Grammar and Vocabulary: The Core Machinery of German
What the section really tests
This domain checks control of the structures that make German German: case, gender, verb conjugation and tense, word order, and a practical vocabulary of everyday topics (work, housing, health, travel, shopping). Questions are typically discrete sentences with a blank or an error to spot, so precision matters more than fluency.
Concepts to master
- Four cases: nominative (subject), accusative (direct object), dative (indirect object, and after mit, nach, bei, seit, von, zu, aus), genitive (possession). Articles and adjective endings change with case and gender.
- Verb position: verb second in main clauses; verb final in subordinate clauses introduced by weil, dass, wenn, obwohl ("Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich krank bin").
- Tenses: Perfekt for spoken past (ich habe gesehen, ich bin gefahren with motion/change verbs); Präteritum mostly in writing; Futur with werden.
- Two-way prepositions: in, an, auf, über, unter, vor, hinter, neben, zwischen take accusative for motion and dative for location.
- Vocabulary traps: false friends such as bekommen (to receive, not become), Gift (poison), Handy (mobile phone).
Traps to expect
Adjective-ending questions where the article already signals the case. Dative plural adding -n to the noun (mit den Kindern). Seit versus vor (ongoing vs. completed time). Kennen vs. wissen vs. können. Separable verbs in the perfect tense (aufgestanden).
Rule of thumb
Before choosing an ending, ask two questions: What case does the preposition or verb demand? and What gender and number is the noun? Answer both, then apply the ending. For word order, find the conjunction first-if it is subordinating, the verb goes last.