Abitur English cheat sheet

Global vs. detail listening: on the first play, track speaker topic, attitude and text type; on the second play, fill in numbers, names, times and causal links.

Typical Abitur task formats: multiple choice (three options), true/false with justification, matching statements to speakers, and short-answer gap filling.

Distractors in multiple-choice items usually repeat a word from the audio but reverse or shift the meaning; match the paraphrase, not the keyword.

Signal words for structure: 'zunächst', 'im Gegensatz dazu', 'allerdings', 'letztlich', 'was jedoch', 'insofern' mark contrast and conclusion.

Numbers, dates and prices are frequent traps: note whether a figure is a proposal, a correction or a final decision ('eigentlich', 'genau genommen', 'also doch').

Speaker attitude is cued by intonation, hedges ('ich glaube eher', 'kaum', 'wohl') and discourse markers, not only by explicit opinion verbs.

Note-taking shorthand: use arrows for cause/effect, '+'/'-' for pro/contra, and abbreviations for recurring names; write in the target language to avoid translation delay.

If a detail is missed, keep tracking the main line; one lost item should not cost the following answers.

Three reading modes map to task types: skimming for gist (heading/theme items), scanning for specific information (detail items), and close reading for stance and argument.

Non-fiction analysis structure: topic and occasion, structure (intro–body–conclusion), argumentation type (linear, dialectical, problem–solution), stylistic devices and their function, then evaluation.

Narrative analysis categories: narrative perspective (first/third person, omniscient, limited), narrator reliability, setting, characterisation (direct vs. indirect), time structure (chronological, flashback).

Rhetorical devices to name precisely: anaphora (repetition at clause start), metaphor, simile, personification, hyperbole, irony, rhetorical question, antithesis, parallelism, alliteration, allusion.

Always link a device to its effect on the reader and to the author's intention; a bare device name earns no analytical credit.

Quoting conventions: integrate short quotations into your own syntax, give line numbers, and paraphrase longer passages rather than block-quoting.

Distinguish author, narrator and character; conflating them is a standard source of misinterpretation in prose and drama tasks.

Check tone words (ironic, nostalgic, critical, detached, urgent) against textual evidence before committing to an interpretation.

Tense backshift in reported speech: present→past, past→past perfect, will→would; time and place deictics shift (now→then, here→there, tomorrow→the next day).

Conditional clauses: type 1 (real, present/future), type 2 (hypothetical present, past subjunctive 'were'), type 3 (unreal past, 'had + past participle' + 'would have').

Passive formation: 'be + past participle'; perfect passive 'has been done'; modal passive 'must be done'; report passive 'is said to have done'.

Gerund vs. infinitive: gerund after prepositions and after verbs like 'enjoy, avoid, suggest, mind'; infinitive after 'decide, refuse, manage, tend'.

Word formation for register and precision: prefix/suffix patterns (un-, dis-, -ness, -ity, -less, -ous) and common collocations (make a decision, take measures, draw a conclusion).

Linking devices by function: addition (moreover, furthermore), contrast (however, whereas, nevertheless), cause (owing to, since), consequence (therefore, as a result), concession (although, even though).

Common German-English interference: 'actual' = tatsächlich (not aktuell), 'become' = werden (not bekommen), 'eventually' = schließlich, 'sensible' = vernünftig.

Punctuation and style rules: comma before non-defining relative clauses, no comma splice, avoid contractions and colloquialisms in formal written register.

Standard task types: summary, analysis/interpretation, comment/opinion, letter to the editor, speech script, and creative or re-creative writing (e.g. diary entry, interior monologue).

Summary rules: present tense, third person, own words, no quotations, no personal opinion, roughly one quarter to one third of the source length.

Comment structure: thesis in the introduction, two to three developed arguments each with evidence or example, counter-argument with rebuttal, conclusion restating the position.

Cohesion toolkit: topic sentences per paragraph, pronoun and synonym chains, discourse markers, and deliberate variation between short and long sentences.

Register control: formal writing avoids contractions, slang, exclamation marks and first-person anecdote unless the task type invites it (speech, blog, letter).

Useful formal frames: 'The author argues that…', 'This is illustrated by…', 'While critics claim…, the evidence suggests…', 'In conclusion, it can be argued that…'.

Word-count discipline: plan paragraph allocation before writing; an outline of three to five bullet points prevents mid-text drift and repetition.

Accuracy check pass: verb agreement, tense consistency, article use, spelling of formal vocabulary, and one final read for comma placement.

Typical format: a short monologue on a prompt or visual stimulus, followed by a dialogue or discussion phase and possibly a interpreting/mediation element.

Monologue structure: opening statement of position, two or three supporting points with examples, brief counterpoint, closing summary - signposted with 'firstly', 'on the other hand', 'to sum up'.

Interactive strategies: paraphrase when a word is missing ('what I mean is…'), check understanding ('if I understood you correctly…'), and buy time naturally ('that's an interesting point, because…').

Turn-taking and disagreement phrases: 'I see your point, but…', 'That may be true up to a point; however…', 'Could I come back to that?', 'Shall we move on to…'.

Pronunciation priorities: word stress in cognates (economy, development, technology), final consonants, and the difference between /θ/ and /s/ or /t/.

Visual stimuli (cartoon, chart, photo): describe what is visible, interpret the message and intended effect, then connect it to the broader issue and your own view.

Mediation tasks require relaying content in the other language: summarise meaning, keep register appropriate, and do not translate word for word.

Fluency markers such as fillers ('well', 'you know') should be limited; silence replaced by structured phrases signals control rather than uncertainty.