Maharashtra HSC German (MSBSHSE) key terms

The title printed above a newspaper article or short text. Readers use it to predict the topic before reading, so exam tasks often ask you to match a heading to a paragraph.

The single most important point a text makes, usually expressible in one sentence. Reading tasks frequently require choosing the sentence that best summarises what the writer wants to convey.

Reading for specific facts such as times, prices, names or places. Questions of this type ask you to locate one exact piece of information rather than the overall message.

A word in the question that also appears, or has a synonym, in the text. Finding it quickly helps you locate the relevant passage without reading every line.

The category a text belongs to, for example Anzeige, E-Mail, Speisekarte, Bericht or Gedicht. Recognising the type tells you what information to expect and what register is used.

A non-fiction text that conveys information, such as a report, notice or information leaflet. Its style is factual and its purpose is to inform rather than to entertain.

A short published notice, for example a job advertisement, flat offer or lost-and-found entry. They are heavily abbreviated, so candidates must infer missing verbs and articles.

The opening paragraph of a written piece. It introduces the topic and states the main idea, and in exam essays it should be short and lead directly to the question asked.

The final paragraph of an essay or letter. It rounds off the argument, may give a personal opinion or a wish, and should not introduce a completely new topic.

The ordered plan of paragraphs before writing. A clear structure with introduction, body and conclusion earns marks for coherence and prevents repetition or missing content points.

A passage in which the writer gives and justifies a personal opinion on an issue. Useful phrases include meiner Meinung nach and ich bin der Ansicht, dass.

The reason given to support a claim, typically introduced by weil, denn or deshalb. Examiners reward essays whose opinions are supported by concrete reasons or examples.

A letter written to an institution or stranger, using Sie and a fixed layout: place and date top right, salutation, body, closing formula and signature. Typical tasks include complaints and applications.

A private letter or e-mail to a friend or relative, using du and a relaxed tone. It still needs a salutation, a logical body and a friendly closing.

The greeting line at the start of a letter or e-mail, for example Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren or Liebe Anna. Capitalisation and comma placement follow fixed conventions.

The closing phrase before the signature, such as Mit freundlichen Grüßen in formal writing or Viele Grüße in private writing. It is followed by a comma and the name on the next line.

Linking words that join clauses and show logical relations, for example deshalb, trotzdem, außerdem and obwohl. Correct use raises the coherence mark in writing tasks.

Subordinate clauses in which the conjugated verb moves to the final position, as in weil ich keine Zeit habe. Recognising this word order is essential for grammar gap-fill items.

The form used for unreal conditions, polite requests and wishes, for example ich hätte, ich würde, wenn ich könnte. It appears in polite letters and in hypothetical statements.

A verb construction with werden plus the past participle, used when the action matters more than the doer, as in Das Haus wird gebaut. Formal notices and reports use it often.

The past participle form used to build perfect tenses and the passive, for example gemacht, gefahren, besucht. Strong verbs change their stem and must be memorised in lists.

The compound past tense formed with haben or sein plus the past participle. It is the normal spoken past and is common in informal letters describing what happened.

The simple past tense, formed by adding endings to the verb stem, as in ich ging, er kam. It is typical of written narrative texts and of sein, haben and modal verbs in speech.

Prepositions that always take the dative case, such as mit, nach, bei, seit, von, zu and aus. Memorising this group prevents frequent case errors in gap-fill exercises.

Prepositions such as in, auf, an and unter that take the accusative for movement or direction and the dative for position or location. The choice depends on the question wohin or wo.

The third case, marking the indirect object or the object of certain verbs and prepositions, as in ich helfe dem Mann. Its articles are dem, der, dem, den plus plural den.

A word with a meaning close to another, for example beginnen and anfangen. Vocabulary items often ask you to match words from a text with equivalent expressions.

A word with the opposite meaning to another, such as teuer and billig or Anfang and Ende. Recognising opposites helps in matching and multiple-choice vocabulary tasks.

A shortened written form such as z. B., usw., ca. or Nr. Advertisements and forms use them constantly, so candidates must expand them mentally to understand the text.

A compound noun made of two or more words, whose gender and plural follow the last element, as in der Hausschlüssel. Breaking the word into parts reveals the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary.

A group of words sharing a common stem, for example fahren, die Fahrt, der Fahrer and die Fahrkarte. Learning words in families builds vocabulary faster than isolated lists.

A reflexive verb meaning to introduce oneself, used with the dative, as in Ich stelle mich vor or Darf ich mich vorstellen? It opens conversations, interviews and formal letters of application.

A reflexive verb meaning to apply for a job or place, used with um or bei, as in Ich bewerbe mich um eine Stelle. Its noun is die Bewerbung, and the perfect tense takes haben.

A ticket for a journey by train, bus or tram. Situational tasks involve asking for a ticket, naming a destination and understanding prices and departure times at a counter.

A timetable listing departure and arrival times. Reading one requires understanding abbreviations such as ab, an, Gleis and the 24-hour clock used in German-speaking countries.

A reflexive verb meaning to enquire or ask about something, used with nach, as in Ich möchte mich nach dem Preis erkundigen. It is typical of polite requests in shops and offices.

The way of telling time. German uses the 24-hour clock in timetables and separates formal from colloquial forms such as achtzehn Uhr dreißig and halb sieben.

Knowledge about the geography, politics, history and everyday culture of German-speaking countries. Exam items may ask about federal states, holidays or famous institutions.

One of the sixteen federal states of Germany, such as Bayern, Hessen or Nordrhein-Westfalen. Germany is a federal republic, and each state has its own government and education system.

A public holiday on which schools and most businesses close. Besides national ones such as der Tag der Deutschen Einheit on 3 October, each state observes its own religious and regional holidays.