Year 10 - German
Mein Alltag: telling the time, prepositions 'um', 'seit' and 'vor'
My personal world: Der Alltag
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit revisits reflexive verbs in past and present tenses as pupils discuss daily routines. Known prepositions are practised, and new prepositions taking accusative and dative are introduced. Times and days are revisited as 'nachdem' and bevor' with clauses are introduced.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to use a range of prepositions and times to talk about past and present events and routines with precision.
Key Notes
- Use the 12 hour or the 24 hour clock to tell the time in German. Use 'um' to say 'at' with clock times.
- 'Um' can also mean 'around' or 'approximately' when used with numbers, and is normally followed by the definite article.
- When referring to a place, 'um' means 'around' and is always followed by the accusative case.
- 'Seit' is used with present tense to express an unfinished action started in the past. It can mean 'since' or 'for'.
- 'Vor' + length of time is used with past tense to say how long ago something happened. Use the dative case.
Vocabulary To Learn
- um: preposition meaning 'at' with clock times and 'around' with places, used with the accusative case
- seit: preposition meaning 'since' or 'for', followed by the dative case
- vor: preposition meaning 'ago', followed by the dative case
- accusative: case used for the direct object in a sentence, after most verbs and some prepositions
- dative: case used for the indirect object in a sentence and after a dative verb or preposition
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- 'Um' always means 'at' and is used with clock times.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain what you can now say or understand in this lesson.
Use the 12 hour or the 24 hour clock to tell the time in German. Use 'um' to say 'at' with clock times. 'Um' can also mean 'around' or 'approximately' when used with numbers, and is normally followed by the definite article.
2. Define this key language word and use it in context. 'um'
preposition meaning 'at' with clock times and 'around' with places, used with the accusative case. Say or write it in a short sentence so you use the word actively.
3. Correct this common language-learning mistake.
Mistake: 'Um' always means 'at' and is used with clock times. Correction: Whilst 'um' is used commonly with clock times to mean 'at', it can also mean 'around' when referring to places, e.g., 'around the corner', or 'about, approximately' with numbers, e.g., 'about 10km'. It also follows some verbs, e.g., 'es geht um'.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Freizeit: prepositions, da-compounds Study Guide
- Ich fahre in die Schule: words for 'in' and 'to', wo-compounds Study Guide
- Mein Alltag jetzt und früher: '-chen' and '-lein', 'wenn' and 'als' Study Guide
- Vor und nach der Schule: word order with 'nachdem' and 'bevor' Study Guide
- Wir treffen uns: reflexive verbs past and present, forming adverbs, role play Study Guide
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