Since when and for how long? 'seit' with present, 'vor' with perfect tense
Learning outcomes
I can use dative prepositions ‘seit’ and ‘vor’ to say how long ago something happened, when it started, or how long it has been going on for.
I can distinguish between the similar sounds long [e] and [ä].
- Year 8
Since when and for how long? 'seit' with present, 'vor' with perfect tense
Learning outcomes
I can use dative prepositions ‘seit’ and ‘vor’ to say how long ago something happened, when it started, or how long it has been going on for.
I can distinguish between the similar sounds long [e] and [ä].
Lesson details
Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons
Key learning points
- Long [e] and [ä] make similar sounds but knowing the difference is important for speaking and listening.
- The prepositions 'seit', 'vor' and 'bei' are followed by the dative case.
- 'Seit' means 'since' or 'for' and is used with the present tense and a unit of time in the dative.
- 'Vor' can mean ago and is used with the perfect tense and a unit of time in the dative.
- 'Bei' means 'at (the house of)', 'for' or 'with' and is followed by a noun or pronoun in the dative.
Keywords
Seit - preposition meaning ‘since’ or ‘for’, followed by the dative case
Vor - preposition meaning ‘ago’, followed by the dative case
Bei - preposition meaning ‘at (the house of)', ‘for’ or ‘with’, followed by the dative case
Dative - case used for the indirect object in a sentence and after a dative verb or preposition
Common misconception
To mean 'for' with a period of time, use 'vor' in German.
'Vor' means 'ago', e.g. vor zwei Jahren - two years ago. To mean 'for' with a period of time in the present tense, use 'seit'; in the past, add 'lang' after the time phrase, but don't use a preposition for 'for'.
Equipment
A mini whiteboard and pen, together with pen and paper for making notes, would be useful, if available.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match each German noun to its English meaning.
Q2.Tick all the sentences where 'seit' could be correctly inserted into the gap.
Q3.Order these words to say: We’ve been going to the youth club for two months. Start with 'wir'.
Q4.Which of these is the correct singular form of die Männer?
Q5.What does this sentence mean in English? Er hat uns alles langsam erzählt.
Q6.Which sentence correctly says: 'They have explained the prize to us' ?
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.Match the expressions to their English meanings
