Writing (2) (AQA GCSE German): Revision Notes
Paper 4: Writing (2)
Overview of longer writing tasks
Paper 4 focuses on your ability to communicate effectively in German through extended pieces of writing. You'll have a choice between two different question options, each focusing on different themes and topics. This flexibility allows you to select the question that best suits your knowledge and interests.
The longer writing tasks are designed to test your ability to express ideas, opinions, and information in German while demonstrating your understanding of grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structures. You'll need to write approximately 90 words in German, covering specific bullet points that guide your response.
The bullet points provided in each question serve as your roadmap to success. They ensure you cover all required content areas and help structure your response effectively.
Question structure and requirements
When you encounter the longer writing tasks, you must choose between Question 5.1 or Question 5.2 - you cannot answer both. Each question provides bullet points that you must address in your response. These bullet points serve as a framework to ensure you cover all required content areas.
Critical Rule: You must choose between Question 5.1 OR Question 5.2 - you cannot answer both questions. Make your choice carefully based on which topic you feel most confident writing about.
For example, if writing about your town, you might need to describe a place in your town, explain what you've done recently in town, and discuss what you'll do in town next weekend. Each bullet point requires substantial development, and you should aim to write more for some points than others to demonstrate variety in your language use.
The key to success lies in reading the bullet points carefully and ensuring your response covers all of them thoroughly. Remember that your writing must be in the appropriate time frame - past, present, or future as specified by each bullet point.
Effective writing strategies
To maximise your marks, use the vocabulary, grammar, and structures you know confidently, but try to vary your language use throughout your response. What you write doesn't need to be factually true - the focus is on demonstrating your German language skills effectively.
Always check through your answer to ensure it makes sense and is as accurate as possible. Look for opportunities to express ideas and opinions, and explain them clearly.
Worked Example: Developing Your Response
Instead of writing simply: "Ich mag das Kino."
Develop your response: "Ich mag das Kino, denn es ist modern und bequem, aber ich finde die Karten ein bisschen teuer."
This shows:
- Opinion (ich mag)
- Reason (denn es ist...)
- Contrasting view (aber ich finde...)
Consider using different tenses appropriately. For future plans, you might use either the future tense or the present tense with a future time marker.
Tense Flexibility for Future Plans:
- Future tense: "Nächsten Samstag werde ich mit meiner Freundin einkaufen gehen"
- Present with time marker: "Nächsten Samstag gehe ich mit meiner Freundin einkaufen"
Both are acceptable and demonstrate good German language skills.
Translation tasks
Translation tasks require you to convert five English sentences into German, typically covering 35-40 words at Foundation tier and 50-60 words at Higher tier. These sentences span at least two different themes and test your ability to use different tenses correctly.
When approaching translation tasks, pay careful attention to verb formation and ensure you're using the correct tense. German word order rules are crucial - remember Time-Manner-Place positioning.
Worked Example: German Word Order
Correct: "Ich fahre morgen mit dem Bus zur Schule"
- Time: morgen (tomorrow)
- Manner: mit dem Bus (by bus)
- Place: zur Schule (to school)
Translation Strategy: If you encounter an unfamiliar word, try using a similar word you do know rather than leaving a blank space. Even minor errors might still earn some marks if the meaning remains clear, but major errors that obscure meaning will result in lost marks.
Useful vocabulary
This vocabulary table provides essential words and phrases commonly used in Paper 4 writing tasks. Practice using these in different contexts to build confidence.
| German | English | Example in context |
|---|---|---|
| die Natur | nature | Ich liebe die Natur |
| der Onkel | uncle | Mein Onkel wohnt auf dem Land |
| die Touristen | tourists | Es gibt zu viele Touristen in der Stadt |
| die Stadt | town/city | Die Stadt ist sehr interessant |
| die Schule | school | Gestern hatte ich in der Schule Kopfschmerzen |
| die Kopfschmerzen | headache | Ich hatte starke Kopfschmerzen |
| die Umwelt | environment | Das ist gut für die Umwelt |
| der Bus | bus | Ich fahre mit dem Bus |
| morgen | tomorrow | Morgen gehe ich einkaufen |
| gestern | yesterday | Gestern war ich im Kino |
Example sentences with translations
Worked Examples: Tense Usage
Present tense:
- Ich liebe die Natur. (I love nature.)
- Mein Onkel wohnt auf dem Land. (My uncle lives in the countryside.)
Past tense:
- Gestern hatte ich in der Schule Kopfschmerzen. (Yesterday at school I had a headache.)
Future tense:
- Ich fahre morgen mit dem Bus zur Schule, weil das gut für die Umwelt ist. (Tomorrow I am going to school by bus because it is good for the environment.)
Grammar and pronunciation tips
Essential Word Order Rule: German follows the Time-Manner-Place rule. Time expressions come first, followed by manner (how), then place (where).
Example: "Ich fahre morgen (time) mit dem Bus (manner) zur Schule (place)."
Critical Verb Positioning Rules:
- In main clauses: the verb is the second element
- In subordinate clauses: introduced by words like "weil" (because), the verb moves to the end of the clause
Verb Conjugation Pattern: Regular verbs in present tense follow predictable patterns:
- ich gehe
- du gehst
- er/sie/es geht
Pronunciation tip: The "ch" sound in words like "ich" is pronounced like the "h" in "huge" in English.
Translation exercise
Practice Translation Exercise
German to English:
- Es gibt zu viele Touristen in der Stadt.
- Ich fahre morgen mit dem Bus zur Schule, weil das gut für die Umwelt ist.
English to German: 3. I love nature. 4. Yesterday at school I had a headache.
Answers:
- There are too many tourists in the town.
- Tomorrow I am going to school by bus because it is good for the environment.
- Ich liebe die Natur.
- Gestern hatte ich in der Schule Kopfschmerzen.
Remember!
Key Points to Remember:
- Choose only one of the two longer writing questions and ensure you address all bullet points thoroughly
- Use appropriate time frames (past, present, future) as specified in each bullet point
- Apply German word order rules, especially Time-Manner-Place positioning
- Check your work for accuracy and ensure it makes sense before finishing
- In translation tasks, attempt every sentence even if you're unsure - partial credit is possible for clear meaning even with minor errors