Grammar and vocabulary in context
Grammar and vocabulary in context tests whether you can choose the right form for a gap, complete a short text, form words and select synonyms. It is not a separate grammar paper: the questions sit inside sentences and short texts, so context decides the answer.
Core rules
- Main clause: the finite verb is in second position. Ich fahre morgen mit dem Zug nach Berlin.
- Subordinate clause: the finite verb goes to the end. ..., weil ich morgen nach Berlin fahre.
- Neutral order is time, manner, place.
- Learn the four cases. Dative follows mit, nach, bei, seit, von, zu, aus; accusative follows durch, für, gegen, ohne, um.
- Two-way prepositions take the accusative for movement and the dative for position.
- Perfect tense uses haben or sein; separable verbs split in main clauses: Ich stehe um sieben Uhr auf.
- Learn each noun with its article and plural.
Worked example
Ich fahre mit ___ Fahrrad zur Schule. (das Fahrrad) Answer: dem. Reasoning: mit always takes the dative. Fahrrad is neuter, so the dative article is dem. The trap is to write der because English “with the” gives no clue.
Traps that cost marks
- Copying English word order into German main and subordinate clauses.
- Choosing the case by meaning instead of by preposition or verb.
- Leaving a separable prefix attached in a main clause.
- Using the wrong perfect-tense auxiliary.
- Learning vocabulary without gender and plural.