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Year 11 - German

Prüfungsvorbereitung: extended writing (AQA)

Wiederholung: Fragen und Antworten

Unit Summary

This unit draws together known grammar and vocabulary in practising the skills for the different elements of the GCSE examination.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to confidently tackle all parts of the German writing exam, developing and extending your answers as appropriate, and translating accurately into German.

Key Notes

  • When describing a photo for the writing exam, focus on verb accuracy and clarity. Keep sentences short and simple.
  • The BORDER acronym is a useful tool to respond fully and accurately to bullet point prompts in longer writing tasks.
  • In extended writing, use subordinate clauses, relative clauses and infinitive constructions to extend sentences.
  • When translating into German, translate the verb first, think about noun gender and check word order.
  • When translating, account for the meaning of every word, but remember the message may not translate word-for-word.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • subordinate clause: after certain conjunctions, the verb is sent to the end of the sentence or clause
  • relative clause: adds information about the noun in the main clause
  • infinitive construction: a verb in the infinitive preceded by 'zu'

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • The only way to extend my sentences to add complexity is to add a subordinate clause with 'weil'.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

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

When describing a photo for the writing exam, focus on verb accuracy and clarity. Keep sentences short and simple. The BORDER acronym is a useful tool to respond fully and accurately to bullet point prompts in longer writing tasks.

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

after certain conjunctions, the verb is sent to the end of the sentence or clause. Say or write it in a short sentence so you use the word actively.

3. Correct this common language-learning mistake.

Mistake: The only way to extend my sentences to add complexity is to add a subordinate clause with 'weil'. Correction: There are many ways to add complexity, including using subordinate clauses with a wide range of conjunctions, as well as adding relative clauses or infinitive constructions.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 11 German guide library.