Year 11 - German
Deutsche Geschichte: negation, inversion
Communication and the world around us: Geschichte
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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 known grammar in the context of German and Austrian history. Pupils revise perfect tense and simple past, negation, word order and adjective agreement.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to apply your knowledge of vocabulary, negation and word order to understand and respond to a text about the Stasi.
Key Notes
- Use 'nicht' before definite articles to mean 'not the' and 'kein' instead of the indefinite article to mean 'not a, no'.
- Place 'nicht' before adjectives, adverbs, possessives and proper nouns. Place 'nicht' after verbs and whole phrases.
- Use 'nichts' to mean 'nothing' or 'not anything', e.g., 'ich sehe nichts'.
- Use word order two if starting a sentence with something other than the subject, e.g., an adverb.
- Use your knowledge of German pronunciation and punctuation to support your intonation when reading aloud.
Vocabulary To Learn
- nicht: word meaning 'not'
- nichts: word meaning 'nothing' or 'not anything'
- kein: word used instead of the indefinite article to mean 'not a', 'no', 'not any'
- word order two (WO2): subject and another element (time, place, object) swap places; verb stays in 2nd position, creating inversion of the subject and verb
- intonation: rise and fall of the voice in speaking
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Intonation doesn't make much difference when reading aloud.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain what you can now say or understand in this lesson.
Use 'nicht' before definite articles to mean 'not the' and 'kein' instead of the indefinite article to mean 'not a, no'. Place 'nicht' before adjectives, adverbs, possessives and proper nouns. Place 'nicht' after verbs and whole phrases.
2. Define this key language word and use it in context. 'nicht'
word meaning 'not'. Say or write it in a short sentence so you use the word actively.
3. Correct this common language-learning mistake.
Mistake: Intonation doesn't make much difference when reading aloud. Correction: Using correct intonation can also help you correctly pronounce German sounds and help you communicate clearly, such as pausing briefly when you see commas or full stops, or the rising pitch of your voice when asking questions.
More Lessons In This Unit
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