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Year 11 - German

Deutsche Städte: comparative adjectives

Communication and the world around us: mein Wohnort

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 use comparative adjectives to draw comparisons between places and to enhance descriptions.

Key Notes

  • Turn an adjective into a comparative adjective by adding '-er', e.g., 'schneller'.
  • To say 'than' when making a comparison, use 'als', e.g., 'meine Stadt ist größer als dein Dorf'.
  • Some adjectives also gain an umlaut in the comparative form, e.g., 'jünger'.
  • Adjectives ending -el or -er remove the penultimate 'e', e.g., 'teurer', 'dunkler'.
  • Comparatives can be useful for developing opinions, reasons and ideas when writing descriptions.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • comparative: a form of adjective or adverb used to compare people, places, things or ideas

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • German forms comparatives in the same way as English.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain what you can now say or understand in this lesson.

Turn an adjective into a comparative adjective by adding '-er', e.g., 'schneller'. To say 'than' when making a comparison, use 'als', e.g., 'meine Stadt ist größer als dein Dorf'.

2. Define this key language word and use it in context. 'comparative'

a form of adjective or adverb used to compare people, places, things or ideas. Say or write it in a short sentence so you use the word actively.

3. Correct this common language-learning mistake.

Mistake: German forms comparatives in the same way as English. Correction: To form the comparative in German, add '-er' to the adjective. This applies in English, but only for short adjectives. For longer adjectives, we add 'more' before the adjective. This is never the case in German.

More Lessons In This Unit

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