Study Guides

Unit Summary

This unit consolidates grammar knowledge of word order - time before manner before place - and revisits imperfect modals. The present and perfect tense are revisited with verbs plus indirect objects.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to understand and talk about past journeys using correct word order and imperfect modal verbs.

Key Notes

• The sound-symbol correspondences [eu] and [äu] have the same sound, which is different from [au].
• Adverbs in a sentence follow the order time, manner, place (TMP); this word order applies in all tenses.
• Any adverb can start a sentence for emphasis. Where this occurs, use word order two (WO2) and TMP for remaining adverbs.
• Use imperfect modal verbs in speech and writing to say what you and others wanted, were able or had to do.

Vocabulary To Learn

• time, manner, place (TMP): order of adverbs in a German sentence - time before manner before place, abbreviated to TMP
• word order two (WO2): inverts the subject and verb in a sentence, when an adverb starts the sentence
• modal verb: verb of necessity or possibility ('must', 'can', 'want') used with a 2nd verb in infinitive, which goes to the end
• imperfect tense: German single-word past tense used mainly to narrate past events in writing, e.g., 'war', 'hatte', 'gab'

Common Mistakes To Avoid

• The imperfect tense is used in written, but not usually in spoken German.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

More Lessons In This Unit

• A charity concert: past participles, verb stress, 'kein' vs 'nicht' Study Guide
• A charity concert: sentence intonation, object pronouns Study Guide
• Travels and places: present and imperfect modal verbs Study Guide