Grammar
German B1
Handle narrative distance, more complex clauses, and more precise abstract meaning.
On this level
- Narration and background
Tell stories with a clearer sense of time and relationship.
- Mood and distance
Handle politeness, unreality, and more delicate interpersonal meaning.
- Linking and viewpoint
Connect clauses with clearer contrast and cause.
Narration and background
Tell stories with a clearer sense of time and relationship.
Präteritum for common verbs
In written German and with very common verbs, the Präteritum remains highly visible.
Relative clauses
Relative clauses add extra information to a noun and use relative pronouns that reflect gender, number, and case.
Plusquamperfekt basics
Use the Plusquamperfekt to show that one past action happened before another past reference point.
Mood and distance
Handle politeness, unreality, and more delicate interpersonal meaning.
Konjunktiv II for wishes and polite requests
Konjunktiv II softens requests and expresses unreal wishes or possibilities.
Prepositional verbs
Many German verbs strongly prefer a specific preposition, and that preposition shapes the meaning of the whole phrase.
Infinitive clauses with zu
German often uses zu plus the infinitive to package intention, result, or preference in a compact clause.
Linking and viewpoint
Connect clauses with clearer contrast and cause.
Obwohl and trotzdem
Use obwohl to introduce a concessive subordinate clause and trotzdem to signal “despite that” in a main clause.
Present passive with werden
Use the passive when the action matters more than the person doing it.
Damit and um ... zu
German uses these purpose structures to explain why someone does something or what goal an action has.