3.3 Grammar
The grammar requirements for GCSE are set out in two tiers: Foundation Tier and Higher Tier.
GCSE students will be expected to have acquired knowledge and understanding of German grammar during their course. In the exam they will be required to apply their knowledge and understanding, appropriate to the relevant tier of entry, drawing from the following lists. The examples in brackets are indicative, not exclusive. For structures marked (R), only receptive knowledge is required.
Students will be expected to develop and use their knowledge and understanding of this grammar progressively throughout their course.
Foundation Tier
The case system
Nouns
gender
singular and plural forms, including genitive singular and dative plural
weak nouns: nominative and accusative singular (Herr, Junge, Mensch, Name) (R)
adjectives used as nouns (ein Deutscher)
Articles
definite and indefinite
kein
Adjectives
adjectival endings: predicative and attributive usage, singular and plural, used after definite and indefinite articles, demonstrative and possessive adjectives
adjectival endings after etwas, nichts, viel, wenig, alles (R)
comparative and superlative, including common irregular forms (besser, höher, näher)
demonstrative (dieser, jeder)
possessive
interrogative (welcher)
Adverbs
comparative and superlative, including common irregular forms (besser, lieber, mehr)
interrogative (wann, warum, wo, wie, wie viel)
adverbs of time and place (manchmal, oft, hier, dort)
common adverbial phrases (ab und zu, dann und wann, letzte Woche, nächstes Wochenende, so bald wie möglich)
Quantifiers/intensifiers
sehr, zu, viel, ganz, ziemlich, ein wenig, ein bisschen
Pronouns
personal, including man
reflexive: accusative
reflexive: dative (R)
relative: nominative
relative: other cases (R) and use of was (R)
indefinite: jemand, niemand
interrogative: wer, was, was für
interrogative: wen, wem (R)
Verbs
regular and irregular verbs
reflexive
modes of address: du, Sie
modes of address: ihr (R)
impersonal (most common only eg es gibt, es geht, es tut weh)
separable/inseparable
modal: present and imperfect tenses, imperfect subjunctive of mögen
infinitive constructions (um…zu…; verbs with zu…) (R)
negative forms
interrogative forms
Tenses:
- present
- perfect: excluding modals
- imperfect/simple past: haben, sein and modals
- imperfect/simple past: other common verbs (R)
- future
- pluperfect (R)
- imperative forms.
Prepositions
fixed case and dual case with accusative and/or dative
with genitive (R)
Clause structures
main clause word order
subordinate clauses, including relative clauses
Conjunctions
coordinating (most common eg aber, oder, und)
subordinating (most common eg als, obwohl, weil, wenn)
Number, quantity, dates and time
including use of seit with present tense
Higher Tier
Students entering for Higher Tier assessments will be required to apply all grammar and structures listed for Foundation Tier, in addition to the new grammar and structures listed for Higher Tier.
Nouns
weak nouns
Adjectives
adjectival endings after etwas, nichts, viel, wenig, alles
Pronouns
reflexive: dative
relative: all cases, and use of was
interrogative: wen, wem
Verbs
mode of address: ihr
impersonal
infinitive constructions (ohne…zu…; um…zu…); verbs with zu… eg beginnen, hoffen, versuchen
modal: imperfect subjunctive of können, sollen
Tenses:
- imperfect/simple past of common verbs
- future
- conditional: würde with infinitive
- pluperfect
- imperfect subjunctive in conditional clauses: haben and sein.
Prepositions
with genitive (most common eg außerhalb, statt, trotz, während, wegen)
Conjunctions
coordinating and subordinating
Time
use of seit with imperfect tense
