Key learning points

1. When describing a photo for the writing exam, focus on verb accuracy and clarity. Keep sentences short and simple.
2. The BORDER acronym is a useful tool to respond fully and accurately to bullet point prompts in longer writing tasks.
3. In extended writing, use subordinate clauses, relative clauses and infinitive constructions to extend sentences.
4. When translating into German, translate the verb first, think about noun gender and check word order.
5. When translating, account for the meaning of every word, but remember the message may not translate word-for-word.

Keywords

• Subordinate clause - after certain conjunctions, the verb is sent to the end of the sentence or clause

• Relative clause - adds information about the noun in the main clause

• Infinitive construction - a verb in the infinitive preceded by 'zu'

Common misconception