Year 9 - German
People and things: relative clauses to define who, which, that
Family experiences: relative clauses
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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 introduces introduces relative clauses in the nominative cases, as well as the indefinite pronouns 'jemand' and 'niemand'. Pupils also learn to embed (non-defining) relative clauses within main clauses and revisit adjective endings with indefinite articles.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to understand relative clauses that identify and add information about people and things.
Key Notes
- Relative clauses add information about the noun in the main clause, without starting another sentence.
- English uses relative pronouns 'who', 'that', 'which', while German uses the definite article that matches the noun.
- In German the relative pronoun kicks the verb to the end of the relative clause; this is called word order three (WO3).
- Use indefinite pronouns 'jemand' ('someone') or 'niemand' ('no one') instead of a noun when the exact person is unknown.
- When using 'jemand' or 'niemand' in subject relative clauses, use the relative pronoun 'der' as for masculine nouns.
Vocabulary To Learn
- relative clause: adds information about the noun in the main clause
- relative pronoun: pronoun that introduces a relative clause, e.g., 'who', 'that', 'which' - in German words 'der', 'die', 'das' are used
- word order three (WO3): the verb is sent to the end of the sentence or clause
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- The word for 'who' in German is 'wer'.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain what you can now say or understand in this lesson.
Relative clauses add information about the noun in the main clause, without starting another sentence. English uses relative pronouns 'who', 'that', 'which', while German uses the definite article that matches the noun.
2. Define this key language word and use it in context. 'relative clause'
adds information about the noun in the main clause. Say or write it in a short sentence so you use the word actively.
3. Correct this common language-learning mistake.
Mistake: The word for 'who' in German is 'wer'. Correction: We use 'wer' to ask or report a question: 'Wer ist das?', 'Ich weiß nicht, wer das ist.' But in sentences like 'that is someone, who ...' we use a relative pronoun - 'der', 'die', 'das' - which matches the gender of noun it refers to.
More Lessons In This Unit
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