Year 10 - German
Schreib eine E-Mail: informal imperatives, present tense verbs
Media and technology: Technologie
Study Hub
Study Guides
This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit revisits present and future tenses and modal verbs and consolidates knowledge of verb-subject questions in single and two-verb structures. It introduces the imperative (informal - du/ihr) of weak verbs and the Da-Wo compounds 'worum' and 'darum' as pupils explore online communication.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to recognise and use the imperative of weak verbs to give instructions or advice in the context of technology.
Key Notes
- There is just one present tense in German, used to translate the simple present and the present continuous in English.
- Imperative verbs are used to give instructions or advice, or to tell someone to do something.
- To form the imperative 'du' form of weak verbs, remove the 'st' ending from the normal present tense form and the 'du'.
- To make the 'ihr' form of the imperative of weak verbs, just remove the 'ihr'. The verb stays the same.
- Verbs with stems ending in '-d' or '-t' add an '-e' to the 'du' form of the imperative.
Vocabulary To Learn
- simple present: describes habitual events in the present: 'I do'
- present continuous: describes events happening right now: 'I am doing'
- imperative: a mood used to tell somebody to do something or to give instructions
- du: subject pronoun meaning 'you', informal and singular
- ihr: subject pronoun meaning 'you', informal and plural
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- To form the imperative, simply remove the subject pronoun and say the present tense verb form on its own.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain what you can now say or understand in this lesson.
There is just one present tense in German, used to translate the simple present and the present continuous in English. Imperative verbs are used to give instructions or advice, or to tell someone to do something.
2. Define this key language word and use it in context. 'simple present'
describes habitual events in the present: 'I do'. Say or write it in a short sentence so you use the word actively.
3. Correct this common language-learning mistake.
Mistake: To form the imperative, simply remove the subject pronoun and say the present tense verb form on its own. Correction: To use the 'ihr' form of the imperative, simply remove the pronoun 'ihr' and say the verb form, e.g., 'Kommt!'. To use the 'du' form of the imperative, remove the pronoun 'du' but also remove the '-st' verb ending, e.g., 'Komm!'.
More Lessons In This Unit
Browse all guides in the Year 10 German guide library.