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Year 7 - German

Talking with friends: questions, simple present and present continuous

Friendship: weak and irregular verbs, simple v. continuous

Unit Summary

This unit deepens pupils' knowledge of their verb lexicon. It consolidates their understanding of the English present simple and present continuous to translate the German present tense, with practice in both question and statement forms. Pupils practise the sound-symbol correspondence [j]

Lesson Summary

You will learn to use the present tense and adverbs to ask and answer questions about what you do generally and what you am doing now.

Key Notes

  • [j] is pronounced as in 'ja'. Loan words from English which begin with 'j' in English are pronounced with English 'j'.
  • The simple present is the only present tense in German.
  • Adverbs indicate if the present continuous is needed in an English translation.
  • Form closed questions by swapping the position of the subject and verb. Add a question word to form an open question.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • [j]: pronounced as in 'ja'
  • simple present: present tense used to describe habitual, routine actions; the only present tense in German
  • present continuous: present tense used in English to describe ongoing, current actions; not used in German
  • question: seeks information

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • 'I am doing' is translated as 'Ich bin machen'.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

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

[j] is pronounced as in 'ja'. Loan words from English which begin with 'j' in English are pronounced with English 'j'. The simple present is the only present tense in German.

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

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

3. Correct this common language-learning mistake.

Mistake: 'I am doing' is translated as 'Ich bin machen'. Correction: There is no present continuous ('-ing' form) tense in German, and therefore no use of the verb 'sein'. Use a time adverb to express what you are doing right now in German, e.g., 'Ich mache jetzt ...'.

More Lessons In This Unit

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