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Year 7 - German

What others do and when: main clause word order and inversion

Activities: time phrases, word order, prepositions

Unit Summary

This unit introduces word order 2 for sentences starting with time adverbs. It contrasts word order 1 and 2 when describing what others do and when. Pupils then apply these rules to question forms. The dative case is introduced to describe location, plus sound-symbol correspondences [th] and [st].

Lesson Summary

You will learn to describe what you and others do and when, using both word order 1 and word order 2.

Key Notes

  • The sounds 't' and [th] sound the same in German, as in 'Hotel' and 'Theater'.
  • Word order 1 (WO1) means that the words in a sentence follow this pattern: subject - verb - adverb - noun.
  • Word order 2 (WO2) means that the sentence begins with something other than the subject.
  • The verb doesn't change position in WO2.
  • Practising writing from memory is important to practise your application of vocabulary and grammar.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • [th]: pronounced as in 'Theater'
  • word order: the order of words in a sentence
  • WO1: abbreviation for word order 1, the standard word order of a German sentence (subject - verb - adverb - noun)
  • WO2: abbreviation for word order 2, which inverts the subject and verb in a sentence
  • adverb: word that describes a verb or an adjective

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • The sounds 't' and [th] make the same sound in English as they do in German.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

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

The sounds 't' and [th] sound the same in German, as in 'Hotel' and 'Theater'. Word order 1 (WO1) means that the words in a sentence follow this pattern: subject - verb - adverb - noun.

2. Define this key language word and use it in context. '[th]'

pronounced as in 'Theater'. Say or write it in a short sentence so you use the word actively.

3. Correct this common language-learning mistake.

Mistake: The sounds 't' and [th] make the same sound in English as they do in German. Correction: The sounds 't' and [th] sound the same in German. Even though many words with these spellings come from English, German pronounces 't' and [th] in the same way.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 7 German guide library.