns gegen sie mit Ihnen ohne mich zu dir Note: If you need to use the word it after a preposition, you should nearly always attach the word da to the front of the preposition: Ich schreibe gern (mit meinem neuen Kuli) damit. Ich habe nichts (gegen die Idee) dagegen.
Learn the rule for word order of noun and pronoun objects: Two nouns dative first: Ich gebe dem Mann das Geld. Two pronouns accusative first: Ich gebe es ihm. Pronoun before noun: Ich gebe es dem Mann. Ich gebe ihm das Geld.
61
PRONOUNS
Relative pronouns who, whom, whose, which
The relative pronoun takes its number and gender from its antecedent, i.e. the word it refers back to. Its case is determined by the part it plays in the relative clause.
G
To help you spot when to use the relative pronoun, look at the following sentences. The relative pronoun in each example is highlighted.
However, English often omits the relative pronoun altogether: The girl coming into the room is my cousin. The car mum bought is an estate. These last two sentences highlight the difficulty of spotting when to use the relative pronoun. Both require a relative clause in German.
G
The relative pronouns in German are, with the exception of those shown in bold, the same as the definite article:
Masculine Feminine
die die deren der
Neuter
das das dessen dem
Plural
die die deren denen
Relative clauses are subordinate clauses, so the finite verb is the last word in the clause: Der Mann, der den Wagen fhrt, ist The man (who is) driving the car is mein Onkel. my uncle. Der Mann, den ich drben sehe, ist The man (whom) I see over there is my mein Kunstlehrer. art teacher. Die Frau, deren Auto in der Garage The lady whose car is in the garage steht, ist unsere Nachbarin. is our neighbour. Der Junge, dem ich das Buch gab, The boy to whom I gave the book liest gern Romane. enjoys reading novels. Colloquially: The boy I gave the book to enjoys reading novels.
62
Check yourself
Pronouns
A Replace the nouns in bold with pronouns:
16
Make sure you know what the sentence means before you start. 1 Ich habe meine Mutter in der Stadt nicht getroffen. (1) 2 Meine Schwester hat den Ball mitgenommen. (1) 3 Wir haben meiner Mutter den Armband geschenkt. (1) 4 Meine Schwester und ich haben nichts ber das Spiel gehrt. (1) 5 Meine Brder haben die Idee von Uwe und mir bekommen. (1) B Complete with the correct relative pronoun:
6 Der Mann, ... im Auto sitzt, ist mein Onkel. (1) 7 Das Mdchen, ... gerade hereinkommt, ist meine Freundin. (1) 8 Der Bus, mit ... ich gewhnlich fahre, hat heute Versptung. (1) 9 Die Leute, ... Auto das ist, sind unsere Nachbarn. (1) 10 Der Junge, ... ich das gegeben habe, ist mein Vetter. (1) C D 11 12 13 14 15 Put sentences 6 10 into colloquial English without using the relative pronoun. (5) Say in German: Do you know the teacher you are having next year? (1) What are you going to do with it? (1) We met him with her yesterday for the first time. (1) What are doing (i.e. making) for them and us for lunch? (1) She thinks more about him than about herself. (1)
63
SCORE
TOTAL 64
INDEFINITES
A N D D E M O N S T RAT I V E S
Indefinite pronouns
There is nothing essentially difficult about the following vocabulary. Treat it simply as another list of words to learn: jemand someone, somebody alle all niemand no-one, nobody ein bichen a bit, a little man one, (we, you) beide both jeder each, everybody mehrere several ein paar a few manche some einige some welcher some andere others nur wenig just a little irgendeiner someone irgendwas something irgendjemand Niemand wei darber Bescheid. Nobody knows anything about it. Jemand mu es wissen. Somebody must know (it).
Indefinite adverbs
irgendwo irgendwann
irgendwie
G
Demonstrative pronouns
der, die, das all cases in the singular and plural: Das nehme ich mit. Ill take that one. Den mag ich nicht so sehr. I dont like that one very much. Die sind besser als meine. Those are better than mine. The following pronouns follow the same endings as the definite article: dieser this one (sometimes with hier and da to mean this and that): Willst du diesen? Do you want this one?
G jener that one (only used in conjunction with dieser): Dieser ist grer als jener. This table is bigger than that one. G G
jeder each (one), every one: Jeder darf gehen. Everyone is allowed to go. Sie gibt jedem ein Glas. She gives everyone a glass.
65
INTENSIFIERS
Intensifiers
AND INTERROGATIVES
The word sehr is often over-used by students. If you want to make a better impression in your written work or in your oral, then learn some of the following intensifying words and phrases: uerst extremely Es war uerst interessant. ein bichen a bit Sie ist ein bichen doof. ein wenig a little Es war ein wenig langweilig. etwas somewhat Er ist etwas eingebildet. ganz quite Das ist ganz schwierig. gar nicht not at all Wir sind gar nicht berrascht. relativ relatively Sie ist relativ gro. berhaupt nicht not at all Das ist berhaupt nicht ntig. wirklich really Das Konzert war wirklich Klasse. ziemlich rather Die Reise war ziemlich lang.
Interrogatives
Make sure you know at least two ways of forming questions:
G
By inverting (turning round) subject and verb: Gehst du heute zur Schule?
G By adding ja, nicht, oder or nicht wahr to a statement: Das ist dein Buch, nicht wahr? Mutti kommt mit, oder?
By introducing the question with an interrogative word: Was machst du? What are you doing? Wann kommst sie nach Hause? When is she coming home? Wie machen sie das? How do they do that? Was fr Bcher liest du? What sort of books do you read? Wie viele Leute kommen heute? How many people are coming today? Warum darfst du nicht kommen? Why arent you allowed to come? Wo kommt er her? Where does he come from?
Interrogative pronouns
Subject: Welcher ist das? Wer ist gestorben? Was ist geschehen? Object: Welchen hast du gekauft? Wen hast du dort getroffen? Was machst du?
66
Check yourself
Indefinites, demonstratives, intensifiers, interrogatives
A 1 2 3 4 5 B 6 7 8 9 10 C Give the English for: Manche Leute kommen heute, andere morgen. (1) Es waren nur ein paar Schler in der Klasse. (1) Sie konnte nur ein wenig verstehen. (1) Irgendeine von den Damen hat ihn gesehen. (1) Wer kennt seinen Bruder? (1) Say in German: Which (book) did you choose? (1) We dont like those very much. (1) Who met you at the station? (1) He has left his bag somewhere. (1) I will find it some time. (1)
17
Make the following passage more interesting by the addition of intensifiers wherever you can. Try not to use the same one more than once. Mein Haus ist gro aber der Garten ist klein. Unten im Wohnzimmer haben wir viel Platz, und dort sehen wir oft fern. Das Badezimmer ist winzig, und ich mu immer lange auf meinen Bruder warten! Die Kche ist auch eng, also essen wir selten dort. Meine Hausaufgaben mache ich oft in der Schule, also glauben meine Eltern, da ich fleiig bin. (10 ) D Begin the following questions with suitable interrogatives: 11 W... machst du am kommenden Wochenende? (1) 12 W... kannst du nicht kommen? (1) 13 W... meinst du das? (1) 14 W... Musik magst du am liebsten? (1) 15 W... CDs hast du gekauft? (1)
67
SCORE
TOTAL 68
NUMBER,
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 null eins zwei drei vier fnf sechs sieben acht neun zehn elf zwlf dreizehn vierzehn fnfzehn
Q U A N T I T Y, D A T E S A N D T I M E
Cardinal numbers
16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 sechzehn siebzehn achtzehn neunzehn zwanzig einundzwanzig zweiundzwanzig dreiundzwanzig vierundzwanzig fnfundzwanzig sechsundzwanzig siebenundzwanzig achtundzwanzig neunundzwanzig dreiig (No z) einunddreiig usw
100 hundert 101 hunderteins 1000 tausend 1002 tausendzwei 1,000,000 eine Million Remember: No matter how big the number, it is always written as one word!
Quantity
Notice that you never need to translate the English of: achtzig Liter Benzin 80 litres of petrol vier Kilo Tomaten four kilos of tomatoes drei Meter Stoff three metres of material Similarly: eine Flasche Wein a bottle of wine fnf Scheiben Brot five slices of bread ein Stck Kuchen a piece of cake eine Schachtel Streichhlzer a box of matches ein Pckchen Kaffee a packet of coffee eine Tube Klebstoff a tube of glue eine Dose Cola a can of coke eine Tte Bonbons a bag of sweets
69
NUMBER,
Q U A N T I T Y, D A T E S A N D T I M E
Ordinal numbers
der erste/der 1ste the first der zweite the second dritte third vierte fourth fnte fifth sechste sixth siebte seventh achte as far as neunzehnte: all add -te. Then: zwanzigste twentieth einundzwanzigste, etc: all add -ste.
Dates
Heute ist der vierundzwanzigste Juni/der 24ste Juni/der 24. Juni. (Nominative case) Heute haben wir den dritten Mrz/den 3ten Mrz/den 3. Mrz. (Accusative case. This is also how you write the date at the top of a letter.) Vati kommt erst am sechsundzwanzigsten Juli/am 26sten Juli/am 26. Juli. Wir mchten ein Zimmer vom 8. bis zum 20. Juli reservieren.
Time
Ich gehe um sieben Uhr ins Bett. Um sechzehn Uhr zwanzig fhrt der Zug. It is important to remember how to say the time, because when using figures it is written differently than the order of the words you say: 7.30 Uhr is said sieben Uhr dreiig. 16.45 Uhr is said sechzehn Uhr fnfundvierzig.
In German you use the present tense with seit or schon to translate the idea of doing something or having done something for a length of time: Ich lerne seit zwei Jahren Deutsch. Ive been learning German for two years. Similarly, seit or schon used with the imperfect tense translates as had been: Wir waren schon zwei Tage hier. We had been here for two days.
70
Check yourself
Number, quantity, dates and time
18
A Write out the following sums and say them aloud: 1 25 + 47 = 72 (1) 4 6 24 = 144 (1) 2 32 18 = 14 (1) 5 DM 1,50 + DM 3,70 = DM 5,20 (1) 3 120 + 254 = 374 (1) Remember how to say the signs: + plus; minus; mal; durch Use these words and phrases to make a shopping list for a picnic. Make at least five items. (5) 200 Gramm eine Tube Brot Tomaten ein Pfund ein Stck Wurst Schinken eine Schachtel ein halbes Kilo Mineralwasser Zahnpasta eine Tafel ein Paket Salzstangen Butter eine Dose eine Flasche Pralinen Kartoffelchips fnf Scheiben Bananen Kse C 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Complete the sentences with suitable phrases from the box: Heilig Abend ist ...................... (1) Wir feiern Sylvester immer ...................... (1) Ich kenne sie erst ...................... (1) Mein Vater ist ...................... geboren. (1) ...................... schlgt die Uhr zwlf. (1) Wir frhstcken normalerweise ...................... (1) Ich wohnte ...................... in Dsseldorf. (1) Ich habe ein Zimmer ...................... reserviert. (1) B
14 Wir bleiben ...................... in Venedig. (1) 15 Ich bin schon ...................... ins Bett gegangen. (1) gegen 7.30 Uhr vom 1. bis zum 8. August Um Mitternacht schon vier Jahren am 24sten Dezember am 31. Dezember seit gestern am 21. September zwei Wochen um 10 Uhr
71
SCORE
TOTAL 72
PREPOSITIONS
The definite and indefinite articles alter their form when following prepositions. The following table sets out which case follows each of the prepositions.
Accusative
bis durch entlang* fr gegen ohne um wider until through along for against without around against
Dative
aus bei gegenber** mit nach seit von zu out of at s house opposite with after since from to
Accusative/Dative
an auf hinter in neben ber unter vor zwischen at, on on behind in near over, above under, below in front of between
* usually follows the noun ** sometimes follows the noun There are also three common prepositions trotz, whrend and wegen which take the genitive case. Examples: Accusative: Dative: Genitive:
G
Ich spiele Volleyball fr eine Mannschaft. Die Katze springt aus dem Fenster. Trotz des Regens gehen wir in den Park.
The prepositions in the third column take either the accusative or the dative according to their meaning. With the dative they answer the question wo? and tell you where someone or something is. With the accusative they answer the question wohin? and tell you where someone or something is moving to.
The following common verbs may remind you what case to use when you write a preposition after them: gehen, fahren, fallen, fliegen, kommen, reisen, sich setzen, springen, treten + Preposition + Accusative sich befinden, bleiben, liegen, sein, sitzen + Preposition + Dative Examples: Accusative for movement: Wir gehen in den Park. Der Hund springt auf das Sofa. Dative for position: Wir sitzen in dem Park. Der Hund liegt auf dem Sofa.
73
CONJUNCTIONS
Conjunctions are words which join main clauses together. There are two kinds: coordinating and subordinating.
Coordinating conjunctions
These are easy to use because they do not affect the word order and the verb remains the second idea in the clause. They are: und and denn for aber but sondern but (after a negative) oder or Ich ging in den Park und spielte Fuball mit meinen Freunden. Sie fand die Stunde nicht interessant, sondern langweilte sich sehr. Wir konnten nicht in die Stadt fahren, denn wir hatten kein Geld.
Subordinating conjunctions
These join a main clause to a subordinate clause, i.e the clause after the subordinate conjunction. als when ob whether bevor before obgleich/obwohl although bis until so da with the result that damit so that, in order that whrend while da that weil because nachdem after wenn if, when
G
The word order in the subordinate clause is altered and the finite verb goes to the end of the clause: Sie kann nicht kommen, weil sie sich das Bein gebrochen hat. Er bleibt heute zu Hause, damit er sein Rad reparieren kann. Ich wei nicht, ob ich morgen so frh aufstehe.* * Notice how the separable verb and its prefix join up again at the end of the clause. However, your work will be even more impressive if you can master the art of beginning a sentence with the subordinate clause. Look closely at the word order: Weil sie sich das Bein gebrochen hat, kann sie nicht kommen. Ob ich morgen so frh aufstehe, wei ich nicht. The word order in the subordinate clause is as before, but the subject and verb in the main clause turn round. This is called inversion, and it brings the two finite verbs together in the middle of the sentence, separated only by a comma. So, if you begin with a subordinating conjunction, remember: VERB - COMMA - VERB in the middle of the sentence.
74
Check yourself
Prepositions and conjunctions
A 1 Der Hund lief .................... den Garten hinein. (1) 2 Wir parken immer .................... dem Rathaus. (1) 3 Die Party heute abend ist .................... meiner Freundin. (1) 4 Morgen frh geht mein Vater .................... die Stadt. (1)
19
5 Wir haben das Geschenk .................... meine Mutter gekauft. (1) B Complete the passage with the correct cases: Remember to check the gender of the nouns first. Wir haben gegen ei... Mannschaft von d... Verein in d... nchsten Dorf gespielt. Nach d... Spiel sind wir in d... Klubhaus gegangen, wo man fr d... beiden Mannschaften Essen vorbereitet hatte. Wir haben uns an d... Tische gesetzt, die man in d... Klubraum aufgestellt hatte und haben tchtig gegessen. Direkt neben mi... sa Uwe und um mi... herum saen alle meine Mitspieler. (10 ) Make five longer sentences using the simple sentences below and the conjunctions which follow. Dont forget to alter the word order as necessary. Es regnete. Wir sind mit dem Bus in die Stadt gefahren. Wir wollten den neuen Bond-film sehen. Es war ziemlich teuer. Ich hatte Karten schon gekauft. Wir sind in eine Imbistube gegangen. Ich habe ein Eis bestellt. Meine Freundin hat eine Pizza gegessen. Wir sind wieder nach Hause gefahren. (5 2) nachdem obgleich und weil aber bis als C
With the addition of a time phrase or two you could use these sentences to describe an afternoon out.
75
SCORE
TOTAL 76
PRESENT
TENSE
German has only one form for the present tense, where English has three: He enjoys school. He is enjoying himself. He does enjoy a walk. Regular verbs (also known as weak verbs)
machen - to make (stem: mach-)
Singular 1st person 2nd person 2nd person 3rd person 1st person 2nd person 2nd person 3rd I you (familiar) you (formal/polite) he/she/it/one we you (familiar) you (formal/polite) they ich mach -e du mach -st Sie mach -en er/sie/es/man mach -t wir mach -en ihr mach -t Sie mach -en sie mach -en
Plural
If you find that the stem ends in a -t, -d or -n you will need to add an e before the du, er/sie/es and ihr endings: Du ffnest die Tr. Er arbeitet in der Kche. Ihr findet den Film bestimmt gut.
G G
As in English the present tense also conveys future ideas: Wir fahren im August nach Deutschland. Were going to Germany in August.
Watch out for the present tense with seit, which conveys a particular form of the perfect tense in English: Ich lerne seit vier Jahren Deutsch. Ive been learning German for four years. The impersonal pronoun man is used to convey general ideas where the English often uses you, e.g. when asking the way or where to buy something: Wie kommt man zum Bahnhof? Man geht hier geradeaus. Wo kann man gut essen? Im Caf Polk it man immer gut. Irregular verbs (usually known as strong verbs) These verbs follow the usual pattern apart from the 2nd and 3rd persons singular (du and er/sie/es/man forms). Lists appear in all major text books and the most common irregulars need to be memorised. Questions are formed simply by turning round the subject and verb: Machst du jeden Tag dein Bett? Wann gehen Sie in die Stadt?
G
77
PRESENT
G
TENSE
Separable verbs
Many of these verbs have English equivalents which need an additional word for their meaning, e.g. he stands up, she sits down, we get on, they get off, we come in, they go out. The common prefixes are ab-, an-, auf-, aus-, ein-, nach-, vor- and zu-.
Your daily routine contains a number of separable verbs. Remember to take off the separable prefix that short part at the front of the infinitive and put it at the end of the clause: aufstehen: Ich stehe morgens um sieben Uhr auf. einkaufen: Ich kaufe im Supermarkt ein. abwaschen: Ich wasche immer nach dem Frhstck ab. Note that you will need these same verbs again in the perfect tense in your written narrative work at a higher level, for example when you are writing about what happened last weekend. (See PAST TENSES.)
Inseparable verbs
These cause no difficulty in the present tense but watch out for them in the past tenses. The prefixes remain attached to the main part of the verb at all times. The inseparable prefixes are be-, emp-, ent-, er-, ge-, (not part of the past participle) mi-, ver- and zer-. Ich besuche meine Oma. Das gefllt ihr gut. Ich vermisse meine Eltern. Das geschieht nicht oft.
Reflexive verbs
Some of the most common reflexive verbs also come up in your daily routine. You can use them in two different ways, and it is a good idea to decide which you are going to do before the day of the exam! Either: Ich wasche mich. I wash (myself). Or: Ich wasche mir die Hnde. I wash my hands. Either: Ich kmme mich. I comb my hair. Or: Ich kmme mir die Haare. I comb my hair. Learn to handle the two common verbs which are both reflexive and separable, sich anziehen and sich ausziehen: Ich ziehe mich an/aus. I get dressed/undressed. BUT Ich ziehe mir eine Jacke an. I put on a jacket. Ich ziehe mir die Schuluniform aus. I take off my school uniform.
78
Check yourself
Present tense
A 1 2 3 4 5 B Say in German: What subjects are you learning? (1) Our teacher is always singing in class. (1) Do you play in the garden a lot? (1) I always go to the cinema on Fridays. (1) Are they going too? (1) Add the correct prefixes to these verbs: ...hren ...hren ...kaufen ...treten ...schlafen zu-
20
...passen to pay attention ...laden to invite ...machen to open ...steigen to get off ...fangen to begin anaufausein-
10
13 Wann gibst du mir meine CDs zurck? (1) 14 Wann fhrst du nach Hause? (1) 15 Was it du zum Frhstck? (1)
79
SCORE
TOTAL 80
PA S T
TENSES
Imperfect
You need to recognise the imperfect tense far more frequently than you need to use it. It is the tense used: G to report events in the past in newspaper and magazines G to record the prevailing weather G to report peoples mood and feelings G to report the state of things or circumstances. Formation: stem + appropriate endings. It is highly unlikely that you will ever need the you forms of the imperfect, either familiar or formal. The remaining endings are very easy to remember:
weak
Singular Plural -te -ten
strong
-en
Der Unfall passierte zwischen Meckenheim The accident happened between und Bonn. Meckenheim and Bonn. Die Sonne schien fast den ganzen Tag. The sun shone nearly all day. Ich reparierte mein Fahrrad. I mended my bike. Wir fuhren weiter. We went further.
Perfect
You MUST use the perfect tense to describe: G what you did last night, or last weekend G where you went with the school on a trip G where you went, what you saw and did on holiday. Formation: auxiliary verb haben or sein + the past participle of the verb. Ich habe den Bus genommen and bin in die I took the bus and went into town. Stadt gefahren.
Pluperfect
You need to recognise the pluperfect tense and be able to use one or two examples of it in appropriate places in a narrative, such as what you had done, or what had happened before the event you are now describing. Formation: imperfect of the auxiliary haben or sein + past participle. Ich hatte es schon gemacht. I had already done it. Ich war um 7 Uhr angekommen. I had arrived at 7 oclock.
81
PA S T
TENSES
Past participles
The past participles of verbs fall into weak (regular) and strong (irregular) categories. G Weak verbs form their past participle using the ge ... -t rule. lernen gelernt machen gemacht When the stem of the verb ends in a -d or -t, the stem adds an e: arbeiten gearbeitet landen gelandet G You will find lists of strong verbs in every German text book and dictionary, but you need to know the past participles of at least 50 of them from memory.
G
Certain groups of verbs have different ways of forming past participles: Separable verbs, both weak and strong, add the ge between the separable prefix and rest of the verb.
Weak separable
ein-schalten eingeschaltet aus-machen ausgemacht
Strong separable
an-kommen angekommen ab-fahren abgefahren
Inseparable verbs do not have the ge in their past participle, but simply end with -t or -en according to whether they are weak or strong. Inseparable verbs are recognised by the prefixes be-, emp-, ent-, er-, ge-, mi-, ver- and zer-.
Weak inseparable
bezahlen bezahlt erzhlen erzhlt verpassen verpat zerstren zerstrt
Strong inseparable
empfangen empfangen entscheiden entschieden gefallen gefallen miverstehen miverstanden
Weak verbs ending in -ieren need no ge to form their past participle. reparieren repariert telefonieren telefoniert
Remember to use the subordinate clause word order after the conjunctions bevor, nachdem, weil, als, sobald, etc, which you are likely to use with the pluperfect. Wir hatten schon um 6 Uhr gegessen, bevor wir ins Kino gegangen sind. Weil das Wetter so schn war, waren wir schon schwimmen gegangen. Vater ist heimgekommen, nachdem wir schon in die Stadt gefahren waren.
82
Check yourself
Past tenses
A 1 2 3 4 5 B Put these sentences into the imperfect tense: Ich habe Angst. (1) Sie ist froh. (1) Das Essen sieht gut aus. (1) Es friert den ganzen Tag. (1) Die Katze fllt ins Wasser. (1) Put these infinitives under the correct headings:
21
abholen ankommen aufhren aufstehen bekommen beschreiben geschehen verlieren verpassen zerstren
Separable Weak Inseparable Separable Strong Inseparable
(10 C Check that you have each one under the correct heading, then write out the past participles. (10 )
D Write a sentence to describe each action shown below: One of the clauses should be in the pluperfect and one in the perfect tense. Begin each sentence with Nachdem ... You can decide which person of the verb you use. 6 7 8
10
(5)
83
SCORE
Ich hatte Angst. (Feelings) Sie war froh. (Mood) Das Essen sah gut aus. (State) Es fror den ganzen Tag. (Weather) Die Katze fiel ins Wasser. (Report)
Weak Inseparable
verpassen zerstren
(5)
Strong Inseparable
bekommen beschreiben geschehen verlieren
Separable
abholen aufhren
Separable
ankommen aufstehen
(5) C Weak Separable abgeholt, aufgehrt Weak Inseparable verpat, zerstrt Strong Separable angekommen, aufgestanden Strong Inseparable bekommen, beschrieben, geschehen, verloren (5) D 6 Nachdem ich die Briefmarken gekauft hatte, habe ich den Brief eingeworfen. 7 Nachdem wir die Fahrkarten gekauft hatten, sind wir in den Zug eingestiegen. 8 Nachdem er gefrhstckt hatte, hat er das Haus verlassen. 9 Nachdem ich nach Hause gekommen war, habe ich mich umgezogen. 10 Nachdem ich meine Hausaufgaben gemacht hatte, habe ich ferngesehen. (5) These are just the sort of sentences to impress the examiner, so prepare one or two for the oral and some more general ones that will fit any narrative. Dont forget, VERB COMMA VERB in the middle of the sentence whenever the subordinate clause comes first.
TOTAL 84
FUTURE
TENSE
Just as in English, you may use the present continuous tense to suggest future intent: Ich gehe nchstes Jahr auf die Berufsschule. I am going to college next year. Ich mache im September eine kaufmnnische I am taking a business course in Ausbildung. September. Ich arbeite ab ersten August in der Bank. I am working in the bank from August 1st. However, you should also know how to use the present tense of werden with an infinitive.
Singular
ich werde du wirst Sie werden er/sie/es/man wird
Plural
wir werden ihr werdet Sie werden sie werden
So, in answer to this question in your speaking test: Was wirst du/werden Sie nchstes Jahr machen?, you would answer: Ich werde nchstes Jahr auf die Berufschule gehen. Ich werde im September eine kaufmnnische Ausbildung machen. Ich werde ab ersten August in der Bank arbeiten. Although you must not confuse the German ich will with the English I will, it is very often appropriate to use it when asked about your intentions for the future. (See MODAL VERBS.) Here are some useful adverbs and adverb phrases for the future: nchsten Samstag next Saturday nchste Woche next week nchstes Jahr next year morgen frh first thing in the morning morgen vormittag tomorrow morning morgen mittag mid-day tomorrow morgen abend tomorrow evening in zwei Wochen in two weeks in ein paar Wochen/Monaten in a few weeks/months irgendwann sometime eines Tages one day nach meinen Prfungen after my exams
85
THE
The conditional
Conditional sentences are very useful and need not always be complicated. If asked what you are doing at the weekend, you can gain valuable marks by replying with a simple conditional: Wenn ich Lust habe, spiele ich mit meinen Freunden Fuball. Wenn ich Zeit habe, gehe ich mit meinen Freunden aus. Wenn wir das Geld haben, gehen wir ins Kino. G You can emphasise the future more clearly by the use of werden in the main clause: Wenn ich Zeit habe, werde ich mit meinen Freunden ausgehen. Wenn wir das Geld haben, werden wir ins Kino gehen. These actions are quite clearly going to happen if the conditions are right. G However if you want to express more doubt about the conditions or the outcomes, you can use subjunctives.
The subjunctive
Subjunctives can become complicated and you are not expected to master more than a few forms. Basically, you will impress the examiner if you can handle these sorts of constructions in German: If I had the time, I would go to ... If I were rich, I could buy ... G The imperfect subjunctive of sein, haben, werden and knnen will give you all you need for these constructions:
sein
ich wre er/sie/es wre wir wren sie wren
haben
ich htte er/sie/es htte wir htten sie htten
werden
ich wrde er/sie/es wrde wir wrden sie wrden
knnen
ich knnte er/sie/es knnte wir knnten sie knnten
Wenn ich Zeit htte, wrde ich in die If I had time, I would go to town. Stadt gehen. Wenn er reich wre, knnte er sich einen If he were rich, he could buy a Porsche kaufen. Porsche. Wenn wir schwimmen knnten, wrden wir If we could swim, we would go allein segeln. sailing alone. Wenn sie fleiiger wren, htten sie mehr If they worked harder, they would Zeit zum Spielen. have more time to play. G Useful adverbs in these conditional sentences would be: vielleicht perhaps eventuell/mglicherweise possibly
86
Check yourself
Future tense, conditional, subjunctive
A 1 2 3 4 5 Say in German: Im going into the sixth form next year. (1) Im taking my driving test in October. (1) Im working in the town hall from September 10th. (1) She is flying to Munich next weekend. (1) Were going to Scotland in the summer. (1)
22
10
(5) C Give the English for: 11 Wenn ich viel Geld htte, wrde ich viel CDs kaufen. (1) 12 Ich wrde eine lange Wanderung machen, wenn ich die Zeit htte. (1) 13 Mein Klavierlehrer wre froh, wenn ich besser spielen knnte. (1) 14 Ich wre glcklich, wenn die Prfungen vorbei wren. (1) 15 Mein Vater wre froh, wenn seine Mannschaft greren Erfolg htte. (1) D 16 17 18 19 Complete these sentences with the appropriate verb: Wenn mein Lehrer eine gute Handschrift ..., ... ich froh. (1) Wenn ich Hunger ..., ... ich zu McDonalds gehen. (1) Wenn er Lust ..., ... er noch schneller laufen. (1) Wenn wir die Zeit ..., ... wir fter trainieren. (1) 20 Wenn meine Schwester lter ..., ... sie mitkommen. (1) wrde wrden htte htten wre knnte
87
SCORE
TOTAL 88
MODAL
VERBS
You have been using modals since you first started learning Geman: Darf ich mitkommen? Ich mu meine Hausaufgaben machen. Kann sie gut schwimmen? Was soll man machen? Ich mag keine pfel. Wo willst du hingehen? and, of course, Ich mchte. Here is the present tense of all six modal auxiliary verbs:
drfen
ich du Sie er/sie/es wir ihr Sie sie
G
knnen
kann kannst knnen kann knnen knnt knnen knnen
mgen
mag magst mgen mag mgen mgt mgen mgen
mssen
mu mut mssen mu mssen mt mssen mssen
sollen
soll sollst sollen soll sollen sollt sollen sollen
wollen
will willst wollen will wollen wollt wollen wollen
An infinitive following a modal goes at the end of the clause or sentence: Ich soll Hausaufgaben machen, aber ich mchte lieber lesen. In subordinate clauses the modal still occupies the usual verb position: Ich kann nicht lesen, weil ich Hausaufgaben machen mu.
G G
The imperfect and the future with werden look like this: Ich wollte nicht ins Kino gehen. Ich werde meine Hausaufgaben machen mssen.
G
In the imperfect, all modals add either -te or -ten and none of them keeps an umlaut:
durfte konnte mochte mute sollte wollte
ich
Ich durfte freitags immer in die Disco. (was always allowed to) Ich konnte meine Freunde dort treffen. (Not knnte) Ich mochte meine Englischlehrerin sehr gern. (Not mchte) Er sollte mitkommen aber er wollte nicht. Notice that in the imperfect you will need to translate sollte as was supposed to.
89
INFINITIVES
A N D T H E PA S S I V E
After modals.
After gehen: Ich gehe heute schwimmen. Im going swimming today. Sie gingen heute vormittag einkaufen. They went shopping this morning. Er ist angeln gegangen. He went fishing. After um ... zu ...: Ich gehe in die Stadt, um eine Hose zu kaufen. Im going to town to buy a pair of trousers. Er brauchte einen Schlssel, um hereinzukommen. He needed a key to come in. (Notice how the zu fits into the separable verb.) After verbs requiring zu: Es beginnt zu regnen. OR Es fngt an, zu regnen. Its starting to rain. Ich versuchte, das Problem zu lsen. I tried to solve the problem. Sie hoffen, ihre Prfungen zu bestehen. They hope to pass their exams. In addition to the six modals verbs, the verb lassen also acts as an auxiliary and controls an infinitive. It gives the meaning of letting someone do something, having something done or leaving something/someone doing something: Mein Vater lt seine Schuhe reparieren. My father is having his shoes repaired. Ich lasse mir die Haare schneiden. I am having my hair cut. Ich lie mein Fahrrad dort stehen. I left my bike standing there.
G G G
The passive
At Higher Level, you need to recognise the passive forms using the present, imperfect and perfect tenses of werden with the past participle. However, you are also expected to know how to avoid the passive by the use of man. Look at these paired examples: Unser Wagen wird heute repariert. Our car is being repaired today. Man repariert es heute. (Present Tense) Unser Wagen wurde gestern repariert. Our car was repaired yesterday. Man reparierte es gestern. (Imperfect) Unser Wagen ist schon repariert worden. Our car has been repaired already. Man hat es schon repariert. (Perfect)
90
Check yourself
Modal verbs, infinitives and the passive
A 1 2 3 4 5 B 6 7 8 9 10 C 11 12 13 14 15 D
23
Complete each sentence with a part of the modal verb in brackets: Was ........................... du trinken? (mgen) (1) Er ........................... gestern kommen. (wollen) (1) Ihr ........................... am Samstag zurckkommen. (mssen) (1) Du ........................... es schon vorgestern machen. (sollen) (1) Wann ........................... Sie kommen? (mgen) (1) Say in German: Can she come with us? (1) Do they know how to swim? (1) They have to work in the evenings. (1) Why do you want to go there? (1) She is supposed to be very clever. (1) Give the English for: Ich bin gestern abend mit meinen Eltern kegeln gegangen. (1) Meine Freunde mchten nicht spazieren gehen. (1) Der Hund fing an, die Katze zu jagen. (1) Ich hoffe, mitgehen zu drfen. (1) Das Kind versuchte, allein in den Kinderwagen einzusteigen. (1) Use sentences beginning with Man to give similar meanings to these sentences. (How would you put them into colloquial English?) Das Haus wird wei angestrichen. (1) Die Klassenarbeiten werden morgen geschrieben. (1) Gestern sind viele Zeitungen verkauft worden. (1) Der Kuchen ist ganz aufgegessen worden. (1) Viele Geschichten wurden abends erzhlt. (1)
16 17 18 19 20
91
SCORE
TOTAL 92
LISTENING GUIDANCE 1
There are some problems common to all listening tests: Problem 1: Your ability to concentrate on a warm summers day, with minor distractions inside and outside the room. Solution: Get enough rest (or sleep) beforehand. No late night, no undue sporting exertion. Problem 2: The test demands that you listen for both gist and detail. Your concentration on the two hearings of the recording is vital. You cant ask for it to be played again. Solution: Practise listening to something recorded from the radio for a minute and writing down the gist, i.e. the main points or theme, of what you hear. On the second hearing write down as many details as you can. Listen to your recording a third time and check how accurately you have listened. Problem 3: There may be a deliberately recorded sound effect, such as a train or a bell, between you and the message you are trying to hear. Sometimes there will be other muffled voices or background noises. Solution: Dont be distracted. These sound effects should help you to establish the scene in your mind, so think about them as well as the verbal message. Problem 4: Dont come to rely on the dictionary in the way you might do in the reading test. If your exam board allows the use of a dictionary at all, it will not be during the listening part of the test. Solution: Use a dictionary as allowed to check words on the question paper only. Any further use of a dictionary will almost certainly be counterproductive. Problem 5: Although there are not many regional variations in vocabulary to trouble you at GCSE, German spoken with an Austrian, Bavarian, Berlin or Swiss accent will sound different and may take a little getting used to. Solution: Your teacher can help by pointing out such regional differences when they occur in your lessons. Other German speakers such as friends parents or a language assistant will be of help. Of greatest assistance in this matter, however, is satellite television to which you may have access, even if you dont have your own. Turning on a German-speaking TV channel and immersing yourself in a game show even for a few minutes or listening to the weather forecast, is a very valuable aid to understanding. If you are able to watch a little at a regular time each week, so much the better.
93
LISTENING GUIDANCE 2
Different kinds of listening
Monologues These are well-known situations: News items, weather forecasts, advertisements, etc. The question will make it clear who is speaking. Announcements These are usually included at Foundation Level only and include the sort of things you hear over a loudspeaker in a shop, railway station, airport, etc. The questions often require you to listen for specific facts like times, prices, platforms, etc. Telephone calls and recorded messages These are similar to announcements, but you may need to listen out for a change in arrangements. A question may require you, for example, to compare the statement on the question paper with the information you hear on the recording. Dialogues If you are required to listen to more than one speaker, you need to be clear who is talking. The names are always recorded and may be used by one speaker to another. You may be asked to fill information alongside names in a grid, or to respond True/False to statements about each named speaker.
General strategies
Use the question to help you In multiple-choice questions about simple facts you know that only one answer is correct, so you can focus on these numbers and disregard everything else, e.g. Eine Fahrkarte kostet: DM 4,50 DM 5,40 DM 15,40 DM 15,45 ? Use your common sense G At a petrol station you are more likely to hear someone say Fnfzig Liter Bleifrei, bitte than Fnfzig Kilo Kartoffeln, bitte. Similarly you should have some idea from your knowledge of German food and drink that a Bratwurst mit Pommes Frites is more likely to cost DM 4,50 than DM 45,00. G If the question wants you to focus on an emotion or attitude, think about the words and expressions associated with those emotions. Maria treibt gern Sport. RICHTIG FALSCH ? Here, you should be thinking about words which convey a positive attitude. Listen out for mag, hat Spa, findet gut/schn, toll!, prima! and so on. You are unlikely to hear the exact words of the question.
94
LISTENING GUIDANCE 3
Specific points to practise
Numbers
You will already be aware of the importance of numbers at Foundation Level, in times, prices and so on, but even at Higher Level there are questions in which an understanding of numbers is crucial. G Practise counting cardinal numbers in English from 20 upwards with the units before the tens, in order to tune in to the German zweiundzwanzig, fnfunddreiig way of counting. G This becomes increasingly important when listening to telephone numbers, which are usually said as pairs of numbers: 285893 achtundzwanzig, achtundfnfzig, dreiundneunzig If there is an odd number it is usually left until last: 3572590 - fnfunddreiig, zweiundsiebzig, neunundfnfzig, nul G Remind yourself of the ordinal numbers by reciting them aloud, especially the first few: erste, zweite, dritte, vierte, usw. G Watch out for the halves! eineinhalb/einundhalb/anderthalb one-and-a-half then zweieinhalb, dreieinhalb, etc. G Practice counting round the hour at five-minute intervals until you can do it without looking at the diagram:
. . . Uhr zehn vor . . . Viertel vor . . . zwanzig vor . . . halb. . . zehn nach . . . Viertel nach . . . zwanzig nach . . .
Be careful with the colloquial expressions of time around the half hour: 2.20 zehn vor halb drei 2.30 halb drei 2.25 fnf vor halb drei 2.35 fnf nach halb drei 2.40 zehn nach halb drei
95
LISTENING GUIDANCE 4
Specific points to practise (cont.)
Vowels and consonants G German speakers avoid confusion between similar sounds by making them clearly different from one another. For example, when someone wants to make it clear over the phone that it is June not July, they will say Juno. Or they might say Julei instead of Juli. Similarly, zwei and drei are differentiated by using zwo instead of zwei as necessary. G German is largely written as you would expect. There are no hidden sounds and everything is pronounced. Just one or two sounds might confuse this pattern, such as the b at the end of words like halb, or the d which sounds like a t at the end of Hund. Similarly, the s of See might make you think the word you hear is Zeh, or that so is in fact Zoo. G Other vowels to listen for are: which can sound like an e. Can you differentiate between Rdern and reden? as in Tr. Can you hear the difference between Tour, Tr and Tier? Or between fr und vier? The context in which the words are heard will definitely help you. Negatives Nicht is an obvious sound to listen out for, but you can be caught out by nicht wahr, when the sentence is, in fact, positive, e.g. Das Wetter ist schn, nicht wahr? The intonation of the question ending should help you to understand this sentence. G A constant cause of problems is the kein/klein trap. Compare Ich habe einen kleinen Garten with Ich habe keinen Garten. Even if you miss the sound of the l in kleinen, you should still hear the article before klein, which you will not hear in front of kein because it already means not a or no.
G
Word separation Without seeing the gaps between words it can be difficult to hear the beginnings and ends of words. This can increase the difficulty of a language well-known for its long compound nouns. Practise listening to a relatively easy piece of German from early in your course book and try to write down what you hear from the recording. You should be able to pick out plenty of shorter words and probably fill in some of the longer ones. If you can borrow the cassette with a transcript of the tape, youll be able to check your spelling as well. Even without this, it is still good practice.
96
Check yourself
Listening 14
A 1 2 3 4 5
24
Try to work with a friend, taking turns to read the German out loud. Pick out the detail from these sentences: Wir fahren morgen frh nach Deutschland. WANN? (1) Die Fhre von Dover ist um halb acht. UM WIEVIEL UHR? (1) Harry kommt am Donnerstag vorbei. AN WELCHEM TAG? (1) Wir treffen um halb sieben vor der Post. WO? (1) Wir fahren morgen mit der Bahn nach Kln. WIE? (1)
B Pick out the attitude. Richtig oder Falsch? 6 Ich bin fast jedes Wochenende unten am Flu. Das Angeln macht mir einen Riesenspa. ER GEHT GERN ANGELN. (1) 7 In der dritten Stunde haben wir schon wieder Informatik. Langweilig, nicht? SIE FINDET INFORMATIK INTERESSANT. (1) 8 Wir haben uns im Jugendklub gut amsiert. Langweilig war es bestimmt nicht. ES HAT IHM IM JUGENDKLUB GEFALLEN. (1) 9 Tiere bei uns zu Hause zu haben ist leider unmglich. Es ist zu eng. SIE MCHTE GANZ GERN TIERE HABEN. (1) C 10 11 12 13 14 Say the numbers and prices out loud: Meine Telefonnummer ist 32 45 07. (1) Ich bin unter der Nummer 55 62 9 zu erreichen. (1) Rufen Sie bei uns an 33 22 89. (1) Der Eintritt kostet DM 19,95. (1) Zwei Kilo fr nur DM 4,45! (1)
D Where do they prefer to go? 15 Ich mchte eigentlich an die Kste fahren, aber bei diesem Wetter fahren wir doch besser zum See. KSTE/SEE? (2) 16 Gehen wir ins Kino! Die Disko ist doch immer berlaufen. KINO/DISCO? (2) 17 In den Park? Bei diesem Regen? Seid ihr verrckt? Ich bleibe zu Hause. PARK/ZU HAUSE? (2)
97
SCORE
TOTAL 98
SPEAKING GUIDANCE 1
With good preparation you will have a large measure of control over what you say during the test. You have a great opportunity to steer the course of the exam and to tell the examiner, your teacher, everything you have prepared. It is a considerable bonus to have a familiar face as the examiner, so make the most of your teachers experience! Problem 1: Nervousness before the exam. You will probably worry about making a fool of yourself by mispronouncing a word, or by forgetting a simple word or phrase just when you need it. Solution: Nerves are not only to be expected, but will probably stimulate you to do the necessary work beforehand. Your teacher will have talked you through the exam, and you will certainly have had some practice of exam materials. Always use a tape recorder when practising and you will soon get used to the sound of your own voice. Read a paragraph of simple text out loud, and adjust your pitch and volume to make a clear recording. Remember: Preparation is worthwhile, and will make you feel more relaxed. Problem 2: You are now so well prepared that you want to rush through a lot in a short time. You are concentrating so hard that you stare straight past the examiner at the wall behind, and this creates the impression that you are reading from an invisible auto-cue like a professional newsreader. The examiner may find it difficult to interrupt your flow and ask a question out of interest. Solution: When you make your recordings, speak slowly and clearly, leaving an occasional pause of two or three seconds. These are the pauses which allow your examiner to take in what you are saying, and give you credit for it. Look at the examiner, so that your facial expression helps with the meaning. Your experienced teacher can read the enthusiasm and pleasure in your face as well as hearing about your hobbies and interests. Problem 3: Avoid the long gaps which worry your examiner. Have you forgotten what to say? Have you understood the question? Solution: You may be forgiven for considering something less predictable in the Higher role-play, but you should not need to pause to think of your favourite food or pastime have an answer ready for such obvious questions as these.
99
SPEAKING GUIDANCE 2
Problem 4: You finally come up against a difficulty which you cant deal with: either you dont know what the examiner is asking, or you dont know how to answer, perhaps because you are lacking a key word in German. Solution: First, you need to let the examiner know as soon as possible that you are in difficulty. Your eye contact has betrayed a lack of comprehension, but for the sake of the person who will later listen to the recording, you need to say what is wrong. G If the problem is general then Ich verstehe nicht will move the situation along. This is better than Knnen Sie das wiederholen?, because if the examiner repeats the same words exactly, you may be no further forward. The likelihood is that the examiner will re-phrase the question for you. G If there is one German word that you dont recognise, you should say Ich verstehe das Wort (German word) nicht or Was heit (German word)? which may also lead to some easier re-phrasing. G If you have forgotten a key word for an answer, simply say Ich habe das Wort fr (English word) vergessen. Your teacher can feed you the word and you can continue without drying up. You will gain credit for coping with such difficulties in your stride. Problem 5: You may forget what you have rehearsed or the order in which to make your points, resulting in confusion for you or the examiner. Solution: You may be allowed to make notes on the role-plays, and you should be allowed to take some cue cards into the exam room to assist your presentation. As a rule your cue card should contain just single words or short phrases. Problem 6: You will only be able to use your dictionary in the preparation area for a limited time. Solution: Use it for checking a word which your memory has mislaid. Only use a word which is new to you if the role-play absolutely requires it. Do not look up unnecessary words. Wherever possible, choose words from lists and shopping where you are certain of gender, plural and pronunciation. For example, on a shopping trip, you could buy einen Pullover, eine Jacke und ein Paar Schuhe dont waste time on the words for personal stereo with graphic equaliser!
100
SPEAKING GUIDANCE 3
Some hints on pronunciation
You may have to spell out your name or a place in a role-play or general conversation. Here is a reminder about pronunciation. a ah j yot s ess b bay k kah t tay c say l ell u oo d day m emm v fow e ay n enn w vay f eff o oh x icks g gay p pay y ipsolon h hah q koo z tsed i ee r air Note that sounds like ss, s sounds like an English z, and z sounds as if you are saying a t before an s Tsimmer. Vowel sounds au sounds like ow in cow, or like ou in loud. ie sounds like ee as in reed, whereas ei sounds like i as in ride dont mix them up! The following vowels occur with an umlaut. Ask for further guidance from your teacher, or practice with your language assistant. is more like the English a as in gate. is like the sound of disgust you might make when you spot something you dont like the look of: Er (Im not eating that!). is more like the English ea or ee than oo, so try saying Brder like breeder or Tr like tear (drop).
101
SPEAKING GUIDANCE 4
You might also meet the following phrases: Sie beginnen Bezahlen Sie Geben Sie Beschreiben Sie Gren Sie Machen Sie einen Vorschlag Buchstabieren Sie Fragen Sie nach ... Whlen Sie Beantworten Sie Erklren Sie Sagen Sie Bestellen Sie Higher role-plays Most of these role-plays will contain a problem for you to solve, or something for you to negotiate they will not be straightforward. Preparation Read the situation on the card, and think through some ways in which the conversation might develop. Remember you cant prepare a script in advance. This role-play is really a series of unpredictable questions and ad lib responses on your part. For example, if you are returning goods to a shop you will need to think of the reasons why you might do so. Are the goods broken or damaged? Do you want to change the colour/size of clothes? Are you asking politely or complaining bitterly? What tone will you adopt?
G G
In the test Maintain eye contact and respond appropriately to the examiner. Make sure that you are true to the situation on the card and give any information accurately as set down.
The MEG Higher role-play asks you to describe a series of events using past tenses past perfect for the actions and imperfect (simple past) for the weather and moods. G Most important Work out the days events, and use easy vocabulary to describe daily routine like getting up, travelling to school/town, lunch, evening meal, time for bed, etc. G The MEG cards always contain helpful vocabulary. Use these items with care. You cant simply read them out. For example, it might say under a picture of a bus in die Stadt fahren. Make sure you handle the verb correctly and say Ich bin mit dem Bus in die Stadt gefahren. In the test Keep an eye on the card, so that you dont lose the sequence, but make sure you interest the examiner in what you are saying.
102
SPEAKING GUIDANCE 5
The different parts of the Speaking Test (cont.)
Presentation and discussion This forms part of the Speaking Test for both MEG and NEAB and may be used as coursework for the London board (Edexcel). You need to speak for 1 minute (MEG) or 1 minutes (NEAB) on a topic you choose from one of the areas of experience. Then your teacher will ask you some questions about the presentation. Choosing your topic G Make sure you check the choice of topic with your teacher first and listen to their advice, as your choice might restrict the mark you get in the test. G If you choose a basic topic and talk in simple sentences, you may simply not cover enough ground to raise your mark into the Higher Level range. G Conversely, if you choose a difficult or obscure topice you may grind to a halt for lack of vocabulary in German. G Discuss the presentation with your teacher so that s/he can prepare sensible questions to ask you. G Introduce the topic in the first sentence for the benefit of the Moderator who will listen to the cassette later. How much detail Say enough to make the topic interesting, but dont try to impress the examiner with everything you know about the subject in detail. This is not the purpose of the test. G Avoid lists of more than a few words. G Try to avoid English words and expressions. It is better to say Ich hre gern englische Popmusik than to say Ich hre gern Take That. If you are describing your favourite TV viewing, stick to a general term like Sportsendungen rather than saying Match of the Day. G Make sure you have planned a few sentences in the past and future. This is essential to your scoring well, and even the simplest sentences can do the trick. G Time what you are preparing so that you dont run too far over time or, worse still, dont fill up the allotted time.
G
103
SPEAKING GUIDANCE 6
Cue cards G Key words or short phrases are all you need. G Dont have too many. G Number them. G Dont read from them. Delivery Practise regularly beforehand what you are going to say and make a recording of it so you get used to the sound of your voice. G You dont need to be word perfect. It will sound unnatural and you lose the real communication with the person you should be talking to. G Dont try to rush. You may trip yourself up or miss vital points. G If you are allowed to bring in visual aids such as a photograph or an object, this can be a help to you and the examiner. Try to pick something which can lead to a bit more discussion after you have done your presentation. G Leave something for the teacher to ask you. You can deliberately leave out saying something obvious like where you stayed on holiday.
G
General conversation This is common to all boards, although there are minor variations in exactly what each one requires. What to do: Make sure you use past, present and future tenses. You also need to express opinions to get a Grade C or above. Try some of these: Ich glaube, da ... Ich meine, da ... Meiner Meinung nach ... Ich halte das fr ... G Try to link ideas and sentences with conjunctions such as denn, aber, dann, or with a relative clause. G Use some more adventurous adjectives and adverbs to add interest to your comments. G Take every opportunity to expand on a question you are asked, rather than just giving a Ja/Nein answer.
G G G G G
What not to do: Dont allow pauses to go on too long, or hesitate before every answer. Dont make the teacher work hard to get you to talk. Dont clam up for fear of making a mistake. You dont have to be word perfect to get the message across.
104
Check yourself
Speaking 16
A 1 2 3 4 5 B
25
Practise these words and phrases aloud. zufrieden 6 ein Stck Kuchen vielleicht 7 meine beiden Brder ein ruhiger Rckflug 8 fhrt spter zurck viele Fhren 9 fnf Pfund pfel hchst unmglich 10 Vater fhrt an die Kste (10 ) Respond to these questions and instructions:
11 (Your first name and surname) Wie schreibt man das? (1) 12 Was sind Ihre Lieblingsfcher? (What could be the next question?) (1) 13 Wie kommen Sie zur Schule? (And the next question?) (1) 14 Was essen Sie gern und was nicht so gern? (1) 15 Wo sind Sie letztes Jahr im Urlaub gefahren? (1) C 16 Ask these questions in German: 17 18
19
(5) D What two questions might you be asked in these situations? 21 You report the loss of a bag to the lost property office. (1) 22 You are in an interview for a job in a supermarket. (1) 23 You have bought a present in a shop. (1) 24 You ask directions of a passer-by. (1) 25 You ask your friends parents if you can go to the cinema. (1)
105
SCORE
6 7 8 9 10
yot-oh-hah-enn, ess-emm-ee-tay-hah If that is your name! Franzsisch und Deutsch, natrlich. The next question is usually Warum? 13 Mit dem Rad. If you come on foot or by bike, the next question is usually Und wenn es regnet? 14 Ich esse gern frisches Obst, pfel und Birnen, aber Fleisch mag ich nicht so gern. You can use two different verbs, and a more elegant word order in the contrasting clause. 15 Letztes Jahr bin ich mit meiner Familie nach Spanien gefahren. Starting with the adverb phrase is better style, but dont forget to invert subject and verb afterwards. (5) C 16 Haben Sie einen Tisch fr drei Personen, bitte? Einen because Tisch is masculine. 17 Zweimal Bratwurst mit Pommes Frites, bitte. Zweimal always comes first. 18 Was macht/kostet das, bitte? 19 Wie komme ich am besten zum Kino? Not ins Kino here. You are unlikely to ask Gibt es ein Kino in der Nhe?. 20 Ich habe seit drei Tagen furchtbare Magenschmerzen. Remember: seit plus dative case. (5) D For example: 21 Welche Farbe ist die Tasche? Ist sie neu? Was war drin? 22 Haben Sie schon mal im Supermarkt gearbeitet? Wie viele Wochen wollen Sie arbeiten? 23 Soll ich das als Geschenk einwickeln? Brauchen Sie eine Tragetasche? 24 Haben Sie einen Stadtplan? Wollen Sie mit dem Bus fahren? 25 Wie kommst du dahin? Wann wollt ihr zurckkommen? Habt ihr genug Geld? (5)
TOTAL 106
READING GUIDANCE 1
Reading is often considered the easiest of the four skills. Your grasp of vocabulary and basic language structures play a vital role in helping you to understand written German, but there are specific difficulties associated with reading: Problem 1: The fact that you are allowed a dictionary can unsettle you right from the start, and you should turn to it only after you have thought carefully about why you want to use it. You may look at the passage and feel that you understand so little of it that you wade into the dictionary for the first few words, only to find that you waste a huge amount of time and are none the wiser as to the meaning of the whole passage. Solution: Remember that you have been prepared for a test at this level. The German is intended to be largely within your grasp. G First, read the rubric in German, or in some cases still in English. This will often provide an important clue as to the theme of the passage. G Secondly, read the questions or exercise which form the test. This is an important guide to the content of passage, and gives you clues as to the vocabulary you will meet. G Look carefully at the interrogatives at the beginning of questions. What are you looking for a verb? a noun? a time? a price? G Finally, read the passage for the first time, bearing in mind what you already know about it. Problem 2: You may be distracted by the style of the print, or the printed handwriting. Perhaps there are different fonts and sizes of print, or the passage is in newspaper columns. Solution: Make sure you have enough practice of actual test materials at this level in varying styles. Dont be afraid to pick up a German magazine or newspaper and glance at the advertisements, headlines, or lead paragraphs. Every little helps! Problem 3: Speed-reading or skimming can cause you to miss the meaning of words you should know, or you mistake them for other words which appear similar. Solution: Take your time to read words carefully enough. Now would be the time to check the meaning of a word, if you think it is a key word needed for the understanding of a phrase or sentence.
107
READING GUIDANCE 2
Problem 4: You misunderstand the first word of the question. Solution: Learn these interrogatives NOW! Wo? means Where? not Who?. Wer? means Who? not Where?. Was? What? Wann? When? (general or specific) Um wieviel Uhr? At what time? (specific) Wie lange? How long (for)? Was fr ...? What sort of ...? Wieviel? How much/many? Warum? Why?
General strategies
Use the question to help you. G In multiple-choice questions about simple facts you know that one answer is correct, so you can bear this in mind when reading the passage. So, if the question is: Eine Rckfahrkarte kostet: DM 15,00 DM 10,00 DM 7,50 ? you can focus on these facts and disregard everything else. Note that exam boards do not want to test your maths ability. If you find yourself adding up or dividing by two, you are on the wrong track. G Similarly, if the question wants you to focus on an emotion or attitude, you can look for words and expressions associated with it, or opposite to it, in the case of a TRUE/FALSE exercise. Maria treibt gern Sport RICHTIG? FALSCH? Watch for mag gern, hat Spa, findet gut/schn, etc but remember that you are unlikely to see the exact words of the question in the text. G However, some tests use a third category of NICHT IM TEXT in order to discourage you from simply guessing. If you really cant find the evidence to support either RICHTIG or FALSCH, then you may need to tick this third box.
G
Use the context to help you. Auf dem Markt wollte Peter ein Kilo Kirschen kaufen. Even without knowing that Kirschen are cherries, you should be able to work that it is something which you can buy in kilos at the market becauses Markt, Kilo and kaufen are so obvious.
Use your common sense. In a supermarket you are more likely to see a sign which says Frische Brtchen than Ausfahrt freilassen. G Similarly you know that a Bratwurst mit Pommes Frites could not be the
G
108
READING GUIDANCE 3
Specific points to practise
Numbers and time Watch out for the following expressions: eineinhalb (or anderthalb) one and a half viereinhalb four and a half eine Viertelstunde a quarter of an hour eine Dreiviertelstunde three quarters of an hour halb zehn half past nine Some regular problems for unwary candidates G See this deserves a mention all on its own, because so many candidates lose a mark on it. The word has two genders and two meanings. Because Germany has so little coastline, but the Germans enjoy sailing and other waterpsorts so much, you can guess it usually means lake. However, theres no substitute for learning it correctly: der See lake, and die See sea Phrases such as am See show that the noun cant be feminine and therefore must be lake. (Remember, though, that das Meer is more common than die See.) G die Kche/der Kuchen two words with food connections which can catch you out. One common phrase which you will see in food establishments is durchgehend warme Kche, which means hot food all day. G kein/klein only one letter difference in the spelling but a lot of difference in the meaning! G Negatives gar nicht/gar kein and berhaupt nicht/berhaupt kein are obvious enough, but watch out for fast, which means almost, and can change the whole meaning of the sentence: Er hat den Bus fast verpat. Did he catch the bus or not? Yes, he did! G Word separation German is well known for its compound nouns. Look at the end of a long noun to find out what the main noun is. It may be something as simple as Tisch or Wagen. The words in front of it describe it. You may need to use your dictionary, but try to work it out first. G Capital letters These help you to identify the nouns, but may also mislead you into thinking that a common noun is a place or person. For example, if you read Man rief den Arzt an, weil die Frau Hilfe brauchte, dont amuse the examiner by talking about Frau Hilfe!
109
READING GUIDANCE 4
Higher Level skills
G
Picking out the main points from a passage Remember that the questions follow the passage chronologically. It is unusual to read a paragraph of text which has no question set about it.
Identifying attitudes and opinions You will not necessarily always see key words like glcklich or bse to tell you how people feel. For example, Ich bin gern ins Theater gegangen suggests a happy experience.
G
Making deductions/inferences from what you read For example, if you read: Wir haben ziemlich lange auf die Post gewartet, was sehr ungewhnlich war you should be able to deduce that the postman is normally punctual.
Understanding the gist of what you read If you read: Viele meiner Klassenkameraden fahren weg, oder machen einen Urlaub irgendwo. Nur ich mu drei Wochen zu Hause bleiben. Aber im Winter mache ich einen Skiurlaub you should be able to see that the writer is talking about holidays. Answering questions using German which you have not read in the text If, having read the piece on holidays above, you had to answer this question: Was hlt sie davon, da sie jetzt nicht in Urlaub fhrt? you would have to answer: Sie ist traurig, da sie nicht wegfhrt or Sie freut sich schon auf ihren Winterurlaub. Saying that she is not going on holiday now, or that she is going in winter, would not score the mark. The question asks how she feels about the situation. Understanding vocabulary outside the minimum core vocabulary All the exam boards specify a minimum core vocabulary for the Foundation Level tests, but there will always be words outside this range. Exam setters, and probably your teachers too, have many years of experience in the range of vocabulary which can be tested. Needless to say, the more vocabulary you do know the better. Remember, you build up vocabulary best over a long period, and by using it, not just reading it off lists, so you need to make a long-term commitment to the regular learning and using of new words.
110
Check yourself
Reading 14
A 1 2 3 4 5 B
26
Match the answers to the questions: Was hat er am Bahnhof gekauft? Um Viertel vor eins. Wann ist der Zug gefahren? Weil Ahlke so spt kam. Wie viele Birnen hat er gekauft? Eine Fahrkarte. Warum war Uwe bse? Seine Freundin. Wer war nicht auf der Party? Zwei Kilo. (5) Pick out the attitude:
Anne geht lieber in die Disko als ins Theater. Birgit macht ihre Hausaufgaben vor dem Abendessen. Carl ist gerade aus London zurckgekommen. Dirk treibt gern Sport aber geht ungern spazieren. Erika sagt, sie mchte gern so bald wie mglich essen.
Richtig
6 Anne mag gern tanzen. 7 Birgit geht gern essen. 8 Carl ist gerade im Urlaub. 9 Dirk ist faul. 10 Erika hat wahrscheinlich Hunger.
Falsch
Nicht im Text
(5)
C 11 12 13
Write out these numbers and prices as figures: fnfhundertfnfundzwanzig 14 drei Mark fnfundneunzig vierundneunzig 15 eine Mark neunundneunzig sechsundsiebzig 16 siebzehn Mark zehn (6)
D Choose the most appropriate word: 17 Wir haben den ... besichtigt. (1) Schlo, schlieen, Schssel, Schlssel 18 Ich habe eine ... von Frankreich gekauft. (1) Fahrkarte, Landkarte, Speisekarte, Theaterkarte 19 Das Spiel fand im neuen ... statt. (1) Station, Haltestelle, Stadion, Bahnhof 20 Sie hat viele ... an den Wnden ihres Zimmers. (1) Posten, Post, Poster, Pfosten
111
SCORE
TOTAL 112
Check yourself
Reading 14
A Pick out the detail. What can you buy at the store?
27
Beim Kaufhaus finden Sie alles unter einem Dach! Im Erdgescho Gartenmbel, Haushaltswaren, Schnellimbi Im 1. Stock Damenabteilung, Kinderkleidung Im 2. Stock Elektroabteilung, Kchengerte, Spielwaren, Fahrrder Im 3. Stock Herrenabteilung, Autozubehr, Dachrestaurant Richtig
1 books and stationery 2 menswear 3 car accessories 4 kitchen utensils 5 pet food
Falsch
(5)
B 6 7 8 9 10
Match the job to the activity: Ein Bcker baut Wohnungen, usw. Eine Arzthelferin arbeitet in einer Schule. Eine Lehrerin macht etwas zum Essen. Ein Maurer arbeitet in einer Werkstatt. Ein Mechaniker arbeitet in einem Krankenhaus.
(5)
C Answer in German: 11 Der Brieftrger hat eine tolle Nachricht von Tante Ilse gebracht. Was hat er gerade gelesen? (2) 12 Die Pizza waren toll, aber ich hatte keinen groen Hunger. Was hat sie gestern abend gemacht? (2) 13 Ich habe Vati alles erzhlt, als ich zu ihm ins Bro kam. Wo war ihr Vater? (2) 14 Eine tolle Party bis ziemlich spt. Warum ist er heute mde? (2) 15 Schon wieder zu spt in die Schule! Der Bus ist so selten pnktlich. Wie ist er zur Schule gekommen? (2)
113
SCORE
Richtig
Falsch
(5) B 6 Ein Bcker macht etwas zum Essen. 7 Eine Arzthelferin arbeitet in einem Krankenhaus. 8 Eine Lehrerin arbeitet in einer Schule. 9 Ein Maurer baut Wohnungen, usw. 10 Ein Mechaniker arbeitet in einer Werkstatt. (5) This sort of exercise is normally found at Foundation Level only. C 11 Einen Brief (von Tante Ilse). (2) Sometimes a noun is all that is required. 12 Sie ist essen gegangen./Sie hat Pizza gegessen./Sie ist in die Pizzeria gegangen. (2) The question requires a verb in the answer. 13 Im Bro/Bei der Arbeit. (2) Remember that Wo? needs a phrase in the dative, so you cant lift ins Bro straight from the text. 14 Er war bis spt auf einer Party OR Weil er bis spt auf einer Party war. (2) Dont forget the word order if you use weil. 15 (Er ist) mit dem Bus (gekommen). (2) A phrase is sufficient, but the verb is there for you in the question, so why not use it?
TOTAL 114
WRITING GUIDANCE 1
Accurate writing is the skill which students generally find most difficult. You need to express ideas and opinions, and give detailed accounts, but maintain accuracy in order to score good marks. As in the Speaking Test, however, you choose what you write, at least to a very great extent. You must exercise strong control over the language you use and balance what you would like to say against what you are able to say in German, which may be less adventurous. Here are some specific problems with solutions to think about: Problem 1: Understanding the question. Solution: Make sure you are familiar with the requirements of the paper. It follows a similar pattern each year, but at Higher Level you need to understand the range of questions which could be asked of you, not simply those which were set last year. Use your dictionary wisely. Problem 2: Deciding what you want to write. Solution: Dont write a piece of English and then try to translate it. Allow yourself time to plan, and try to work in German immediately. Write down the phrases you want to include alongside the paragraph number, according to what is required. Adverb phrases of time, manner and place make a good list with plenty of familiar words to reassure yourself at this early stage. You are aiming to write the piece once only. In a letter including five specific points, you will need seven paragraphs to include the introduction and conclusion. Problem 3: Knowing how much to write. Solution: As a general rule, the letter required of you is between 80 and 100 words long, and the narrative between 130 and 150 words long. You shouldnt worry too much about writing up to 10 words over the limit, but you may lose marks for not reaching the required length, or failing to mention a specified point. Problem 4: Omitting a specified task and forfeiting the marks attached to it. Unforgivable and easily avoidable! Solution: Tick off on the exam paper the necessary items as you complete each one. Make a point of double-checking that you include them in any planning you do.
115
WRITING GUIDANCE 2
Problem 5: How to check that your work is accurate. Solution: Use the following list of specific checks to highlight the most obvious pitfalls. G Verbs in the present tense. Make sure that ich is followed by a verb with an -e ending, and that er and sie and a persons name in the singular are followed by verbs that end in -t in the present tense. Verbs following sie (with a small s for they) will look like the infinitive and end in -n or -en. G Perfect tenses, of which you will have plenty in the Higher Level writing, must have two parts to the verb; the first is a part of haben or sein and the second is the past participle. A common mistake is to follow the subject with the past participle alone, such as Ich gegangen in die Stadt or Ich in die Stadt gegangen instead of Ich bin in die Stadt gegangen. Remind yourself of ten common verbs which take sein and try to use at least five of them in your piece of writing. G The adjectival agreement can be quite complicated, but remind yourself of the eeeasiest one of all, and use feminine nouns in the subject and object cases where possible.
116
WRITING GUIDANCE 3
Different types of question
Foundation Level tasks usually include: G A list of single words or phrases for the F and G grades. Dont use words which are identical in English, such as Butter, Anorak, Pullover. G A message or a postcard with five tasks to fulfil in 30-40 words. The tasks are set either in German or by pictures and may require the use of a past or future tense. G The last task aimed at D and C grades is probably a letter, but may be an article of up to 100 words. You are often given a written stimulus and will need the past, present and future tenses.
G G
Higher Level The first question at Higher is the same as the last at Foundation. The second question will be a longer narrative, an article, report, or another letter. The question will be in German and there may be a stimulus in German to help you, or even a set of pictures. The question is aimed at grades B, A, and A*. Accuracy is essential to get into this range of marks, but you are expected to produce a piece of writing which takes account of the stimulus.
117
WRITING GUIDANCE 4
Higher Level performance
G Perfect for actions: Ich bin gegangen. Ich habe gekauft. G Imperfect for weather, circumstances, and feelings: Es war herrliches Wetter. Wir waren alle mde. Ich freute mich ... G Imperfect for modal verbs: Wir wollten, ich mute, wir sollten, er durfte nicht, etc. G Try to include a pluperfect to impress the examiner: Es war ein schner Tag gewesen. Ich hatte den Film schon gesehen. G Present but watch all those common irregular verbs in the 3rd Person: liest, fhrt, trifft, sieht, etc. G Future with werden, wollen, vorhaben, planen, hoffen.
2 As a Higher Level candidate, you should express yourself in longer sentences. G Remember that coordinating conjunctions (und, denn, aber, oder) are easier than subordinating conjunctions, which make you change the word order: Wir muten lange warten, denn mein Vater hatte seinen Pa vergessen. Ich bin nach Hause gegangen, weil ich die Tasche holen wollte. G Um ... zu can replace a clause but still has the effect of lengthening your sentence: Ich bin nach Hause gegangen, um die Tasche zu holen. G Use a relative clause to add extra detail in a natural way: Mein Bruder hat eine CD gekauft, die im Sonderangebot war. G Prepare to express opinions in a variety of ways: Ich fand die Platte nicht besonders gut. G Use adjectives and adjectival phrases: Der Mann mit dem doofen Hut ist mein Onkel. G Use adverbs and adverbial phrases: Ich bin am spten Nachmittag mit dem Bus in die Schule gekommen. G Fill in the background details of weather and circumstance: Ich fand meine Oma zu Hause, weil das Wetter so schlecht war. 3 Make use of any German which is on the question paper. Rephrase direct questions or instructions for your purposes: Erzhlen Sie, was Sie in den Osterferien gemacht haben. In den Osterferien habe ich ... gemacht. G If the stimulus is an advertisement for a product, service or job, you may be able to extract specific words which will help. For example, the job advert may contain the words Ihr Gehalt or DM 20.- pro Stunde.
G
118
Check yourself
Writing 14
28
A Find a suitable German word for the words underlined: Remember to re-check the word in the German-English section of your dictionary. 1 I had no paper to write on. (1) 2 She tried to cross the road. (1) 3 The rain stopped at midday. (1) 4 My knife is not very sharp. (1) 5 We won the cup at the weekend. (1) B 6 7 8 9 10 C Correct the mistakes: Knnen du kommen nchste Woche? (2 ) Wir ein neu Auto gekauft. (2 ) Uwe wohnen mit die Eltern in Bonn. (2 ) Ich habe mit der Bus zur Schule gefahren. (2 ) Das Wetter was gestern regnen. (2 ) Jemand ruft an und mchte Ihren Brieffreund sprechen. Er ist nicht da. Sie lassen einen Zettel fr ihn, in dem Sie schreiben: wer am Telefon war. (1) wo die Party ist. (1) mit welchem Bus er kommen soll. (1) was er mitbringen soll. (1) da Sie jetzt ins Kino gehen. (1)
11 12 13 14 15
D Write a full sentence to expand on the idea given: Dont invent something new. Use the material with which you are most familiar. 16 Die Freizeit (1) 19 Letztes Wochenende (1) 17 Nchstes Jahr (1) 20 Die Schulmannschaft (1) 18 In den Weihnachtsferien gearbeitet (1) Do you remember how to check your work? Do it now before you look at the Answers & Tutorial.
119
SCORE
TOTAL 120
Check yourself
Writing 14
29
A Complete these tasks in German: 1 Write the first two sentences of a letter booking spaces on a campsite in Germany. (2) 2 Write to the tourist office in Bonn, telling them one activity you would like to do while staying there, asking about things to do and see in general, and asking them to send you a map. (3) B 3 4 5 6 7 C Make each group of short sentences into one longer sentence: Die Schule war um drei Uhr aus. Ich habe meine Freunde getroffen. Wir wollten alle in die Stadt fahren. (1) Ich bin mit meiner Familie nach Schottland gefahren. Wir wollten meine Oma besuchen. Sie ist schon lange krank. (1) Das Wetter war herrlich. Wir wollten ein Grillfest machen. Wir sind zum Strand gegangen. (1) Ein Hund hat unsere Katze gejagt. Er ist in den Garten gelaufen. Er hat den Blumentopf umgekippt. Mutti war bse. (1) Mutter hatte Geburtstag. Wir wollten abends feiern. Sie ist erst sehr spt nach Hause gekommen. (1) Expand the following notes into an account of about 110 words: Wettervorhersage fr das Wochenende sehr gut. Tagesausflug mit Klassenkameraden geplant. Landkarte angeschaut. Fahrrder vorbereitet. Butterbrote gemacht. Getrnke im Supermarkt gekauft. Losgefahren. Halt gemacht. Picknick gegessen. Fe im Bach gewaschen. Nach Hause gefahren. Mde! Remember to use vocabulary with which you are familiar. There should be no big surprises. (10)
121
SCORE
TOTAL 122
Published by HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 7785 Fulham Palace Road London W6 8JB www.CollinsEducation.com On-line support for schools and colleges HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2001 First published 2001 Paperback ISBN 0 00 710975 X Ken Wheeler asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without either the prior permission of the Publisher or a licence permitting restricted copying in the United Kingdom issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1P 0LP This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not by . way of trade or otherwise be lent, hired out or otherwise circulated without the Publishers prior consent. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this publication is available from the British Library Edited by Sue Chapple Production by Kathryn Botterill Design by Gecko Limited Cover design by Susi Martin-Taylor You might also like to visit: www.fireandwater.com The book lovers website