Year 11 - German
Abenteuer im Ausland: perfect tense stem changes, perfect tense questions
Communication and the world around us: mein Wohnort
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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 consolidates known grammar and vocabulary, including past and present tenses, direct and indirect object pronouns, and comparatives, as pupils explore new places. Pupils also learn the imperative in the formal 'Sie' form.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to form the past participles of strong verbs with stem changes, and you can ask questions in the perfect tense about a past trip or experience.
Key Notes
- Strong verbs form past participles with 'ge-' and '-en' in the perfect tense.
- Some verbs have a vowel change in their past participle, such as 'ei' → 'ie', 'ie' → 'o', 'i' → 'u' or 'e' → 'o'.
- To form a closed question in the perfect tense, swap the position of 'haben' or 'sein' with the subject.
- For open questions in the perfect tense, place a question word before 'haben' or 'sein'; the subject follows.
Vocabulary To Learn
- strong verb (perfect tense): verb whose past participle adds '-en' and often changes the stem vowel, e.g., 'geflogen'
- past participle: verb form that forms the perfect tense, together with the auxiliary verb
- closed question: a question which can be answered with yes/no, formed by inverting the subject and verb in a sentence
- open question: a question starting with a wh- word, followed by word order 2
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Verbs with inseparable prefixes do not change when forming their past participle.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain what you can now say or understand in this lesson.
Strong verbs form past participles with 'ge-' and '-en' in the perfect tense. Some verbs have a vowel change in their past participle, such as 'ei' → 'ie', 'ie' → 'o', 'i' → 'u' or 'e' → 'o'.
2. Define this key language word and use it in context. 'strong verb (perfect tense)'
verb whose past participle adds '-en' and often changes the stem vowel, e.g., 'geflogen'. Say or write it in a short sentence so you use the word actively.
3. Correct this common language-learning mistake.
Mistake: Verbs with inseparable prefixes do not change when forming their past participle. Correction: Verbs with inseparable prefixes do not add 'ge-' when forming their past participle, but many do have vowel changes, e.g., 'vermeiden' becomes 'vermieden', 'empfehlen' becomes 'empfohlen'.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Ausflüge: formal and informal questions Study Guide
- Das Wattenmeer: present tense weak and strong verbs, reflexives Study Guide
- Deutsche Städte: comparative adjectives Study Guide
- Feste: present tense weak and strong verbs Study Guide
- Flüsse in Deutschland: negation, 'sondern', 'entweder...oder', 'weder...noch' Study Guide
- Freiwilligenarbeit: direct and indirect object pronouns, position of objects Study Guide
- Hilf der Umwelt! Imperative 'du', 'ihr', 'Sie' Study Guide
- In der Stadt unterwegs: expanding vocabulary, role-play Study Guide
- Mein Brückenjahr: preposition 'bei', 'beim' and 'am' with nominalised verbs Study Guide
- Recyceln: formal and informal questions, 'du', 'ihr', 'Sie' Study Guide
- Wie ist die Stadt? Dative articles after 'laut' Study Guide
- Wie komme ich am besten ... ? Formal and informal imperatives Study Guide
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